Get Motivated with Zombies (and more)

Here’s an easy thing you can do right now to get motivated to work out over the next few months: Sign up for a fun 5K. 

No matter what shape you are in today, just do it. We often want to work out consistently, but sometimes the idea of the losing weight or getting in better shape is not enough. It helps significantly to have a concrete objective in the near future, like a race. Sign up tonight, right now, and you will be surprised at your motivation. You will be more motivated over the next several months to incorporate fitness into your daily routine. Think about it: we can lose weight anytime, but the race is just around the corner. 

The race doesn’t have to be a race in the traditional sense. Sign up for something fun, and talk a friend into doing it with you. Then not only will you be more motivated to work out, but you will likely have a workout buddy as well. 

Here are three fun races held in various locations throughout the U.S. this summer.

THE COLOR RACE

Every 1K, volunteers stand ready to throw “color dust” at you.  By the end of the 5K, you will have photo memories for a lifetime: you will covered in a variety of colors. 

See http://thecolorrun.com/ for more info.

RUN FOR YOUR LIVES

This is the race I am doing this summer! You are given a flag belt, like in flag football, and during the 5K volunteers dressed as zombies chase you. How fun does that sound!? To make it even more interesting, it’s not a straight 5K; you will have to overcome a variety of natural and man-made obstacles to reach the finish line. If you keep at least one flag, you win. Lose your flags and the zombies win. Seriously—who hasn’t thought about how to survive a zombie apocalypse? Here’s a chance to live out that fantasy.

Visit http://runforyourlives.com/# for more info.

THE WARRIOR DASH

This fun spirited party of a 5K involves a variety of obstacle courses, such as climbing over walls, navigating mud pits, and jumping over fire. I’s insanely fun. I completed this 5K last summer with a group of martial artists. Most people also dress up; we were the Spartans. A massive crowd cheers you on as you run, and at the end of the race, you can enjoy turkey legs, beer, and live music.

Visit http://warriordash.com/ for more info.

Do you know of any other fun, national races? Share them in the comments, please!

The point of this article: We can have fun getting into shape. However, we can sit around for months and years dreaming of being in better shape. Sure, try one of the workout programs I encourage…. eventually. Or you can be spontaneous, adventurous, creative, and ambitious: sign up for a crazy fun 5K with a friend or two and then make the commitment to train for it. You will have fun AND find yourself in better shape. That’s the best combination I can imagine.