PatchFitness

ac-tive: adj.; engaging or ready to engage in physically energetic pursuits

dev-o-tee: noun; a person who is very interested in and enthusiastic about something

ac-tiv-o-tee: noun; a person who is very interested in and enthusiastic about engaging in physically energetic pusuits

So if we use the above terms, can you  truly say you're an activotee? Are you enthusiastic about all that you do? If so, great, the following will simply be a reminder of why you do what you do and hopefully spark a few ideas  that you can put into practice. If however you are, like the majority of people I know, not interested in and enthusiastic about your activities, but simply going through the motions because somewhere along the way you were told you have to or you should. Or worse yet, you're not even going through the motions, then this article will be a huge eye opener for you.

Will Somebody Think of the Children

Child obesity is at an all time high and rising. Physical education is being cut in schools across the country due to budget cuts. And Generation Ritalin continues on. Now these are all valid subjects that can be spent talking about in depth until the cows come home, the cows are slaughtered, and the cows eaten. But rather than focus on these symptoms, why don't we focus on the cause of the problem.

FUN. Yes FUN. Or more precisely, a lack of fun. I mean come on, when was the last time you saw kids playing outside? You drive around suburban neighborhoods now and you think there was nuclear fall out or something. The streets are empty. It's just downright unsettling.

There is a solution though. Turn kids into activotees. Get them excited about something active, anything active. It could be your basic [fill in the blank]-ball, or some form of martial arts, or even ball room dancing. It doesn't matter what it is as long as they enjoy it.

Parent: But my child doesn't like to be active.

I beg to differ. Show me a child that doesn't like to be active and I'll show you parents without imagination. Remember, fun doesn't have to be a workout, it just hast to be fun. For example, I work with a company called PATCH Fitness, which donates indoor obstacle courses to schools all around the country. Now if you look at these "O" courses we use, you'll laugh at the ridiculous simplicity of these things. They're like giant plastic Legos or Lincoln Logs that you can put together in different configurations. That's it. There are no buttons, no screens, and no moving parts. So what do you do with it? Whatever you want. You can go over, under, and through the PATCH and anything else you can think of. And to this day I have never see a child not have fun on this thing.

So here is what I propose:

• Kid Reader: Come up with two or three activities you would like to try. Show them to your parents and ask them to join you. Try each for at least a 2-4 hours. If you decide you don't like one, don't do it anymore. If you find one or two you like, do them more. Simple.
• Parent Reader: Ask your kid(s) two or three activities they would like to try. Join them for at least 2-4 hours. If you enjoy the activity continue playing with your kids. If they end up liking something you don't, come up with two or three ideas of your own and ask your kids to join you. This is as complex as this site gets.

So use your imagination, make a game of it, and above all else, have fun. If you do this, the obesity, the lack of physical education, the ADHD, and many more problems will take care of themselves. And parents, you'll get even more out of this than just family time. Which brings me to my next topic.

Will You Grow Down Already

There's a time and a place for maturity. This isn't it.

Remember that PATCH I was telling you about. The number one question I get from adults is, "What do you do with it?" Kids never ask, they simply walk over to it, look it over, give it the old kick test (like when we buy cars), see that it's sturdy enough, and then just go wild on the thing. They leap, they roll, they climb, and they just have fun. They never ask, "Is this working my core?" Which I must take a second and state is my biggest pet peeve question of all times. Right up there with, "How much do you bench?"

They, like me, just don't care, they're too busy having fun. They'll never need an "Off" day from playing like you do from the gym. And they'll never worry about whether or not on Monday to work biceps or triceps. They'll just play and let the body figure out the rest. So if I can give parents and adults in general some advise, it would have to be: Be more like your children.

Try this for a week:

• Stop all and any current workouts unless otherwise prescribed by a doctor. Don't worry guys you won't shrivel up into Michael Cera. And ladies your butt and thighs will be just fine. Believe me.
• Next, pick seven sports, hobbies, or activities you enjoy. Ex. Water polo, archery, tight rope walking (just helping you think outside the box).
• Now choose one activity to perform each day for 1-2 hours.

 Assuming you survive the week (WARNING: An hour of hacky sack is harder than it sounds.), take a moment afterwards to reflect and ask yourself:

• When was the last time I've had this much variety in my life?
• When was the last time I've met this many new people?
• When was the last time I was this sore?
• When was the last time I've been this stress free?
• When was the last time I had this much fun?

Now do you really want to go back to last week? No, I didn't think so.

Things to Come

Hopefully after reading the above your mind has started to wonder about the vast possibilities that can be had if you merely start to take fun a little more seriously. I know it has changed my life and I know it will change yours. If you have any input whatsoever on topics that you would like to see discussed here on this site please don't hesitate to voice your opinion. You can either contact me directly via the "Contact" page or post something on the "Forum".

A few things to look forward to:

• More ways on taking fun seriously and how it can better your health, your job, and your relationships with your friends, family, and significant other.
• A mini-video series. Think Dirty Jobs except instead of Mike Rowe and dirty jobs it'll be me and fun activities.
• Over a 100 activities (ranging from good old American football to body blading) presented  to expose you to the unlimited amount of ways you can have fun while being active.
• A gear section where I'll discuss new and old gizmos and gadgets for activotees.
• Random fun happenings.

Alright, I'm done. I'm getting down off my soap box now.