WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU REALLY DON’T ENJOY EXERCISE?

There is nothing more frustrating than having someone tell you how great exercise is going to make you feel afterward. Sure, that might be the case for some people but truth be told, it’s not the case for everyone, and it sure as heck is not the case for me. I fully grasp just how important staying active is for my body, my mind, and my longevity as a human on this planet. I get it. I somewhat buy into it - but let me tell you, I still don’t enjoy it.

When I’m working out, I’m thinking about a million other things. When I’m running, I’m thinking only about how much I really don’t want to be running.

When I’m fifteen minutes into my YouTube Yoga class, all I can think about is how tired I am and how I wish I was naturally good at yoga so that it didn’t make me feel like I suck so much. 

And, when I’m done with all those things, I don’t feel elated. I don’t feel like I accomplished the world. I don’t get a rush of endorphins. I simply feel like I wish it had all ended sooner. I do feel stronger and healthier (that part I will admit) but I definitely do not get a sense of enjoyment. 

Now, you don’t have to relate completely. But, what if you are someone who just doesn’t get a good kick out of exercise? What can you do? What should you do? Are there ways to move your body so that you, too, can live a long happy life with all the added benefits of being active? 

First things first, just because you don’t feel amazing or full of enjoyment when it comes to exercise, it doesn’t mean that you’re broken, lazy, or a complete failure. 

You’re just different than most people who are out there in the world self-advertising (whether you asked for it or not) that exercise is the best thing in the world for them which means that you should likely jump on the bandwagon.

You’re not broken, lazy, or a complete failure.

I’ll say it again.

You’re not broken, lazy, or a complete failure.

You’re just different than other people, and I thank you for that - because I like you just as you are.

There are MANY reasons why people don’t love exercise, and all of those reasons are just as valid as the next. Maybe you suffer from social anxiety and the idea of joining a team, entering a gym, or being seen running in public is a form of torture for you. Maybe you have physical pain that stops you from doing certain things. Maybe you don’t feel comfortable showing your body in any way. Maybe the physical side effects of exercise are so uncomfortable that you simply can not push through. Maybe your mental game isn’t where it needs to push past discomforts. Maybe you have some sort of bad history with physical activity and just can’t get past it. Maybe, you feel pressured into the whole idea of getting in shape that it takes away any sort of personal motivation you may have. Maybe you’d simply just rather identify as someone who hates it. Whatever your reason is, it's valid.

However, there is no denying that exercise is good for the human body. But, how do you do it when you simply do not enjoy it?

TIP 1 - STOP TRYING SO HARD

Seems counterintuitive, doesn't it? We’re talking about how we can do things that we aren’t totally in love with and my first tip is to stop trying.

But hear me out for a second.

If you have some sort of personal resistance to whatever activity it is that you’re attempting to enjoy - the more you do the thing the higher the chance is that your resistance is going to build.

On the other hand, if you stop telling yourself that you should do something, chances are you’ll be more likely to do it. You shouldn’t do anything. You don’t have to exercise. Truly, you don’t. However, one thing that my wife pointed out to me is that if I really wasn’t keen on doing anything, then what I could do instead was do absolutely nothing for three days. I could just lay in bed for three days doing absolutely nothing and see how much I liked that. 

Her theory was that if I were to actually do nothing I would realize that, whether I like to admit it or not, I do, in fact, crave movement. I didn’t have to participate in the experiment to realize what she was doing. Instead, I just had to admit to myself that I do enjoy movement, all I needed to do was figure out a way to incorporate it into my life in a way that works for me. 

Not because someone said I should, but because truth be told - movement and I are friends.Once I could admit that to myself, my wife also sat me down and asked me to talk about some of the things I wanted to do in my life (sort of a bucket list, if you will) and what I realized again was that a lot of the things I wanted to accomplish actually involved physical activity. I want to travel, I want to surf, I want to take my future kids on vacations, I want to see incredible places, I want to ride my bike along the coast and so much more. Don’t get me wrong, not everything I want has to do with exercise, but some of the things do involve overall health, and guess what? Regular physical activity is one of the key ways to ensure overall health. 

When I took a step back and focused on the lifestyle I dreamed of for myself, instead of thinking about how I should exercise, it was easier to find the motivation I needed to increase my physical activity.

Find out what sitting around doing nothing for three days feels like for you, and maybe you’ll find that you, much like me, actually crave movement more than you realize. Take a step back and figure out what sorts of things you want to accomplish in your life, and maybe you’ll find that you, much like me, will be more likely to accomplish those things if you start introducing physical activity and movement into your life.

But, don’t think that I said you have to enjoy doing it - I still don’t most of the time. However, the more I stopped trying so hard thinking that I needed to be like everyone else, and do what everyone else was doing on a schedule that was made for me by someone who doesn’t understand me, the more I was able to get moving - which is the goal.

The goal isn’t enjoyment - the goal is movement.

TIP 2 - MOVEMENT

Yep, the goal isn’t enjoyment - the goal is movement. 

And guess what? Movement doesn’t have to be extravagant. For those of us who don’t enjoy movement all that much, we have to understand that maybe we’re also not the people who will run marathons, do week-long backpacking trips, hit the gym six days a week, or even go to the gym on a super regular basis. 

Movement can be literally anything. Movement can be walking the dog, walking to your car in the morning, pacing the office as you are on the phone with a client for thirty minutes, window shopping on a Saturday, washing and folding six loads of laundry, yard work, playing with children, washing the car - you name it. Take a step back (again) and realize that in everyday life we are all likely doing movement already. Unless you’re laying in bed, or on the couch for twelve hours a day - you’re moving. 

Your goal can be to simply move, more!

More often, for more time, or in more ways. All of the small ways you’re moving in a day add up to a large chunk of time over your day. If you don’t feel like you can add anything new to your day, try just adding a few minutes here and there to things your already doing - walk ten extra minutes when you take the dog out, walk around the block every time you take the rubbish out, squat while brushing your teeth, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and even playing with your children (instead of watching them crawl around on the floor - get down and do it with them). 

Studies show that the more we think of these sorts of things as play the more likely we are to do them, and maybe even enjoy them!

The other thing about movement is this - you’re going to have to try a few things to find out what works and what doesn’t. Right now, it just might be that you don’t have anything in your life that you feel like doing. I don’t blame you. I go from activity to activity, trying new things, trying to figure out what I like. Sometimes I find things I like and then three months later I decide I’m done with them for a few months and I’m on to something new. The key is to try different things and experiment with new activities. You may find something you enjoy, but even if you don’t, you’ve been moving this whole time you’re experimenting and that is a WIN!

TIP 3 - QUITTING IS TOTALLY OKAY

This one literally happened to me today. I was an eager beaver in the morning wanting to go to the gym with my wife. Then, I went for a walk with the dog and something set me off and I came back in a tired foul mood. I wanted to then do nothing, but she looked at me and said:

“Let’s just go to the gym and if we’re only there for ten minutes and you decide you don’t want to do it anymore then we will leave”.

Um…okay? 

The permission to quit was everything. Starting is often the HARDEST part - but once you get going, things seem to be easier. 

However, having permission to leave if I really wanted to was everything to me. I went into it knowing that I didn't have to be perfect. I didn't have to sweat my tush off for an hour for it to be worth it - all I needed to do was show up, try - and listen to my body. 

I could do that, and guess what? You can too.

If you give yourself permission to leave after ten minutes or to walk at random points on your run (or run at random points on your walk) then you’re more likely to get started.

Again, I didn’t say you have to enjoy it - you just have to start the movement and do a little bit here and there, over time. Embrace that every little bit counts. Not the bits you don’t do, but the bits you do do - they count. Congratulations.

TIP 4 - MOVEMENT IS A SPECTRUM

Like a lot of things in life, movement should be viewed on a spectrum.

Being physically active and setting yourself up for long-term success is not an all-or-nothing type of deal. You don’t have to either be running marathons or be a couch potato. There are a whole lot of other places you can live on the spectrum, and knowing that and believing that can make all the difference.

If 10 is a marathon and 1 is a couch potato - where do you sit? Where would you prefer to sit? Are there small things you can do over time to take you from a 2 to a 3, let's say?

There is no need to go from a 1 to a 9 overnight. It’s simply not the best idea and, from what I’ve learned by being me but also being married to my wife, it's not really all that sustainable for anyone. 

Finding ways to move up the spectrum (if you want) slowly is key. Giving yourself grace is also key because maybe today you’re feeling like a 4, but you realize that tomorrow you might feel like a 3. 

A spectrum. You don’t have to stay in one place, and no place is better than the other. There simply is room for movement and growth and it's yours to control - because your life and your health are up to you!

Adjusting your expectations is one of the best things I ever got told to do. For me, because I don't really enjoy a lot of different activities enough to stick with them, I really truly thought that I was broken. If I was to be going to the gym, I thought I should go six days a week and should stick to that routine for a long period of time. When I was into tennis, I really believed that I needed to go multiple times a week and stay for long periods of time so that I could get the most from my efforts. If I’m running (which I have been doing lately) I sometimes find myself believing that running 3km is less than running 10km (in terms of my worth as a human).

I’ve had to come to realize that my expectations need to be adjusted. The more and more I actually just find pride in the fact that I’ve tried and that I’ve moved - the more I’ve found enjoyment in movement. 

I think the same can happen for you too

TIP 5 - HAVE A BIT OF FUN

One of the most important things is to have fun, which means you’re going to have to adjust your expectations, try new things, allow yourself to suck, and generally speaking, you’re going to have to want to have fun moving. What’s fun for you might not be fun for others - so dig deep.

One of the best ways I’ve ever found to add movement into my life is to challenge myself to do it. Not only do I like to challenge myself, but I like when others are involved too. I’ve been a part of week-long challenges, PRIDE challenges, and all sorts of other challenges put on by people in my social group that get me moving - and it's not an all-or-nothing situation. I find so much enjoyment out in week-long challenges that I try really hard for that week, but then because it feels so good I find that I continue to do the things in the weeks to come (#winning).

My favorite activity I’ve ever found is a good old game of BINGO. Here at Dunnebells, we launch a new game of BINGO every month with our members and it is a really good way for us to add some no-stress movement into our month. The cool thing about BINGO is that it's totally optional, it spans over the course of a month, and it doesn’t only regard our physical health.

Understanding that movement is only one part of your overall health is important to us here at Dunnebells so we make sure that our mental health is also taken care of. I’ll share a few of our previous BINGO cards with you, and if you feel so inclined then maybe you set yourself up for a little challenge, seeing how many of the tasks you can accomplish over the course of 30 days. If you’re anything like me, you might find that it’ll be easier to stick to it if you round up a few friends to play with you!

Overall, you get to decide what's fun, and what's not. 

Just remember, you don’t have to love it. Striving for ‘meh’ is okay too - because ‘meh’ still gets you results. I don’t love running or lifting weights. I don’t feel happy when I’m doing either. I don’t even really feel happy after doing these things - but what I do feel is proud of myself for doing it as well as I do feel a little bit stronger, which makes me feel like I’ve done something good for myself.

Overall, I want you to be kinder to yourself. The last thing you need is to beat yourself up about any of this - trust me - it won’t get you very far. With some of these tips in mind, I do feel like you will be off to a good start if you, too, are like me and don’t really love exercise. 

Remember, start small and count the wins - no matter how big they are - even if you quit halfway through!

Have questions or suggestions?

I’d love to hear them!

Oh, and…if you’re interested in playing along with BINGO and you've found yourself thinking I wonder where I can find those workout videos on YouTube, here’s the link. Lucy’s YouTube has a lot of fun lifestyle and travel vlogs that I recommend watching, but there are also a lot of informational videos on health and wellness and some workout videos as well - quick workouts you can do at home! You can even quit halfway through if you really want! Some is better than none!

https://www.youtube.com/c/LucyDunne/playlists