Ever walk into the gym and immediately want to leave? No matter how hard you try, you can’t summon the motivation to push through a workout. I had one of those days yesterday. I stuck it out and managed a decent session, but I drifted from my plan and ended up tossing in a few random movements just to satisfy my training itch.
In today’s guest post by Shane McLean, a regular on TG.com, he shares ideas you can use when you need a gentle change of pace. Enjoy!
The Art of Distraction
Years ago, my son had a cavity filled. Going to the dentist isn’t fun, especially with those big needles. His first shot didn’t take, so we had to numb him again. Then the tears started. The dental nurse had no bedside manner and couldn’t turn off the water, so I had to think fast. “Hey, look how big your bottom lip is—astronauts could see it from space,” I said. “It’s not fat!” he replied. “Feel it. It’s huge.” He touched his lip and the crying stopped. Problem solved.
You’re probably thinking, what does this have to do with exercise? Here’s the point: sometimes you’re sore, tired, or uninspired and the last thing you want is to grind through deadlifts, squats, and overhead presses. The trick (when you feel meh) is to exercise without realizing you’re exercising. That’s the art of distraction training.
The best way to do this is to add a bit of play and friendly competition, so you can have fun while you’re training and still hit your goals. Try these drills as part of your warmup or as substitutes for planned exercises. They work well in one-on-one or group settings too.
1. Balloon Tennis (not just a kid’s game)
A good substitute for planks, pushups, or shoulder work, and it’s simple to play.
Set up a net using three step-up risers on each side, a body bar, some space, and a blown-up balloon.
Rules: imagine a line from the edge of your risers as the boundary. You and your partner start in a pushup position with feet wider than hip width, within reach of the net. Serve the balloon over the net and rally back and forth until the balloon lands out, touches the ground, or someone loses the plank position. Each event ends in a point. First to five points wins. You’ll be surprised by how quickly your heart rate climbs.
2. Reaction Ball Squash
A great drill to move in all directions quickly and boost hand–eye coordination. Use a squash or racquetball court.
Set up: the server starts inside the service box, the receiver stays somewhere in their service half.
Rules: once the ball hits the far wall and bounces once, it’s live. If the ball is dropped, missed, or bounces twice, that ends the rally. If the server wins the rally, they get the point and the right to serve again. If the receiver catches the ball, they gain the right to serve. Only the server can earn a point. First to ten points wins.
3. Core War
A fantastic drill that targets the front, back, and side of the core while testing balance and hand–eye coordination.
Setup: face each other about 1–2 feet apart, hands at shoulder height, elbows bent, palms facing your opponent.
Rules: each person tries to slap the other’s hand while avoiding a slap in return. You can do this for time as a warmup, and you can keep score. First to five, ten, or fifteen slaps wins. To spice things up, the winner can assign a playful punishment to the loser.
4. Stability Ball Wrestle
Some people debate the use of stability balls and Bosu balls, but they’re just another tool in the toolbox. Stability ball wrestle can replace single-leg or balancing work, and you’ll stay busy trying to knock your partner off balance—while quietly training ankle stability, mobility, and balance.
Setup: stand in front of the stability ball with your right foot on top of the ball and your right knee bent at about 90 degrees. Your partner stands opposite you with their left foot on the same ball, near yours, while your other foot remains on the ground to stabilize.
Rules: you both push the ball to try to knock the other person’s foot off. No kicking—just push the ball any which way. The person whose foot stays on the ball wins the point. You can do this as a timed warmup (about 30 seconds per foot) or turn it into a friendly competition. Each time someone loses balance, the opponent earns a point. First to five or ten wins.
5. The Boxer
Use this in place of a chest or shoulder exercise. It builds power, muscular endurance, and hand–eye coordination—think of it as a fun band chest press.
Setup: anchor a resistance band and hold the handles at shoulder level, with the band under your arms. Your partner raises their hands in guard position.
Rules: you strike the open palm with a clenched fist, one hand at a time. Your partner can adjust hand position to increase the challenge. Use it for time as an upper-body finisher or measure your hits.
Wrapping up
These five games can be woven into any training session to turn the boring parts of a workout into something enjoyable that still boosts performance. Let’s put some fun back into exercise.
