Do you remember how you ran and played as a kid? Whether it was storming castle walls, avoiding lava pits, or cartwheeling down the sidewalk, there was no thought given to sets, reps, or time-under-tension. It was just fun in the moment.

When was the last time working out felt like that?

For those who love strength training, exercise can feel that way — absorbing, technical, genuinely enjoyable. But for many people, exercise feels more like a chore than a hobby. More like an obligation than something to look forward to.

Here’s one alternative worth considering.

An Alternative To Traditional Training

Years ago, a group fitness class called the “Ninja Academy” ran at a local gym. Twice a week, a group of adults would show up and spend an hour moving like 10-year-olds. They played tag, crawled on the floor, had lightsaber battles with foam swords, and played Zombie Dodgeball.

Nobody was focused on reps, heart rate, calories, or weights. And yet people were genuinely out of breath, laughing too hard to talk, and asking to do it again.

The fitness industry tends to laser-focus on things we can count and track — which has led to the idea that real exercise looks a certain way. Anything that can’t be easily measured gets treated as less valuable. That’s a limited view.

When you’re playing, you move because you want to. You push yourself without thinking about it. You come back the next day not out of discipline, but because it was genuinely fun.

Play doesn’t have to replace traditional training. It just gives you more options. And the benefits go beyond getting sweaty — play builds community, keeps your brain engaged, introduces your body to movements it never gets in a gym, and supports lifelong movement across all ages.

Here’s what Christy, a mom of two teenage girls, said after her first Ninja Academy session:

“I took my twins to a class at my gym last night. Probably the only reason they agreed to go was because it’s called ‘Ninja Academy.’ It’s exercise, yes, but basically it’s structured recess for adults. We did silly stuff, like jump over a ‘creek’ made out of jump ropes, did tripods or handstands depending on ability, played follow-the-leader outside in the dark, and just had a fun time. The girls and I had a blast doing this together. They were still talking about it this morning. I’m on cloud 9 because it was just one of those moments that can be hard to find. We just got to play for a change. Not homework, not housework, not some dumb chore — just play. I don’t do that enough with my kids anymore. I’m going to try to fix that.”

Want to try it? A few principles to start:

  • Everything is optional. Not feeling a particular game or activity? Try something else.
  • Try your best no matter what. You’re not going to be great at these movements and games right away — especially when something is new, it’s easy to get frustrated. Embrace that part of the process.

Source: The Case for Bringing Play Back Into Your Fitness Routine