How to improve your health and fitness if you hate exercising
There was a time I could never imagine a day where I actually enjoyed working out. Now a qualified Personal Trainer and a love for all things fitness (OK, so not ALL things - long distance running anyone? No thank you.), I promise you can find a way to enjoy it too!
If you’re reading this as someone who doesn’t hugely enjoy the gym, or has never stepped foot in one, hear me out. I used to believe that exercising was a punishment for eating badly or was literally the only way to lose weight and therefore I hated it and felt guilty if I didn’t do it.
The truth is, I used to HATE working out. Like, full on hate it. I felt too out of shape to exercise and I didn’t want to because I wasn’t as fit as others (FYI, I’m still not). I therefore convinced myself I couldn’t possibly enjoy it. I also believed that to exercise you had to already be this perfectly sculpted human that dominated the gym shifting heavy weights or who ran 10k nonchalantly on the treadmill.
Let me tell you, I haven’t run 10k on the treadmill in years and some days I struggle to lift my gym bag, never mind a dumbbell. The point being is, there is a way to enjoy exercising, even if that seems like an absolutely impossible challenge right now.
You do NOT need to go to the gym!
Despite so many fitness buffs creating home workout guides and the couch to 5k campaign etc, people are still convinced the only real way to exercise is in a gym. It’s the biggest (and worst) misconception of exercise and is often the main thing that puts people off.
Do not worry about starting to exercise, just start!
This is the best advice I can give to anyone looking to get into exercise or start a new fitness journey. I actually don’t hugely like the term ‘fitness journey’ because I think it assumeds you need to believe there is a goal, a purpose, an entire journey into becoming a fitness fanatic. It’s great to set goals, maybe have challenges you want to work towards, but primarily it’s about committing to making a lifestyle change – it really doesn’t need to be some huge aspirational journey you embark on.
You want to start exercising? – then start! Don’t worry about having a ‘journey’ or becoming a spinning loving, cardio craving, fitness freak – just enjoy finding a new way to move your body and feel good about it.
Do not worry about what others are doing
This is key when you are trying to find some form of exercise/movement you enjoy. I say movement because if you genuinely hate exercising, you will always have a negative perception of it. With the overwhelming pressure of social media today (cause if you didn’t post about your workout, did it really happen, right? WRONG.) we are so consumed by what others are doing, that we forget to focus on ourselves. Do not worry if someone else is fitter, stronger or faster than you – particularly because this will ALWAYS be the case. Equally, don’t stress that someone’s idea of fun might be fell running through the countryside of Britain, whereas this may be your living nightmare (and mine). Which brings me to my next point…
Start small and make sure you enjoy it!
You will not continue doing something that you don’t enjoy. It’s human nature and we are not designed to put ourselves through things that cause us upset or pain, if we don’t have to. So, that new 6am HIIT class regime you’ve forced yourself into that you absolutely despise? Yeah, that one – sorry but, it’s probably not going to last. That spinning gym you’ve just paid your monthly membership for despite going home and crying after your first class – yep you’re likely to never go back there either. This is not me trying to talk you out of trying those things or guaranteeing you won’t like them – it’s me telling that if you do find yourself hating on them - simply don’t do them!
If you’re not sure what you enjoy and the whole thought of exercise is entirely daunting and overwhelming, then start small. Start by going for a long walk in the fresh air. Hate that? Try swimming! Hate that too? Try Zumba! I could go on… but honestly do not stop still you find what YOU enjoy. And if that’s an aqua gym class full of over 60s then you get your swimsuit on and go do that! Because finding something you enjoy is more important that putting yourself through torture just to post a ‘sweaty selfie’ on social media afterwards.