How to Exercise More If You Really Hate Exercising

Do you hate working out? Do you think of "exercise" as a 4 letter word? Perhaps you physically cringe when someone mentions a session of yoga, Pilates, stand up paddle-boarding or bicycling they just enjoyed. Guess what? That is a pretty natural reaction for most people.

Human beings are intrinsically lazy. If you are comfortably ensconced on your couch and can't reach the TV remote control, you will just watch whatever is on your television set. Along those same lines, while it is very easy to exercise, it is easier to avoid it. If you hate exercising, but want to benefit from the wonderful physical and mental rewards physical fitness offers, try these tips.

Stop Thinking of Exercise As Exercise

Physical activity is all exercise really is. Playing catch with your dog, joining your children for a walk around your neighborhood and mowing your lawn are all examples of exercise. Find ways to keep physically active that you actually enjoy, and you will find yourself "exercising" more frequently, and loving it.

Use the Habit-Forming Power of Your Brain

When you want to illuminate your living room, do you think about what you need to do? Of course not. You simply flick a light switch, and not a single microsecond of conscious effort went into the process.

Human beings can turn conscious behavior into unconscious habit quickly. Set a regular schedule, exercising 3 to 5 times a week. Perform your physical fitness at the same time each day or night, the same length of time. After 20 to 30 consistent repetitions, your brain will start putting exercise on an unconscious schedule that ensures you don't miss a workout.

Make It a Social Affair

There is a reason that physical fitness coaches and experts have recommended workout partners for decades. When you have an accountability partner, especially when it's a friend or family member you respect and admire, you have a much better chance of following up on your exercise commitments.

If you want to take this proven fitness technique even further, join a large class of like-minded individuals that make your physical fitness efforts socially rewarding.

Keep a Journal

This should be a nutrition journal as well as a record of exercise. If you do not like exercising, it may be because you don't usually see results. In the back of your mind, you may think, "I exercise all the time. But I have nothing to show for it." Keeping a journal keeps you honest. You can truly see whether or not you are putting in the time required to get the efforts desired.

Focus on the Result, Not the Effort

Why are you working out? Do you want to create a body you can be proud of looking at in the mirror? Maybe you want to lose weight and become healthier, so you can spend more quality time with your children and grandchildren. Whatever the reasons, remember the "why" of your exercise efforts, and you will find yourself enjoying exercise as opposed to hating it.