To get a better workout, play like a kid

“Adding an attitude of play is about trying to make things more interesting and meaningful," Lyons says, adding that it can involve discovery, exploration and spontaneity. "It can

involve discovery, exploration, and spontaneity. There’s something unique about play that brings autonomy—you want to do it for its own sake.” Throughout his adult life, John Whitty, 63,

(my husband) has stayed fit by biking, walking, swimming and doing some strength training. But his real passion is going orienteering, an activity that involves using a detailed map and

compass to navigate from point to point along an outdoor course at an organized meet, something he does six to 10 times per year. “It feels fresh because there’s a lot of discovery and

exploration to it and it’s a way to exercise my creativity and problem-solving skills,” says Whitty, a lawyer in Washington, D.C. “Exercise doesn’t feel like the primary focus.” But in the

process of walking or running up and down hills and traversing wooded and rocky terrain for up to two hours at a time, he gets a great workout. “It’s aerobic exercise,” Whitty says, “and it

challenges my muscle strength, endurance, balance, and agility.”  Still, it feels like fun, to him—"like an outdoor adventure more than anything else,” he says.  To infuse your workout

with a sense of play, Bowman suggests thinking about “what you like doing with your body or what it is about movement that feels playful to you.” Maybe it’s dancing, roller-skating, playing

Frisbee or interactive video games. Then, find ways to bring those activities into your life.. HOPSCOTCH, SKIP, HULA-HOOP AND DANCE To stay fit and active, Meredith Kurz, 67, walks

regularly and takes swimming, body conditioning, and yoga classes at a nearby YMCA a few times during the week. On Saturdays and Sundays, she increases the fun factor by dancing to Lady Gaga

or YouTube music videos in her living room for 20 to 25 minutes at a stretch. “Because there’s something new to it, it sparks my brain and helps me avoid getting into a rut by doing the

same thing every day,” says Kurz, a writer in New York City. “It helps me stay sharp while building fitness.”