Learn to love your workouts
Don’t worry, I’m not suggesting everyone go for a 10 mile run smiling all the way (god knows I won’t). But for some, running really is that much fun. For me, it’s rock climbing and biking. For others, it might be maxing out on bench, competing in kickboxing or doing yoga on the beach. What’s my point? That everyone loves doing different things, and that certainly translates to fitness.
If you passionately hate doing some form of fitness, guess what? YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO IT. For me, it’s running. I hate running and refuse to do it. Fortunately, although running is a great tool to get fit, it’s not necessary. No single exercise is necessary. It will do you far more good to find a healthy balance of things you will stick with then to do something you hate and quickly drop off. If you find yourself hating your current workouts, here are some things to consider.
What are your goals?
Exercising is always easier (and more fun), when you know what you are doing is making real progress towards your goal. Want to loose weight? Focus on what will have direct results. Looking to complete a marathon? Run! Trying to get that beach bod for vacation? Lift weights! It may seem intuitive, but many of us get caught up in workouts we hate that don’t directly bring us closer to our goals. These are the first ones you should leave behind. Suffering for the sake of suffering is needless. Suffering to make progress is something you can learn to love.
Workout when you are the most motivated.
Personally, I hate working out in the morning. I won’t do it. Many people swear by it. “It wakes you up in the morning.” “What a great way to start your day!” “It’s better than a cup of coffee!” Believe me when I say I’ve tried. As it turns out, I also hate working out at night. That’s when I unwind for the day, not when I get energized to work hard. So I build my schedule around midday workouts. I go to work earlier and stay later so I can workout when my motivation is the highest. Perhaps you’re one of the people above who loves getting their exercise out of the way first thing. Or maybe exercising in the evening helps you get to sleep better at night. Test out some different times of the day, and see what feels best for you.
Find forms of exercise you’d do for fun, regardless of fitness benefits.
The first time I realized this trick was with rock climbing. I absolutely loved it. It’s something I always look forward to doing, and I’d still go climb with my friends,. even if it didn’t do a single thing to improve my fitness. Fortunately, it does! True, it’s not the most efficient way to build muscle (my current goal), but it does help. I scatter in a couple climbing sessions every week, and it keeps my motivation high. Find your own rock climbing! It doesn’t have to be outdoor sports (though it could). Think yoga, playing basketball with your friends, or going swimming at the pool.
Consistency is key.
I won’t lie, if you’re just starting to exercise, it might be rough for a while. But stay at it! When I first started lifting weights, I absolutely hated it. But as I got in a routine and started going everyday, I hated it less and less. Suddenly, it became the part of my day I looked forward to the most. You hear the same thing from runners. Start with a mile. Then two. Pretty soon you’ll be doing more than you ever thought possible — and actually enjoying it!
Conclusion
If you don’t believe me, you’ll have to trust me when I say that exercising really will become fun. Likely, you’ve already found exercises and workouts you enjoy, so roll with it!
Want to build workouts around what you find fun? Try Optimize Fitness, an AI fitness apps that will build workouts for you based on what you like. If you don’t like what’s been put in for you, simply throw it away and add something you find fun! The best part: every single workout created is perfectly tailored to you and your goal, so you know you are making the most progress possible.
