Regular exercise is important. It is one of the bases for long life. Many benefits may be derived from it, such as healthy heart, weight management, improved mood, sound sleep, and many more. You might ask, what is the most major benefit of all? The surest answer there is reducing your risk of constant illnesses. With exercise and proper diet, you will stay healthy longer, age beautifully and feel great.

But first of all, you have to get started on a routine exercise habit and that seems to be the hardest part. Here are 10 suggested ways to include fun into your exercise routine.

Add A Friend. Pick someone to be your exercise buddy who is full of energy and fun and who you look forward to spending time with. Don’t opt for just any person.

Group Fitness. Exercise with a group is encouraging since it is a way to meet new people. You may have an instructor to keep your form good and be motivated to go exercise each time. Find one who has both knowledge and is enthusiastic about physical fitness.

Play Something. Find a sport that you used to play when you were younger and take it up from there like tennis, golf, soccer, softball, or any other sport. Choose a team sport to add some bonding with other of the same sport.

Audio Books and Podcasts. Music while exercising may help a lot. Download some podcasts or some songs and get yourself a small music player. Free podcasts or songs or audio books are available on whatever topic you may think of. In this way, upon exercising you can be looking forward to every session of your exercise like when you are “reading” the next chapter in your novel.

New Shoes. Go get some good fitness shoes. Each type of shoe supports every foot differently, so make sure you have the right shoe for you. Go shopping also for new shorts, shirts, or other accessories to inspire you to really do some exercise religiously.

Chart your Stats. Create a wall chart and log your exercise activity diligently. Items like vital statistics (weight, measurements, maximum weights lifted, best times, etc) are best to be recorded. It seems best to log every detail of your exercise for a month. You will feel great with all the increase of information noted.

Mix It Up. Avoid doing the exact same routine exercise everyday. It is good to mix it up. As soon as you feel your exercise routine is becoming a boring habit, find something else to do.

Measure, Don’t Weigh. There are times when the scale will not motivate you especially if you are working hard to maintain your fitness level. Your weight may still be the same even if you exercise regularly and follow everything that your fitness instructor tells you to do. Part of the reason may be that you are adding muscle while you are losing fat. So it is not advisable to always look at the scale everyday; instead, measure yourself regularly. The tape measure will show more changes than the scale. Put those measurements to your chart and monitor your progress.

TV, Videos and Music. Recent findings indicate that a bit of distraction will help you get through the whole workout. You may get a small music player or you may watch TV shows or put in your favorite movie while on the treadmill. You will look forward to your exercise just to find out what happens next in the upcoming show.

Relax. At the end of each exercise, give yourself at least 5 minutes of relaxation. Lie down on your back and close your eyes. Relax. Look forward to the deep relaxation after such physical activity. You may realize that you start exercising in order to experience this feeling.