by April J.

Created on: June 30, 2008   Last Updated: July 01, 2008

While the desire for weight loss is what initially drives many of us to the gyms, running paths and sports arenas of the world, the thing that keeps us there is finding activities that we love, that we can be excited about, and that can fit comfortably into our lives and lifestyles. Regardless of how many calories an activity burns, you are not likely to keep at it for long if you dislike doing it. Finding physical activities that you love is key to a healthy life. Having said that, some activities are obviously more intense and burn more calories than others. Finding these and fitting them into your life can help you to reach your health, and your weight loss, goals. Everyone has different needs, and I will give a few examples based on some of these different needs and situations, in the hopes that this can help to provide some ideas for those looking for them.

IF YOU HAVE THE MONEY TO SPEND, BUT NO TIME....

This situation can often apply to both young professionals, and to those with families. You do not struggle with coming up with money for working on fitness, but just can't seem to find the time to fit it into your busy schedule, or your schedule varies wildly so you cannot work out at regular times and days. If this is the case, it can be difficult to join classes or gyms that you attend regularly, so the keys here are to make your fitness routine easily accessible and to choose things that you can do anytime so that you can fit them in.

Examples of highly intense workouts in this category include swimming (for example at your local fitness center), running, biking, and purchasing a treadmill, elliptical machine, and/or weight set that you can keep in your home and use when you have the time, for example while watching TV in the evening. Workout videos incorporating cardio can also be great for stay-at-homers with families, as can activities that get the whole family involved (such as swimming and biking). These activities can burn up to 600 or more calories per hour, and this also sets a great example for the rest of the family!

IF YOU HAVE THE TIME BUT NO MONEY...

Physical activity programs can be expensive and, because of this, many find themselves in this situation. If you are a university student, check to see if access to the gym facilities is included in your tuition, as it often is. There may also be opportunities for access to pools, tennis/badminton/squash courts, running or skating tracks, etc.

There are also a number of activities that are free

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