Recently, I ran across some Actifit posts when I was looking for something to comment on. I'm glad they're still around because they reminded me of when I'd craft the odd post around that subject when I was out for a walk.

Unfortunately there was a bland sameness about them, with most consisting of one lonely photo, with at best, just a couple of thin paragraphs along with it.

ActiFitters, we can do better than that.

So I decided to share what I'd like to see in future Actifit posts, as a way to bring some life into an otherwise perfunctory upload. Lets Go!

Treat it like a Post

Remember, even though you took the pictures on your phone and you likely wrote it in the app, it's still a post, so treat it like one. The same formatting rules apply, and just because you're basing it around an activity session, doesn't mean it can't look like a post.

Because at the end of the day, that's what it is.

So treat it like a travel post. Who says you only have to include one photo from your run or cycling route? Showing me a screenshot of your exercise app is so b-o-r-i-n-g. Compose and snap some shots of that gnarled old tree you pass every day that looks like it has a mans face etched in it.

That underpass you ride through that's covered in graffiti? share some of that, and any stories you know about the area or the people who created that street art. Pretend you're Slobberchops for a moment and take a short detour through that abandoned railway station along the way. This is all part of adding a little spice to what would normally be a low-effort Actifit post.

SCENTSations

One of the most enduring memories of my childhood was the metallic scent of the artificial metal Christmas tree. I don't know what they made that crap from, but you could smell it before you saw it, and that meant it would soon be bulging with gifts in the run-up to Christmas Day.

You can almost taste the ass crack at the gym of the unwashed person in front of you. Don't leave that out when you blog about the beached whale in front of you with the enormous (and very spicy) caboose.

That "new car" type scent that brand-new kicks have when you're wearing them for the first time. Tickle our noses with that as a way to set your ActiFit posts off from the other "ass crackless" posts. You'll create a blog entry worth remembering.

I'll never forget when I visited the sea for the first time. Along with the crunch of junkie needles beneath my feet, was the unmistakable note of fresh sea spray in the air.

If you live on the coasts, there's an olfactory bonanza just waiting for you to explore. I wanna taste what you're eating through the words on that digital page. It's all about painting a picture that we can all replicate in our minds of a lively diorama of your day. The extra effort will please your readers and leave them wanting more.

The Color of Sound

Another thing I see missing is what was shared to me years ago by a successful writer. He stressed the importance of weaving color and sound throughout his writing. Describe the "slap, slap, slap" of your flip flops on the sidewalks ("footpaths" to you Aussies), as you stride towards your goal.

Here, we have a number of people who jog inside our malls. You're surrounded by the sights and the sounds of numerous conversations as you make your way from one end to the other, plenty to work with here.

The Bondi Blue of the southern ocean to your right as the golden sunlight plays off the sparkling waves which rise like little children wanting a better view. See what I did there? You can play around with stuff like that and create a mind-picture to remember.

"Her crimson thighs burned as she rhythmically pumped the pedals as if her life depended on it." Things like that. Let us almost feel the warmth of the Sun on your skin or the beads of sweat running down your brow.

This is all about injecting some life into an otherwise staid ActiFit post.

And when you're finished with your workout, it'd be great to read how you shared that pint of Guinness grape juice with your 12-year-old, and the blessed relief as you bathe your taste buds with that sweet, sweet, nectar. ;)

Invite us along when you write your next Actifit post and let your posts COME ALIVE!.