Play

Why we Play

Play is at the center of everything we do! To often fitness becomes about how you look or how much weight you can lift. If those are important to you that's great! If that motivates you and helps you stay health then keep at it! But those reasons aren't always enough for others!

Play can be part of the solution!

Play is something we are all born doing and important skills can be learned from play! And let's be honest, if something is fun you are more likely to stick with it! We also care about families and don't think we should start introducing "fitness" to kids when they can get all the benefits of "working out" by playing games using their body!

When we play at Resolve Movement we run, jump, climb, and crawl! All things that build muscular strength, endurance, and heart health! The goal isn't those benefits. The goal is to have fun together!

What Is Play?

Play is any activity that is enjoyable, spontaneous, and done for the sake of having fun! What is enjoyable is different for different people! While I can play while doing parkour sometimes it can be more of a workout! I consider Judo and CrossFit play most of the time! That doesn't mean they aren't beneficial. We put a lot of work into making our exercise look like play when we could treat our play as important as our exercise and see a lot of the same benefits while having more fun.

The National Institute of Play describes it like this: "Play is state of mind that one has when absorbed in an activity that provides enjoyment and a suspension of sense of time. And play is self-motivated so you want to do it again and again." It has to to with the motivation to do whatever activity, not the activity itself!

Benefits of Play

Aside from physical fitness there are many benefits to adding play to your daily life!

1. Improves Mental Health: Engaging in playful activities can reduce stress and improve your mood. Play triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. This can help combat anxiety and depression, making you feel happier and more relaxed.

2. Enhances Social Skills: Playing with others, whether it's a team sport or a group game, helps you build social connections. It encourages teamwork, communication, and cooperation, which are essential skills both in and out of the gym.

3. Increases Creativity and Problem-Solving Skills: Play often involves using your imagination and thinking on your feet. This can enhance your creativity and help you develop better problem-solving skills.

4. Prevents Workout Boredom: Traditional workouts can sometimes feel repetitive and boring. Incorporating play into your routine makes exercise fun and exciting, which can keep you motivated to stay active.

Exercise Vs Play

If play has the same benefits as exercise then what's the difference? I explain it like this. Exercise is measurable while play is about creativity!

While Judo and CrossFit are play to me when I'm testing for a new belt, I'm working. If I'm going for a PR on my dead lift I'm exercising! This works both ways! While I embrace the "be strong to be useful" mentality in my own Parkour training when I'm at a jam or teaching I'm having fun playing!

Are you convinced?

Let's get moving and have some fun!