As sequined halters and jewelled sandals start popping up with colourful regularity in the current issues of glossy magazines, it's hard to ignore the fact that spring is around the corner. And as the cold winter months slowly fade into memory and the fresh fashions of spring beckon us to bare more, the pressure to get fit starts getting more difficult to shoulder than the weight of the 30-pound barbell at the gym.
If only I'd stayed with my walking/gym/yoga routine that I started before Diwali, you tell yourself, instead of ditching it as soon as my New Year's outfit slid on so easily... But take heart. You're not the only one seeing the error of her ways in the brighter, less forgiving light of spring. More people are stuck in the start-stop-start loop of 'crash' exercising than those who work out on a daily basis. The reason for that is simple: with all our high-intensity-yet-mindlessly-boring gym routines, we've squeezed all the fun out of fitness.
Think back to your growing years. Remember when getting you off the bicycle and back home for breakfast/lunch/dinner, was a veritable tug-of-war between your mother and you? (A quick aside: can you imagine a similar struggle on the stationary bike? Of course not!) Or when, having just mastered the art (or should that be science?) of balancing and moving on roller-skates, you went 'round and 'round the building compound, ignoring all commands to come back and finish that homework right now?
That was not just fun - it was honest-to-goodness exercise too! Little did we realise as we ran around playing cops-and-robbers, tag, expending energy just skipping across the school yard that we were building muscle and burning calories, laying the foundation for a lifetime of health and fitness. Unfortunately, as we grow older, our focus shifts as priorities change, gradually weakening the structure of our personal health. Exercise becomes just another chore to fit into an already busy day. It's little wonder then that the trip to the gym, the yoga class or even 20 minutes of calisthenics are the first to be sacrificed when work deadlines, social engagements and family commitments raise their urgent heads.
We need to go back to where the secret to sustainable fitness lies: in activities that we enjoy, not those we have to put up with. To find out what suits you best, use word association to make a list of five childhood activities that come to mind when you hear the word 'fun'. Then make a list of five activities you enjoy as an adult.

Chances are while the former list will have several references to physical activities, the latter will focus on more sedentary pursuits. So, for instance, while my own first list turned up swimming, jiving (that was the big rage among my friends when we were growing up!), football (we had to prove girls could take headers just as well as the boys), cycling and reading, my grown-up idea of fun includes reading, shopping, watching a movie, swimming and hanging out with friends. Not exactly the top five fitness finds, as you will agree, and definitely no room for even a stationary bike.
A close look at the two lists shows that even as we grow older and our metabolism slows down (thanks not only to the inexorable process of ageing but also the heavier, richer food and alcohol we send down our throats as adults), instead of getting more active and helping our bodies cope with these increased demands, we prefer to slow down on the fitness front. Consider the time we spend sitting; pair that with the gradual hormonal changes that affect connective tissue in our joints, and it's no surprise that too many women in their 30s and 40s start looking older and moving more stiffly than they should.
What, if anything, can we do about it? That's an easy one. The first step is to go back to those two lists and see how far you've strayed from what got you going as a child. Next, try to fit at least two of the physical activities you enjoyed back then into your day and life. This is meant to be fun so don't set unrealistic goals, and don't get daunted by the seemingly low intensity of what you're doing. While it's true that throwing a frisbee with your kids for half an hour won't burn as many calories as jogging (a measly 86 against a whopping 270 calories pounding the tar), it's still 58 calories more than you're burning watching TV (only 28, I'm afraid) or sitting around thinking about how you seriously, really, really need to start going to the gym again (still 28). And you're more likely to stick with a game or sport you enjoy.

Another childhood favourite that fits all the 'professional' parameters of fitness is skipping or, to give it its politically correct name, rope jumping. At 273 calories spent for every 30 minutes of jumping rope, it's marginally better than jogging. While this high count is, of course, reserved for the super-fast skipping that you see professional athletes, boxers and even cricketers do, don't despair. Start with just two to three minutes of the rapid skipping interspersed with the slower double-time shuffle or any other fancy variation you can think of. Adding the mid-air overhead flip also works out your shoulders, biceps and triceps, so let your memory enhance your workout. Warning: be sure to stretch before you start.
On a personal note, swimming is what links me to my youth while keeping exercise fun, and at 240 calories for every half hour spent doing laps (deduct 75 calories if you're swimming in the sea), it's the coolest option on hot, sunny days. A new addition to my adult list - and my current hot fave, I must admit - is belly dancing. Even into my intermediate level, I find new muscle groups after every class, and now that I've taken to wearing my jingly-jangly hip scarf around the house as I do my chores, practicing the slinky-but-killer moves at home doesn't cut into my hectic schedule at all.
While belly dancing may not be your cup of tea, there are lots of other ways to fill your dance card. At a recent kiddies' birthday party, most of the moms-in-attendance were gasping for breath after only four multi-speed repetitions of the birdie dance (remember that one?). So, do your salsa, jive it up, borrow the Conga line from the New Year's party or just let it all hang out while doing the hokie-pokie.

For those who think dancing is strictly a spectator sport, here's a more mundane but highly effective alternative: take the stairs. And if you do it continuously for half-an-hour, that's 244 calories taken off your daily count. If, however, you're the competitive sort and find the thought of climbing up and down endless flights of stairs by yourself a tad boring, take a leaf out of the book of some of my South Beach neighbours - organise a stair-climbing competition in your high-rise. A sure-fire way to alleviate boredom, foster a sense of community, find a mention in your local evening tabloid and, best of all, beat the slow ones as they huff and puff their way up!
Miami-based columnist, Alka Bhardwaj Ahuja, is a much-relocated mother of two, who has written extensively for a gamut of magazines, newspapers and television. She brings a fresh perspective to the age-old quest for perfect beauty and health.