Staying in shape is a lifetime commitment. Half the battle is, of course, there’s the whole exercise part. But the other half is simply finding the motivation to get off the couch to do something even mildly athletic. Both halves get harder as we age. In most areas of our life, we like routines. But when it comes to working out, it’s easy to get sick of going to the same gym, running on the same treadmill, and blindly going through the same old free-weight or machine routine. And then there are all those pesky excuses that keep us from doing the exercise we know we should be doing: it’s the kids, the job, you’re too tired, too busy, and so on.
One of the easiest ways to break the monotony or find your lost or misplaced motivation is to mix your routine up and play a sport. Sports tend to distract you from the fact that you’re actually exercising; plus, a little friendly (or not) competition can up the motivation factor and get you to push yourself a little harder than you might be inclined to otherwise. It’s a pretty simple concept: The more fun you’re having while working out, the easier it is to keep your body moving. And the more you move (the more physical the sport), the more calories you‘ll burn while playing!
When talking about sports to do for recreation, the first ones you’ll think about are probably pretty traditional, such as soccer, hockey, and softball. But why opt for something old and boring when you can try out something quirky and completely different? With that in mind the folks over at Bubble Ball brought Bubble Soccer to the United States. Born in Europe and spreading fast, the game is a creative combination of bumper cars and soccer. As you can see in the picture below, you’re still kicking a soccer ball, but the top half of your body is inside an enormous, inflatable ball.
Bubble Soccer does a great job of distracting you from how much running and kicking you’re actually doing by engaging you and your opponents in bubble-filled, bumper-car-like mayhem. Why run a mile on a treadmill, when you can do two in a man-sized hamster ball? The calories you’ll burn running, jumping, kicking, bashing, and just keeping yourself upright will add up quickly, making Bubble Soccer as fun as it is exhausting. You can play Bubble Soccer on your own if you buy the equipment or you can join a league (or start one in your area) and compete against other enthusiasts. If you’re looking for a new way to get moving, this is it.
