What do you do if the word ‘Healthy’ means ‘Boring’ for you? As a health coach, I would help you find ways to shift that connection. The impact of a mindset shift that believes Healthy means Fun, could lead to you improving your health. Here are just some of the ways that FUN can help you be healthy.

Having more fun can help you deal with stress

When we experience stress, it shows up in our bodies as the fight, flight or freeze response. This is when our bodies release a huge amount of adrenaline and cortisol into our systems – designed to get away from immediate threats, like a large predator.

All that adrenaline makes our heart pump faster, narrows or sharpens our focus and we’re ready to run faster than the wind. And our bodies are designed to deal with the cascade of stress hormones by physical exertion. This response is essential in times of danger, but when we are constantly in a state of stress, it can lead to chronic health problems.

However these days, we experience stress in many mental ways; being stuck in traffic and someone cuts you off and honks, or, an out-of-control tantrum from your child in a shop. It’s not like we can quickly leg it around the block to work all that extra cortisol out of our system. So it stays there. And we start to experience stress. But is there a way to bypass these stressful interpretations?

In these stressful moments, can we mentally take a step back? Can we show ourselves some self-compassion by admitting this moment is hard? Instead of reacting in that moment, can we find a way to be amused at ourselves? Try imagining how absurd it would be if we reacted as fully to that stress in the same way, such as; You start cutting other drivers off and honking your horn, or You throw yourself down on the supermarket floor next to your toddler howling that you didn’t want the green lollipop.

Having more fun can help build deeper social connections

Having a good laugh requires us to breathe deeply and releases all the relaxing, feel-good hormones. And it’s even more so when we are with friends.

The importance of social connection is fundamental to our health and overall well-being. We have evolved and survived because of our tribal instinct. When we feel like we belong with people, our nervous systems start to regulate and we can feel less fearful about the future. We have fewer risk factors for disease and our chance of living longer increases.

Add to that laughter and fun activities and you get all the relaxing feel good hormones. There are emerging studies that suggest laughter might aid in healing

So gather your friends and go out to a comedy show.

Having more fun can improve your quality of sleep

Fun can help improve your quality of sleep by reducing your stress, boosting your mood, and promoting relaxation. Good quality sleep is a main pillar of physical and mental health.

We all know sleep is good for us. And high-quality sleep is even better. Some of the key processes that our bodies undertake when we are sleeping are:

• Restoration and repair – restorative processes that help repair and rejuvenate our organs, tissues, and cells. This includes muscle growth and repair, cell division and renewal, and the production of hormones that help regulate our body functions.
• Memory consolidation – New information is integrated into our existing knowledge. This process helps us learn and retain and enhances our cognitive function and creativity.
• Hormone Regulation – cortisol, insulin, and growth hormone are regulated during sleep, which helps to maintain proper metabolic function and regulate our appetite and weight.
• Immune Function – our body produces cytokines, which are proteins that help fight off infection, inflammation, and stress.
• Brain Function – regulation of mood, emotion, and cognitive function. Lack of sleep can lead to impaired concentration, memory, and creativity, as well as an increased risk of mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.

Ways you can reduce your stress with fun activities might be, playing board games or card games with friends – preferably in person and not through a screen. Or listening to music, or learning to play an instrument, or learning to play some of your favorite music. Dancing – whether it’s taking a dance class, dancing in your living room, or going out with friends to dance, moving to music can help you release tension, boost your mood, and increase your endorphins.

Having more fun can help you access your ‘restorative state’

Engaging in fun activities can help us switch from our fight-or-flight state to our restorative state. When we are engaged in activities that we enjoy, our body releases feel-good hormones like dopamine and serotonin. These hormones help to reduce stress and promote feelings of happiness, relaxation, and well-being.

During our restorative state, our body undergoes various rejuvenating processes. These include the release of growth hormones, the production of new cells, and the repair of damaged tissues. Additionally, our immune system functions more effectively during our restorative state, which helps us fight off infections and illnesses.

Spending time in nature can have a calming effect on the mind and body, reducing stress levels and promoting feelings of relaxation. Go for a walk in the park, hike in the woods, or spend some time gardening to connect with nature and reduce stress.

Engaging in creative hobbies such as painting, drawing, or writing can help you relax and reduce stress. Creative activities help to focus the mind, distract from negative thoughts, and promote feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction.

Finding fun activities can help you get fit without thinking about it

If the idea of sweating it out at the gym or feeling uncoordinated at the back of an aerobics class is certainly not your idea of fun, then that’s fine. That is not the only way to get fit. And more people are coming around to the idea that long-term health is based on a lifestyle of what you can do sustainably.

Which to me means, what is fun to do consistently.

That might be surfing, joining a netball or soccer team, finding a boxing class, tai-chi, paddleboarding, or cold water dips. It’s all movement.

There are so many obscure and interesting activities out there. Putting ourselves outside of our comfort zones and learning a new skill has huge cognitive benefits too. Here are some fun activity ideas to get you started:

• Capoeira: A Brazilian martial art that combines dance, acrobatics, and music. It requires agility, coordination, and strength and can be a fun and exciting way to improve your physical fitness, learn new skills and make new friends.
• Pole fitness: Pole fitness involves performing various acrobatic and dance moves on a vertical pole. It requires strength, flexibility, and coordination and can be a fun and empowering way to improve your physical agility and body confidence.
• Rock climbing: Scaling walls or cliffs using your hands and feet or at a local purpose-built rock climbing facility. It requires strength, flexibility, and focus and can improve your mental resilience.
• Roller skating: A fun and nostalgic way to improve your cardiovascular fitness and coordination. Many roller skating rinks also offer fitness classes, such as roller aerobics or dance classes.
• Stand-up paddleboarding: Standing on a large, stable board and using a paddle to navigate through water. It combines a relaxing activity with improving your core strength and balance while enjoying the great outdoors.
• Archery: Who doesn’t enjoy the idea of shooting arrows at a target using a bow? It requires focus, patience, and skill, and can be a fun and challenging way to improve your physical and mental fitness. Archery can be practiced indoors or outdoors and can be enjoyed by people of all ages and fitness levels.

Everyone has a different idea of what “fun activity” means to them. I believe how we choose to get fit should be the same. So think outside the box, and get creative on your favorite search engine. Or ask your friends what fun activities they would like to try out.

Why working with a health coach can help increase your fun

When I work with my clients, I walk alongside them in their journey to better health. This means I am led by what they want to focus on, and that I operate from the point of view that they have the answers. While I have a broad knowledge of a wholefood nutritional approach with a basic understanding of physical fitness science, I understand that my client will also have a wealth of knowledge too. They also hold the knowledge of what resources they have.

I may offer suggestions where a client has gaps in knowledge – areas they can look to gain more information or connect them with further experts. However, my main job is to seek out their motivation, what resonates and makes them excited to make a change. Then creatively collaborate on ways they can practically build healthy habits in their day-to-day life.

If your goal is to find a more fun way to get healthy, then we can dig deeper into what that means for you. We can concentrate on what that looks like and fits into your life. I can hold you accountable to making that happen.

For example, if you loved dancing but felt like there was a barrier to you joining a dance class such as you were too unfit, or didn’t know anyone else, then we could explore the criteria that would help you feel comfortable enough. Maybe it would be a case of searching for a community movement improv class, or beginner dance class at a local hall. Maybe you would set yourself the goal to go along and try a class one week. I would ask you to choose your accountability – possibly to be that you report back to me on how that class went. Each week we would build on this until you found something you felt you had enough confidence to continue.

Sometimes we need encouragement to start. Sometimes we need it to keep going. As your health coach, I would support you to have the most fun possible.