Many of us would like to be able to exercise more, and yet we don’t. Why? Usually, we say the culprit is time or energy, but the real reason is that we don’t like it, or we stopped liking it. It’s a chore. But what if we could figure out how to actually enjoy working out? Time and energy aren’t problems when it’s something we want to do.
Speaking for myself, I get bored and distracted very easily. For school, this meant I had to read everything twice (or more) to absorb the material. For entertainment, a dark room with no distractions is best. And for exercise, I have to keep things changing all the time.
The most important factor in being successful with your workout plan is motivation. But how do you find motivation? And how do you find it again once you’ve lost it?
Here are my tried-and-true (and free) methods to start loving your workouts.
Hopefully some of these methods are new ideas to you, and some will be ones you’ve seen before. Regardless, sometimes old ideas come back and speak to us in new ways. Keep an open mind, and keep this list on hand. Our minds have a way of making things routine, and thus, boring, very fast. Know that this will happen again, and make enjoyment a priority when you work out.
1. Get a buddy.
Having a workout buddy or community makes your workout more enjoyable in many ways. For one, it makes it a social event and not a chore. It also makes you accountable for showing up and pushing yourself. If you don’t have a friend or spouse to help, see what’s available in your town or online. You could join an online community or a local workout group through a gym, club or store. For instance, the Lululemon by my old house had a running club that met once a week.
2. Set specific goals.
Why do you want to work out? And be honest! Usually, our goals start out with how we look, which is also 100% OK. And be specific. Don’t say you want to “be more fit.” What does being fit look like? Maybe it means you want to be able to run three miles, do a pull-up, or to fit into your favorite jeans again. Being specific about your goals will help you understand why you want to exercise in the first place. The questions you ask yourself won’t be “how can I find the energy?” but “what can I do to make this happen?”
3. Keep track of your progress.
Write down everything that’s relevant in a workout journal: reps, weight, sets, rounds, time, level, ramp incline, and anything else. But that’s not all—then keep track of what your experience was. Was it too easy? Too hard? Should you use lighter weights? Was it just right? Then the next time you return to this workout or these exercises, compare how you did. Did you make progress? It’s motivating to see yourself improve. Before the workout, you can use the old stats to give yourself new goals. You’re being competitive—with yourself.
4. Use exercise as stress relief or as an anti-depressant.
Don’t think of the physical benefits of exercise, but of the emotional and mental benefits. Consistent exercise, even in small amounts, can do wonders for the mood. There is both scientific and anecdotal evidence on this. And while I can’t speak as a medical or mental health professional, it has been shown to help with depression. If you keep track of how you feel, (as suggested in #3), you’ll also prove to yourself how much this method works.
5. Change up your workout style.
Are you a runner? Maybe take a break from running and take a Zumba class or lifting. If you have a standard lifting routine, shake things up with HIIT. If you are doing my workouts and even that is boring (yes, it happens), move to long-distance running. Switch it up.
6. Change up your workout structure.
If you’re putting in an hour or more at the gym, switch it up with short, intense HIIT workouts of 20 minutes or less. On the other hand, if you’re used to short workouts, try lengthening it out for long walks or runs, and space out the frequency. If you need help on how to structure your workouts, check out my post with workout structure ideas here.
7. Set a schedule.
If you are following a program that’s pre-ordained by you or someone else, it’s much easier to jump in every day. You don’t have to think about it. Sometimes overthinking our workouts gets in the way of motivation.
8. Try some new equipment, even if it’s your body.
Have you tried kettlebells? Try them (safely)! Maybe try bodyweight only for a month. There are so many amazing new equipment products out there, and many gyms are starting to include them: battle ropes, soft medicine balls, sandbags, kettlebells, TRX, tires, etc. If you’re low on cash, some of these can even be made at home. Also, some local parks or fields have equipment for you to use. I used a homemade sandbag for about five years made of rocks and duct tape. I had a soft medicine ball made of a dumbbell, a blanket and duct tape.
9. Work out outside.
After being stuck in a gym, office or apartment, going to your local park for a workout can feel fantastic. When we first moved to New York City and were trying to save money, I would go to the pull-up bars at Central Park to work out. Feeling the sun on my back and hearing children play nearby was rejuvenating. And yeah—if you don’t live in a place where people do not work out outside in public, you might have to deal with it and look like a badass weirdo. If you work out with intensity, though, you won’t even notice. Or even better, if you have a porch or yard, do it on your own property.
10. Seek out a new trainer guru.
I started getting into HIIT and metabolic resistance training with Zuzka Light of Bodyrock (she now has her own site at zuzkalight.com). Her body was amazeballs, but mostly, she was warm, approachable and friendly. And her workouts were short and different and effective! Seeing her enjoy her workouts and look so amazing made me want to do the same. Recently, I found myself in a slump and had a similar reaction to Hannah Eden and her workouts.
11. Take a break.
Taking a break only works if you have a routine to break from, of course, but it could be the answer if you’ve lost your drive. Sometimes you need a mental and/or physical break to enjoy workouts again. It could be that your body is tired, or it could be that you need a rest from goal-setting and striving. I am a huge fan of breaks of three to seven days every two-ish months.
12. Try a non-workout workout.
There are lots of amazing activities that give you a workout without realizing it. Try a dance class, martial arts, kickboxing, boxing, acro-yoga or gymnastics. Places have parkour classes now. I took aerial silk for a while and it was life-changing. Try moving the focus to learning skills rather than moving your body around.
13. Use visualization.
Visualizing yourself doing something helps make it happen, especially if you are the one in control. If you visualize yourself kicking ass at the gym, you’re much more likely to follow that course of action. And it’s fun!
14. Trick your brain by telling it that you want to exercise.
Marisa Peer, a renowned therapist often talks about how our brains do what we tell them. Exercise often becomes an obligation we place on ourselves. We say things subconsciously like, “let’s get this over with,” or “I don’t know how I can work out, I’m so tired!” Instead of those messages, say things to yourself like, “I can’t wait to get to the gym!” “I love being strong!” “I’ve made so much progress!”
15. Seek out success stories.
It’s especially encouraging to read other people’s stories of success. It’s one thing to find a trainer you love, but when you find regular people who turned their bodies around, it makes your goals seem much more reachable.
16. Get a future event for which you want to look your best.
Are you getting married? Have a class reunion? Have a trip somewhere warm? Getting your pictures taken? If you put yourself in a position where you’ll draw attention, it puts a fire under your butt to make things happen.
17. Transmute the energy into other areas of your life.
If I don’t want to work out, sometimes I’ll converge my workout efforts with other areas of my life. If I want to do better in my career, I’ll use that energy as though the workout will get me to my non-fitness goal. It works well with running. For instance, as you run, picture the career, situation or qualities you want as if you are running toward them. Maybe there’s another version of you waiting at the end of the run. Sometimes when I’m lifting weights, I’ll “lift” the burdens I put on myself. Use your imagination and get creative!
Or, shell out some cash.
The point of this list was to show that a change in mindset or strategy alone can get you motivated. But there are also methods to enjoy working out that involve a bit of wallet:
- Hire a trainer.
- Sign up for a contest (bodybuilding or bikini).
- Sign up for a race.
- Join a gym.
But even if you do pay something, keep this in mind:
Workout enjoyment still starts in the mind.
Paying for things makes you value them more, which usually makes you more motivated to do them. Of course, this only enhances the methods above. With a trainer you also get a whole new person to encourage you and stimulate you (#1, #10). With a contest or race you have an event to get ready for (#16). By joining a gym, you have access to new workout styles (#5) and equipment (#8).
What do you do to get yourself to enjoy working out, or enjoy working out again? Leave your ideas in the comments!
