dancing

When you Google “list of failed New Year’s resolutions,” getting fit often makes an appearance at or near the top. This is tragic, given how important fitness is for long-term health and a full experience of life.

So, why is it so hard to get in shape? Our environment certainly has something to do with it. Modern technology has made movement unnecessary for survival, allowing us to spend most of our lives on our ever-expanding behinds.

But still, everyone knows the importance of fitness. We also put a lot of pressure on ourselves to achieve athletic physiques. There’s even a massive industry dedicated to making our fitness dreams come true.

And yet, we remain as sedentary as ever. Why? Well, to put it bluntly: moving an unfit body is a pain in the ass (and various other places).

Indeed, most of the rich world is firmly stuck on the far left in the graph below. All those extra pounds and all that sitting mean that any physical exertion quickly leads to exhaustion, making the “fitness threshold” seem insurmountable.

But there’s also a privileged minority who made it past this threshold and into the “spontaneous fitness valley.” They move because they enjoy their fit bodies, with effortless healthy fitness levels as a natural byproduct.

In this article, we’ll look at four skills that can let you into this picturesque valley and allow you to stay indefinitely.

Skill 1: Confident Dancing

This is such a fun skill to have! All you need is the confidence required to dance whenever the opportunity presents itself. And yes, once you have this confidence, you’ll suddenly see plenty of opportunities.

Any party gets better with some dancing. And it often takes one confident dancer to get everyone out on the dancefloor. May that be you!

If you’re living with a partner, dancing is also an awesome activity to do together. The occasional spontaneous dance session can really boost your chemistry, adding an extra spark to the relationship.

Even if you’re all by yourself at home, dancing to your favorite song for a couple of minutes is a great mood booster. I find it particularly useful for waking up in the morning.

And no, you don’t need serious skills to start. Dancing from the heart will be fun (and highly entertaining to any observer) regardless of your skill level. Just get started! The fancy moves will come with time.

Skill 2: Human-Powered Wheels

This is arguably the single best pathway to automatic fitness. Bicycles are our most common human-powered wheels, but there are many other options, such as scooters, skateboards, and my personal favorite: rollerblades.

Feeling confident on these wheeled contraptions requires good balance. And having a good time powering yourself along requires decent fitness. Luckily, technology can give you a leg up on the second requirement with electric bicycles, scooters, and skateboards. Just start carefully and watch your balance (and confidence) improve with practice.

The best thing about this skill is that it can double as a legitimate mode of transportation. Replacing all your short car trips with human-powered wheels will give you automatic lifelong fitness and, as a beautiful bonus, save you a ton of money. My car-free lifestyle is one of the core reasons I could already earn my financial freedom at age 34.

But there’s an unfortunate problem that slams this door in many peoples’ faces: Cycling can be dangerous and stressful for those living in a city built for cars instead of people. If this is you, add safe cycling as a key selection criterion next time you consider moving house. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait out the slow trends making our cities more livable.

Skill 3: At Least One Sport

The world would be a better place if everyone had at least one sport in their lives. Sadly, two things hold most people back: skills and fitness levels. In other words, the “fitness threshold” in the graph above now becomes the “skills and fitness threshold.”

This taller peak can seem doubly daunting, but it gets easier with the help of some friends. Indeed, many sports offer a beautiful social element to keep things fun and add some friendly competition to boost performance.

If you’re older or simply not very “sporty,” there might still be a sport out there for you. Many sports don’t require you to perform acrobatic maneuvres or max out your heart rate — only to move your body for fun. Take a scan through this impressive list for some inspiration.

Is there a sport you’ve always wanted to try? Did you have a favorite sport in school that got left behind when adulthood happened? Do you have a friend who plays an interesting sport? Any of these can be your ticket.

Skill 4: Automated Mat Exercises

Exercises like yoga or pilates get plenty of attention, but there is one side of them that remains badly undervalued: their synergy with a good morning or evening routine. Indeed, once locked into a solid routine, these movements will strengthen your body and mind for a lifetime.

They don’t need to take much time either. I only do five minutes in the morning and five minutes in the evening. In the morning, it’s a somewhat unconventional blend of yoga and some pilates-like strength elements. In the evening, it’s a few simple yoga stretches.

A final tip is to make sure that your yoga mat is always open and ready for action. This removes any resistance to starting — often the most challenging part of the whole routine.

Lifelong Fitness, Guaranteed

So, start dancing even if you feel silly, dig out that old bicycle and leave the car in the garage, give an old favorite sport another chance, and fully integrate yoga into your routines.

With these four skills in the bag, your entry to “spontaneous fitness valley” is guaranteed. Enjoy your stay in this beautiful place!