Make it Fun and They Will Come

Hey Fitness Fanatics! It’s been a while since I’ve done a post, but rest assured I’ve got LOTS of good stuff up my sleeve for Renewed Fitness. The possibilities are endless!

Anywho… I ran across this video on Facebook about a year ago and thought it was so cool. Then, while I was perusing Facebook last night, I ran into it AGAIN. When I watched it, I knew I had to write about it. Volkswagon is truly onto something with their “Fun Theory”. Taking regular, everyday, mundane activities that aren’t otherwise “fun” and revamping them into something people actually enjoy doing. Watch below.

In Odenplan, Stockholm the engineers from Volkswagon started an experiment and turned a local staircase in a public transportation station into HUGE piano. Right next to the staircase is the escalator (which is pretty common in heavily populated public areas). With each step onto the staircase, a note would play.. It’s interesting and funny to see how folks react to the sound and the discovery that they could make music with their feet. It reminded me of the movie “Big” when Tom Hanks’ character plays “Heart and Soul” on the life-size piano in the toy store.

Tom Hanks boogie'd down on the giant piano in "Big"

The number one reason this video caught my “fitness” eye is because we’ve been told over and over that taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator is healthier and will make us feel better. But do we ever do it? My best guess, no. We humans live for things that are fun, interesting and intriguing. When it’s fun, we flock to it. The idea that if I walk up the stairs and it’s actually fun, changes the entire way I think about the activity. That’s genius! And me being me, I’d get so distracted with the fact that my feet are making music, I’d be late to where ever I was going.

If you watch the folks in the video, some of them were jumping, going back and forth between steps/notes, speeding up on the way up or down, not even realizing they were “exercising”. Now granted, I realize we can’t make every staircase into a piano, but the concept is one that can be adapted in more subtle and powerful ways. Fitness that is focused and includes fun is more effective at getting results, in my opinion. As a trainer, I feel it’s my responsibility to engage my clients in activities that help focus and change their lifestyle, but aren’t boring and repetitive. It’s a lot of work. Researching technique, new exercises and theories, workout equipment and methods for fitness is tough. But the fun doesn’t have to be invisible.

Volkswagon calls this their Fun Theory and has expanded it into other experiments that turn everyday activities into fun, effective ones that change human behavior. I’m excited to see where Volkwagon goes with this theory and if it will be brought to the U.S. I love it!

Be Renewed!