Exercise is a vital part of a healthy life, but let’s be honest—not every workout brings a smile to our faces. Some exercises are just tough, uncomfortable, or downright dreaded. Yet finding a way to embrace them, or at least tolerate them, can open doors to fitness gains and new personal achievements. Here’s how to start turning disliked exercises into rewarding experiences that contribute to your fitness goals.
1. Understand the “Why” Behind Your Dislike
- Identify Specific Discomforts: Ask yourself what exactly you don’t like. Is it the physical strain, or do you just find it boring? Sometimes exercises feel tough because they target weak points. Recognizing what makes a particular workout unpleasant can help you find ways to make it more enjoyable or set small goals to address your weak areas.
- Reframe the Challenge: Shift your mindset to view challenging exercises as opportunities to improve rather than obstacles. Acknowledging that this discomfort means you’re building strength or endurance can help make the experience feel more purposeful.
2. Set Mini Goals and Track Your Progress
- Break it Down: If you struggle with long cardio sessions or complex strength exercises, break them into manageable parts. For instance, do shorter intervals with rest periods rather than one long session. Achieving these smaller milestones will give you a sense of accomplishment and can help you gradually build up tolerance.
- Celebrate Wins: Whether you do one extra rep, last a few seconds longer, or increase the weight slightly, each improvement is a step forward. Track these victories, however small, to boost motivation. Seeing your progress in writing or visually (like on a fitness app) can help reshape how you feel about the exercise.
3. Incorporate Variations and Modify as Needed
- Change the Format: If a traditional treadmill run feels like a slog, try taking your cardio outside or substitute with cycling. If burpees feel grueling, do a modified version with fewer jumps or replace them with a different, high-intensity move. Small changes to form or environment can make the workout feel less intimidating.
- Experiment with New Tools: Adding equipment like resistance bands, kettlebells, or a stability ball can make exercises more dynamic and fun. Sometimes, new tools bring a fresh perspective and an added challenge that takes away the dread.
4. Make it Social or Bring in Support
- Join a Group Class or Find a Workout Buddy: Activities like squats, lunges, or long-distance running often feel more enjoyable with company. When others around you are doing the same exercise, it can help distract from discomfort and boost your motivation.
- Enlist a Trainer or Coach: A trainer can provide personalized insights, corrections, and encouragement that can completely change your experience. They can help tailor an exercise to your ability level and show you techniques to minimize discomfort while maximizing results.
5. Shift Your Mindset with Visualization Techniques
- Visualize the End Result: Imagine how the workout will positively impact your health, strength, or physique. Visualizing benefits like improved stamina or toned muscles can turn dreaded workouts into empowering routines.
- Practice Mindfulness: Rather than fixating on how difficult or unpleasant an exercise feels, focus on your breathing, body movement, and the rhythm of the exercise. Mindful practice can ease mental resistance, making the experience more enjoyable and even meditative.
6. Mix It Up to Prevent Burnout
- Alternate with Exercises You Enjoy: If you dread push-ups but enjoy yoga, balance a strength day with a stretching or balance-focused day. This contrast will keep workouts feeling fresh and prevent you from dreading exercise altogether.
- Vary Your Weekly Routine: Alternate between different types of workouts, such as resistance training, cardio, and flexibility exercises, to prevent repetitive strain. This approach also keeps your body engaged and challenged, reducing boredom and resistance.
7. Learn the Benefits of Each Exercise
- Educate Yourself on How It’s Helping: Sometimes, knowing the science behind an exercise helps. Learning that planks are helping to protect your back or that squats boost metabolism can give you a new appreciation for the workout’s purpose.
- Find Inspirational Stories: Reading about others’ experiences with challenging exercises or how they overcame similar feelings can motivate you. Knowing that others have also struggled but persevered can help you push through and build appreciation for the process.
8. Reward Yourself for Consistency and Effort
- Create a Reward System: For each session that includes an exercise you dislike, reward yourself afterward with something enjoyable, like a nutritious smoothie or time to unwind. Rewards don’t need to be extravagant; they just have to be something you genuinely look forward to.
- Acknowledge Your Consistency: Commit to at least a few weeks of incorporating the exercise before evaluating whether it has become easier or more enjoyable. Consistency builds comfort and, in time, even a sense of achievement, turning exercises you once dreaded into ones you respect.
9. Embrace the Growth Mindset
- Accept Discomfort as Part of Progress: Remember that exercises you “hate” are often ones that challenge you. Embracing this discomfort as part of your journey can help you appreciate the exercise’s unique role in your fitness growth.
- Reflect on Your Progress: Occasionally look back at where you started. Exercises that once seemed impossible may become manageable or even easy, showing how much you’ve improved physically and mentally.
Learning to love the exercises you dislike is about finding joy in the challenge and the reward of self-discipline. Overcoming these mental barriers brings you closer to your fitness goals and fosters resilience. By gradually changing how you approach disliked exercises, you’ll build not just a stronger body but a stronger mindset—one that’s open to challenges and ready to grow.