Making exercise enjoyable takes the ‘work’ out of your workouts.

Whether you want to lose weight or just live healthier, there’s nothing like the fresh start of a new year to inspire you to exercise more. But merely making those pesky resolutions won’t get the job done. Make sure you like what you’re doing, too.

Enjoying yourself while you’re exercising is important for maintaining your motivation and reaching your goals. So go ahead and have a blast while you’re “working” out.

Need inspiration? Here are five ways to make your routine a fun fest.

1. Let Music Move You
   Listening to music while you work out serves three purposes. It helps distract you from discomfort, it prompts you to move rather than sit, and it encourages you to match the beat, according to a study from the American Council on Exercise and the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. The faster the music, the faster you’ll want to move.

   Fill your iPod, smartphone, or MP3 player with workout songs that have a distinct rhythm and upbeat tempo. Or take an exercise class with music you enjoy.

   Ideally, your exercise songs will have beats per minute that correspond with the heart rate you hope to achieve. You might pick fast songs for the bulk of your workout and slower ones for the warm-up and cooldown.

2. Thrill to the Chill
   It may be cold outside where you live, but heading outdoors and ice-skating, sleigh-riding with your kids, or taking a winter walk can be a pleasant way to burn off steam—not to mention calories. The average 150-pound adult, for example, uses up about 500 calories in an hour of ice-skating.

   Bonus: Spending time in nature is a restorative stress buster, according to a 2010 Finnish study in Health Promotion International.

3. Get Your Game On
   If you’ve ever played tag or soccer with your kids, you know how much fun games can be and how winded you can get without even realizing it. You’re never too old to join the fun.

   Consider adding an adult league sport to your exercise mix, such as basketball or tennis. Or take an exercise class that incorporates games into the workouts.

   Compared with predictable gym-based exercises, games offer variety that breaks from routine. They also feed your competitive streak, which can motivate you to ramp up your exercise efforts.

4. Energize Your Environment
   A cheery workout space might encourage you to work out more.

   Consider: A study in the American Journal of Public Health found that employees were more likely to take the stairs instead of the elevator if the stairwells had artwork on the walls and music playing.

   The same idea could apply to your walking route, your exercise area at home, and the gym you go to. Isn’t getting fit more fun if the environment is aesthetically pleasing?

5. Socialize as You Exercise
   There’s nothing like working out with others to put a spring in your step and balance the time you spend exercising solo. So whether you start a walking group at work, work with a personal trainer in a small group, or join a fitness class, you’ll raise the fun factor by teaming up with others at least occasionally.

   Your support network can provide moral support and accountability that can help you stick with it—even if it’s just a nudge from your teen saying, “Come on. It’s time for our run.”

By Sandra Gordon, a feature writer for Vitality. For more information, visit the American College of Sports Medicine at www.acsm.org.