How to Train Your Brain to Actually Like Exercise

Exercise has tons of mind-body benefits. Moving our bodies can improve our sleep, heart health, and ability to process information.¹ It can also boost energy and lower stress levels.^2,3 And it can reduce feelings of depression and anxiety.

Even if you know all of that, you might have trouble fitting exercise into your schedule. Or struggle to get motivated. But much of that can be tied to how you think about exercise in the first place.

“When you hear the word exercise, what comes to mind?” asks AbleTo Coach Advisor Carolyn Oldham. “Most people think of something really active, like running, or extreme, like CrossFit. But exercise can just be moving your body in a way that feels good to you.”

To get you thinking, we’ll dig into 4 common mental blocks that can prevent you from enjoying exercise. For each one, we’ll unpack the reasons it might occur. Then we’ll share science-backed methods for moving past it.

Shift your point of view

Any number of thinking traps might make you think you don’t enjoy exercise. But the 4 below tend to come up often.

The thinking trap: Exercise feels like too much physical effort

The fix: Figure out your why

Research shows our brains are hardwired to save energy.⁵ (It’s a stubborn survival instinct from our caveman days.) So even if we know exercise is good for us in the long term, our brain might see it as using too many resources in the moment.

Overcoming that energy barrier starts with figuring out what would motivate you to get moving. Do you want to have more energy? Or the stamina to play with your grandkids? Maybe it’s wearing a new pair of snazzy leggings. Or helping a neighbor get through a rough day by taking a walk together.

Then, start small. “Choose a concrete exercise goal that you know you can accomplish,” says Oldham. “That’s your baseline.” Each time you achieve that goal, you’re building the foundation to keep going.

Not sure where to begin? Try using the SMART framework. It stands for Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. Thinking through each of these points can help you set goals that make sense for you, your life, and your fitness level. (AbleTo programs use this guided journal to lead participants through the process.) Habit tracking can also help keep you accountable.

It’s also important to give yourself grace. Maybe you miss a day or need to adjust your goal. That’s okay. “There’s this old-school idea that anything that’s worth doing is worth doing well,” says Oldham. “But a little is better than nothing. And done is better than perfect.”

The thinking trap: Exercise is boring

The fix: Tap into your passions

Don’t feel bad if the same pickleball game that has your cousin leaping out of bed at 6 a.m. makes you want to pull the covers over your head. Just because a certain workout or sport is all the rage doesn’t mean it’s the right one for you.

Finding joy in movement is key to training your brain to like exercise.⁶ One trick here is to connect exercise with something you already enjoy. Let’s say you’re into music. Seek out a dance or spin class that taps into your favorite genre. Or make a custom playlist for a jog.

Always plugged into current events? Listen to a podcast from your trusted news source during a bike ride. Readers can walk along to an audiobook. Love spending time with your pet? Or craving quality time with your partner? Making exercise more social is another great option.

“The point is to find an activity that feels challenging enough to get your brain engaged, but fun enough to make you want to keep going,” says Oldham. “Even switching up your scenery can make an activity feel novel again.”

The thinking trap: There’s not enough time in the day

The fix: Combine it with things you already do

In certain phases of life, our schedules are packed. It might feel like there’s already too much to do on any given day. But little bits of exercise add up.

The usual advice (waking up early, parking farther from your destination, etc.) are still valid. But they’re not the only ways to maximize your time. For starters, you can gamify other activities in your life. Bust out some squats during the commercial break of your favorite show or sports match. Or turn unloading groceries into an arm workout. It might feel a little silly at first. But the more you do it, the more it can feel like a game.

Oldham is also a fan of habit-stacking. In this case, it would mean adding movement to your existing rituals. You might do a wall sit while brushing your teeth. Or complete a series of jumping jacks while your coffee brews. “It takes time to build a new habit, but this method can help you build momentum,” she explains.

The thinking trap: I’m not making progress

The fix: Shift your definition

All too often, we measure our fitness by the number on a scale or clothing tag. But those metrics don’t always paint a clear picture of how far we’ve come.

Here are a few ways to bring your journey into focus:

• Take stock of how you define progress. Make sure that whatever you’re striving toward actually makes sense for you and your life. It doesn’t help to measure your best against someone else’s. This is another reason the SMART Goals Guided Journal can be a helpful tool.
• Be patient. “Some results, like those feel-good endorphins, will kick in pretty soon,” says Oldham. “Other ‘results’ will take longer to see. But so long as you start small and stay consistent? That alone is progress.”
• Create a visual tracker. This gives you a concrete map of your journey and can help you see all the effort you’ve put in. AbleTo’s Habit Tracking tool is one approach, but you can also use a smart device or create an analog chart.

Oldham also encourages dropping the “all-or-nothing” mentality. Getting off track doesn’t mean you’ve failed. You can always begin again.

Ditch the pressure

There are very real reasons exercise might feel like a chore. But there are equally real methods for rewiring your brain to appreciate healthy movement.

Start small, and give yourself permission to find the version of exercise that feels right for you. You might be surprised where it leads.