Word from the Y’s: Break the monotony
of everyday exercise routine by playing sports

By Corey Donohoo
Beaumont Centre Family YMCA
 

If you live in Kentucky, it seems as if you are required to at least have some interest in basketball. And you probably spend lots of time watching games on television. But why not go out and play a game, or two?
 

May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month and a great time to incorporate sports such as basketball into your exercise routine. Of course, other sports – soccer, touch football, volleyball, walking a golf course – can also provide you with a great workout.
 

Adding a sport into your exercise can help to relieve some of the monotony and keep you interested and motivated in your health and
wellness goals. I know I am not the only person who gets bored with the hamster wheel that is a treadmill, and I am always looking for ways to add some entertainment to exercise. When done right, playing sports can easily elevate my heart rate while I have some fun with
friends.
 

So, go to a local park that has a basketball hoop or tennis courts or an open field for some Ultimate Frisbee. Whatever sport interests you, give it a try, and hopefully it can give you the variety your workout needs.
 

Corey Donohoo has been the health and well-being director at the Beaumont Centre Family YMCA in Lexington for just over a year. His duties include working with older adults as well as health and well-being initiatives for those with chronic health concerns or those new to exercise. Corey is a 2010 graduate from the University of Kentucky with a degree in biology.
 
Word from the Y’s is a weekly health-and-wellness feature of KyForward.com in cooperation with the experts at the YMCA of Central Kentucky.