Fun
As a foundation for fitness, we don’t regularly correlate fitness with fun, but we should. Sports keep us fit, yet are fun; exercise challenges us, yet overcoming the challenge is fun. Meaningful fitness activities [any] engage our bodies and our minds. After a session, not only are millions of muscle fibers and synapses activated, but our controlling brain as well. As we engage and enjoy the activity, both physically and mentally, it becomes meaningful, it becomes fun.
Exertion
When we are having fun our brain processes physical activities differently. The brain obfuscates messages from the others systems, and in return, we don’t feel as if we are working as hard. There becomes a loose decoupling of physical exertion, and perceived exertion. Challenges, or intense physical activities don’t feel as difficult or intense. Fun dilutes exertion.
Outcome
The dilution of exertion is to the benefit of the outcome. As we strive to be more healthy, we engage with fitness as means to do so. As we work to be more active, we regularly encounter difficult challenges. >> Fun helps us overcome challenges.