The annual State of Fitness Survey results don’t lie: Many of us are back at it, slowly working back up to the amount of exercise we were getting pre-pandemic. The survey found that in 2022, people were working out an average of four days a week — and boutique fitness has a star spot on our schedules. And with so many choices in a workout routine, why wouldn’t you want to make it as joyful as possible (yes, I said “joyful” and “workout” in the same sentence)? 

Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, says it’s really not as difficult as you may think to act like a kid while you’re exercising.

“The most powerful benefit of adding playful kid vibes to workouts is…they become fun! And when something is fun, you naturally want to do it instead of having to force yourself to do it,” she says. “Fun, childlike workouts activate your natural motivation system.”

Across the U.S., there are all kinds of fun workouts to try out, from the disco ball and neon lights-infused cardio dance party in LA to the underwater aqua cycling classes in NYC to pole dancing in Atlanta. But don’t fret — even if you’re not located in a big city, you can still have big fun with your workouts. 

Get happy with a hula Hoop 

Hoopologie founder and CEO Melinda Rider says a fun fitness routine doesn’t have to be something that you need to turn to a gym or boutique studio for. 

“The beauty of working out with a hula hoop is that it requires coordination, balance, and the use of your brain to unlock certain moves,” she says. “It is mentally stimulating, and there can be a high failure rate for learning tricks and body movements.” Still, she says, many of her customers were never into traditional fitness methods until they found a hoop and are now lifelong hoopers.  

“The number one benefit is that you are not in the mindset of ‘this is a workout,’ Rider says. “When you are hooping, you are concentrating on keeping the hoop up, or moving it up and down your body, which requires focus and coordination, but usually what results is lots of smiling and laughter. We have never seen an adult pick up a hoop for the first time and NOT smile while doing it.”

Rider initially started her business as a new mom who saw a missed opportunity in the fitness world with hula hoops.

“It is the most glorious thing in the world, to take an idea in your head and turn it into a reality, and see it rise to the top and become the iconic pillar of the community, all within six years,” she says.

Hoopologie has tons of different hoops and hoop accessories on their website such as sparkly hoops, rainbow hoops, and even fire hoops, and they ship almost everywhere (I wonder what that box looks like?!). They are also the worldwide supplier of materials for most hoops produced for adults and circus professionals.

“Hoops are for everybody, every age, gender, identity, body type, body ability, weight, everybody,” Rider says. 

Get as cheerful as a cheerleader

Take a class with Jena ‘Jenarator’ Ertel, co-founder of PomSquad, and you’ll feel like you just had a double shot of espresso. The high-energy choreographed dance classes (offered online and in-person in the Chicago area) are made even more fantastic with the addition of throwback music and, the star of the show, sparkly pom poms, so you can feel like an NFL cheerleader (or relieve your high school days if that was your thing) every time you workout. 

Ertel says her friend and co-founder Matthew Hollis (the two met in the dance department at Columbia College) started integrating the concept of “being your own best cheerleader” into his performance pieces, and after working with the city of Chicago on some pop-up concepts, Ertel got involved.

“We were doing full-length pom and cheer-style dance numbers which were incredibly physically demanding,” she says. “I filed that away, thinking that it was a genius fitness concept.” After piloting the routines at Ertel’s fitness classes, the concept caught on and PomSquad was born. 

“Our classes kept getting bigger and bigger and we grew out of that studio,” Ertel says. “We quickly formed a business partnership from there and have evolved and adapted ever since.”

PomSquad classes have a contagious hype that makes you forget for an hour that you’re actually getting a fantastic workout in. 

“You’re getting an incredible amount of endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin which all lead to feeling amazing emotionally and mentally, as well as an average of 100 steps per minute,” Ertel says. The workout is all about full body strengthening, cardiovascular endurance, agility, balance, and power, “the effects of which create more confidence,” she adds.

Ertel says she loves to see how transformative the classes can be for newcomers.

“The best part is how happy PomSquad makes people — how surprised they are by the level of physicality it requires, but that they are capable of all of it,” she says. “I love making people feel welcome, wanted, and part of the squad.”

Jump for joy (literally)

One of Blatner’s favorite ways to work out is jumping rope. Yep, the same kind you used to do in elementary school (Double Dutch, anyone?). But she wasn’t always into it. She took one class in early 2020 and absolutely hated it — so much so that her jump rope ended up in the trash afterward.

“A week later the pandemic hit, and my gym closed,” Blatner says. “The only thing I felt safe doing was jumping rope in my garage, so I got the jump rope out of the trash and started jumping rope for 10 minutes a day with a jump rope teacher on Instagram (Rachel Jablow of @get_roped) who is now one of my best friends!”

Blatner says for her, jumping rope got her through the pandemic feeling energized and fit and now it’s a mainstay of her workout routine. 

“Sometimes I jump rope almost daily and sometimes it’s just one or two times a week,” she says. “I ebb and flow with it because when I force it, it takes away the fun.”

Blatner says jumping rope is a full mind and body exercise. And since you only have to jump a half inch of the ground to clear the rope, it’s not hard on your knees or joints. And as a bonus, it’s very therapeutic because you have to concentrate so much on the rhythm of the rope that it becomes an “active meditation” that clears your mind. 

“Just 10 minutes of jumping rope is a great addition to anyone’s weekly exercise routine for more stamina, strength, and coordination,” she says. “There’s nothing like it to make yourself feel like a playful kid again! My favorite way to jump rope is by wearing bright workout clothes, blasting music, and practicing a routine I make my husband or friends watch.” 

Blatner says that when you make fitness about what your body can do, not what it looks like, the fun can begin. “Joy in fitness and life all starts from a place of gratitude,” she shares.

Barriers to fitness fun, busted

• Don’t go it alone: Blatner, Rider, and Ertel all agree that the best and easiest way to make fitness fun is to do it with friends! “Make standing fitness ‘dates’ and look for classes or fitness experiences that are new to you and maybe even a little daring,” Ertel says. “The best way to stick to a movement plan is to find something that you look forward to doing, so having a buddy with similar workout desires and compelling classes will lead to success.” 
• Have a “no comparison” rule: Blater says the number one way to not have fun with fitness (or life!) is to compare yourself to other people. “Comparison is the killer of joy,” she says. “Use all of your energy for enjoying the activity, not worrying about what other people are doing, wearing, or how much stronger, faster, or whatever they are.” Rider agrees: “We all deserve to live out loud and be proud of all of our accomplishments,” she says. “There’s no sense in hiding anymore. Appreciate what you have to give the world without looking at anyone else for comparison. Learn what makes you YOU and embrace all of your unique qualities.”
• Get curious: Try new things, even the workouts or gyms you think you won’t like. You may be pleasantly surprised and find a new workout you love. Being uncomfortable, after all, is a great catalyst for growth. 
• Pump up the playlist: Blatner says fitness and good music is the perfect pairing. “Research shows that you will naturally do a workout longer and harder when you have great tunes,” she says. “My pro-tip is to turn the music on before your workout to get motivated and energized to actually do it.”