The following article appeared in the Jan/Feb 2001 issue of Network, a bi-monthly newsletter published by the International Airlines Travel Agent Network

Forget Exercise - Play!
Picture any public or club pool, what do you see? Adults are either grinding out laps or sitting around watching the kids, who, by contrast, are in constant, joyous movement in and out of the water. The cry of "Don't run!" fills the air. Has anyone had to tell you not to run since you got out of grade school? Of course not. But what if exercise could be play again? What if you could keep in shape the way a child does - by just having fun? These are the questions that have led fitness experts to develop playful exercise as a way of getting a sedentary adult population up and moving.

"The 10 percent or so of us who are committed to fitness will keep doing something, whether we enjoy it or not," says Jane Roberts, Fitness Director at Canyon Ranch Health Resort in Tucson. "But we can have a much better time staying in shape if we find activities we truly like." Approaching physical activity as play offers a hopeful new path to better health for the vast majority of adults who get little or no regular exercise. The last few decades of the supposed fitness revolution have shown that most people simply will not do what they don't enjoy, no matter how much experts lecture and doctors nag.

Millions of us decided back in some unspeakable junior high gym class that if being fit required jumping jacks and push-ups, forget it. And we haven't really played since.

Back To Recess!
The challenge to fitness professionals is to reawaken childhood memories - to find activities that take adults back to the days when physical activity was literally child's play. At destination health resorts, where health trends are born, play's the thing. Just about any physical activity that makes people grin is now available at a destination spa.

Speeding Kayaks and Monkey Bars
At Lake Austin Spa Resort near Austin, Texas, guests often rediscover the possibilities of play by getting out into nature and on the water. "Zipping up and down the river on one of our pontoon hydrobikes can be a real workout," says Program Director Robbie Hudson, "and it's so much more refreshing than sitting on a bike in a gym."

Also popular at Lake Austin are canoe outings and hard-fought kayak races between guests who may have just learned to paddle a day or two before. "The kayak races are a definite highlight," says Hudson. "We're always trying to find things that will be new and really fun."

Like Lake Austin Spa, Golden Door takes advantage of a gorgeous natural setting and a great climate to bring out the child in every guest. There's a set of adult-sized monkey bars near a lake on the property, and areas for archery, fencing and croquet. "Our trademark, really, is fun," explains Fitness Director Trish Martin. "We use props and costumes and themes in our aerobics and dance classes - we'll do whatever it takes. We even offer a tap class. At Golden Door, you can be the dancer you always dreamed of being - at least for 45 minutes."

The Mini-trampoline Bounces Back
One sign of the new focus on fun is the return of the mini-trampoline to aerobics class. "Rebounding" has returned in a big way with smaller, more stable "mini tramps," but the appeal is the same as back in its mid-eighties heyday. "Our 'Jump 'n' Jive' class is really all about bouncing on the bed, or the couch, or whatever you could get away with when you were little," says Canyon Ranch's Roberts. "It's a challenging aerobics workout, but the boinging up and down is such a blast that you don't realize how much energy you're using."

Other fun-intensive classes at Canyon Ranch Tucson include:
Recess, a non-competitive all-over workout featuring bouncy red four-square balls and teamwork; a Middle Eastern Dance class with hip-shimmying music and a choice of exotic veils; and the sober-sounding but hilarious Posture and Balance class, which presents participants with a roomful of simple but tippy props.

Giggling is the order of the day as guests toss medicine balls back and forth while walking "balance beams" - actually four-inch wide boards lying right on the cushioned floor. "There's something about that feeling of almost falling, when it's safe, that's just plain fun," says Roberts. "It's a very simple, childish pleasure that's irresistible."

The benefits are physical, of course, but they go further. "Too often we lose our childlike capacity for enjoyment," says Martin from Golden Door. "Acting like a child is the best way to stay young."