Wellness & Fitness Wednesday Tips: Do Something You Like
Tips for Mentally Healthy Activity
Here is a simple way to make your physical activity more mentally healthy: do something you like! Much of the “fitness” content that gets marketed via social media involves running, weights, and gyms - but that doesn’t mean that you have to do those things for your own physical activity. Forcing yourself to go to the gym and do something you despise is probably going to make it hard to stay consistent. It also might make your workouts miserable.
Staying consistent with something that gets your heart rate up and moving is definitely better than periodically forcing yourself into the gym for a suffer session. If you’re not sure what you even like when it comes to physical fitness, here are a few questions to help you out:
- - What is something you’ve always wanted to learn how to do but never tried?
- - What is something you used to love to do that you could take up again?
- - What is the last activity that involved moving your body that you remember enjoying?
Make sure to check inside yourself for this information – there are lots of “shoulds” out there that influence the way we think about physical activity - “I should like weights,” “I should do cardio,” “I should train my glutes,” “I should take up running” (the list goes on and on). Getting curious about what you actually want to do and what you actually like to do will be much more helpful for your mental health than chasing after someone else’s preferences.
ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s Campus Recreation has a vast number of options to support you in finding something you like. It may be going for a swim in the Olympic-sized pool, or joining a spin class. It might be joining an intramural club or showing up for drop-in badminton. It might be using the weight room at the recreation centre or it might be playing squash in the courts with a friend. There are also a host of sports and activity-specific clubs at ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ that can help you tap into your interests. Whatever you’re interested in, there is a way to get started here at ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾.
Sources:
- - Dacey M, Baltzell A, Zaichkowsky L. Older adults' intrinsic and extrinsic motivation toward physical activity. Am J Health Behav. 2008 Nov-Dec;32(6):570-82. doi: 10.5555/ajhb.2008.32.6.570. PMID: 18442337.
- - Thøgersen-Ntoumani C, Shepherd SO, Ntoumanis N, Wagenmakers AJ, Shaw CS. Intrinsic motivation in two exercise interventions: Associations with fitness and body composition. Health Psychol. 2016 Feb;35(2):195-8. doi: 10.1037/hea0000260. Epub 2015 Sep 21. PMID: 26389719.
Past Wellness Wednesday Articles & Videos:
Movement is Medicine...Except When It’s Not - Sport and Recreation Services - ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾
Staying Active During Exam Season - Sport and Recreation Services - ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾
Physical Activity is Good for Your Mental Health - Sport and Recreation Services - ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾
Last Updated: March 19, 2025
