Hating exercise doesn’t necessarily mean that you are lazy.
Motivation while exercising is a complex subject.
In fact, if getting off the couch is the hardest part about exercising for you, then we’ve got you covered.
Here’s how you can start working out; EVEN IF YOU HATE IT!
There is actually evidence to suggest that your enjoyment from exercise may be determined by your genes.
A recent research project from The Journal of Physiology selectively bred mice based on their interest to exercise.
After a few generations of breeding, brain activity showed that one group of mice found exercise to be rewarding—and thus voluntarily exercised more—while the other group did not!
But of course, people don’t behave like mice:
More importantly: hating exercise isn’t a moral failure, as many would have you believe.
Hell, the treadmill was originally created as a torture device, and you’re no more to blame for hating it than you are for…well…any
Nevertheless, here’s how to get started.
Pick the Correct Exercise Discipline for Your Goals
The default activity for anything health related is to start running or commit to an event such as a marathon.
“I need to lose weight…I should start running!” “I need to improve my flexibility and back issues…I should join a marathon!” “Man, this rash still isn’t going away…I bet there’s a treadmill somewhere!”
This is not to say that running is bad. Do start running if you truly love it (or can honestly see yourself loving it), if weight loss isn’t your main focus, or if you explicitly want to improve your endurance.
However, if weight loss is your priority or you just can’t stand running, consider other forms of exercise.
Those who are overweight and sedentary will benefit from walking instead.
Even better, consider investing some time into strength training in the gym (if finances permit) or using your own body weight
Find the Most Important Measurement for Creating That Habit
When you pick your exercise of choice—be it running, strength training, boxing, or something else—find the one improvement that will excite you the most.
If you take up strength training, this might mean being able to do more pushups in one total set or increasing your favorite exercise, like a dumbbell shoulder press.
If you want to get better at running, this might mean a better one-kilometer time or a better time on your sprint.
This is known as activation:
Whatever your choice for “activation,” realize that the improvement might be minuscule at first—an extra rep on your set of push-ups or a few seconds on your mile.
But make no mistake, activation is important because it makes exercise “sticky.” It’s not enough to just feel good that you did something.
That’s fine at first, but it will only last for so long, especially in those who inherently dislike exercise.
Don’t trick yourself into thinking that you’ll eventually love it one day.
Most people don’t!