Many workouts in the industry now are meant to be fun. While it is an amazing marketing strategy (and let’s be real, it’s working), fun workouts can only get you so far. Unfortunately, people are buying into easy, fun workouts like crazy, which can hurt their fitness goals. Whether it’s for a corporate wellness program’s in-house fitness center or a local gym, it’s important to understand why fun workouts don’t always work and how to help clients stay motivated and challenged.
Too Many Fitness Fads, Not Enough Results
Nowadays, there is an exercise program, routine, or facility to cater to each demographic in the fitness industry. There are:
- Gyms with routines set to music, platforms, chalk, and garages.
- Gyms that only allow one sex or one type of training.
- General population gyms have “non-intimidation” rules and guidelines to make everyone feel as comfortable as possible.
While I believe that any type of exercise is good, because it’s better than no movement at all, I don’t want people to be fooled. If someone finally gets a boost of motivation from these types of workouts and doesn’t see results, they may be left incredibly discouraged. As a result, they may abandon fitness altogether because “nothing was working.”
I don’t know of anyone who ends up looking like the model on a commercial by doing only a specific type of training or using only one machine or apparatus. Fad workouts could be a good supplement to a regular fitness routine, but the hard truth is, if the workout is not challenging you more every couple weeks you’re using it, there is no room for progression and results will quickly stop and maintenance will be back in full effect.
If It Seems Too Good to be True, It Probably Is
There are many companies that make fitness equipment specifically to be “fun” to use—look no further than those gimmicky late-night fitness infomercials. These companies are creating implements to get people to think “That looks easy! If I could just do that I bet I would be in great shape.”
A lot of the machines that seem too good to be true or too fun usually are. They don’t allow the body to use the muscle it takes to actually achieve any significant calorie expenditure. Therefore, no weight loss and no health improvements. I hear people on these commercials saying, “I could do this all day.” Let’s be real: if you can do a specific exercise all day it will not get you results because your body isn’t being challenged. So it’s best to keep these types of machines out of the fitness center altogether.
Balance Fun & Challenging Workouts
Don’t get me wrong, fun workouts are a great way to get people motivated and wanting to work out. Thankfully, you can create a workout that is both fun and challenging for clients without sacrificing results. I always encourage people to find music, people, and an environment they like to help them stay motivated and enjoying their exercise. By creating a challenging fitness routine , you’re continuously encouraging clients to make themselves strong and push past where they were before. This is really the only formula that will yield continuous results.