Introduction: Understanding Why You Hate Exercise
Have you ever told yourself or know someone who has said “I hate exercise”?
This is a common feeling for people new to exercise or those out of shape looking to improve their health, and that’s okay.
These feelings tend to come from negative past experiences, a lack of motivation, or not enjoying traditional workouts.
However, you may be here because you understand how important exercise is for your health, even though you hate it. And the fact that you’re looking for answers to solve your problem with exercise is a great start to a healthy journey. It shows commitment and your level of persistence to bettering yourself. Recognize that fact first, then appreciate it.
In this article, we’ll go over why you hate exercise, how to enjoy exercise, shift your mindset about exercise, and how to consistently exercise and enjoy it!
Identifying What You Don’t Like About Exercise
There are plenty of reasons why you may hate exercise.
The most common reasons being:
- Boredom
- Lack of Results
- Discomfort or Pain
- Time Constraints
- Lack of Knowledge
- Negative Past Experiences
- Social Pressure or Comparison
Let’s break these down and see if we can find a solution to the “I hate exercise” mentality.
Boredom usually comes from repeating the same exercises, which can become monotonous quickly.
- Fix: Try new activities that you usually wouldn’t, switch up your routine, or join a fitness class to keep things fresh.
Lack of Results or slow progress can be really discouraging.
- Fix: Track your non-scale victories (how your clothes fit, energy levels, sleep quality, strength in the gym, etc.), set small goals, and adjust your plan to break plateaus.
Discomfort or Pain from exercise can be a deterrent for some people looking to improve their health.
- Fix: Start slow, focus on warm-ups/cool-downs, and listen to your body to avoid injury. The goal is to live just a little bit outside of your limits.
Time Constraints from busy schedules can make finding time to exercise difficult.
Fix: Opt for short, efficient workouts like HIIT, break your workouts into smaller segments, and schedule workouts like appointments (this means that no matter what, nothing gets scheduled during your workout time!).
Lack of Knowledge is a huge barrier for beginners because health and fitness can be overwhelming with the wealth of information that you can find online.
- Fix: Follow beginner programs, educate yourself on exercises slowly, or hire a trainer.
[RELATED: The Keys to Fitness: Beginner Blueprint]
Negative Past Experiences like failures or injuries can cause hesitation.
- Fix: Start with small goals, prioritize your recovery, and focus on progressing, not perfection.
Social Pressure or Comparison can cause a lot of issues like feeling self-conscious in public, or not feeling good enough compared to others in your life or online.
- Fix: Try working out at home, join supportive communities, and focus on personal progress (you versus yesterday you).
Lack of Motivation usually stems from one of the reasons we named earlier. Motivation isn’t stable, it goes up and down all the time.
- Fix: Create a routine that you can stick to long term, set short-term goals as checkpoints leading to your long-term goals, and reward yourself for achievements along the way.
Fear of Failure or not feeling like you are good enough to reach your goals is a soul-crushing reason to hate exercise. Thankfully, this is more of a mental block than a physical inability to reach your goals. This means that with a shift in mindset, you can overcome this and achieve your goals.
- Fix: Start small, embrace the imperfections as data to learn and adjust from, and get support from others.
By tackling these common reasons, you can certainly build a more enjoyable and sustainable fitness routine.
How to Find the Type of Exercise You’ll Enjoy
If you hate exercise because of past bad experiences, it’s time to explore different types of movement. Instead of saying “I hate exercise”, maybe you hate the type of exercise you’re doing.
Have you ever thought to try a different form of exercise instead of the same old ones that have gotten you to the point of dreading exercise? Or maybe you think that everyone who is fit exercises in a certain way, and there’s no other way to get fit. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Odds are that you like at least one of these: Cars, sports, ice cream. You wouldn’t stop liking one of these things just because you hated one car model, sport, or flavor of ice cream, right? There are plenty of exercises to try and therefore, plenty of exercises to like. The right move to make is finding an activity that you like doing.
Here’s a list of alternative activities or exercises to try if you truly hate to exercise:
- Dancing
- Hiking
- Rock climbing
- Martial arts
- Swimming
- Jump rope
- Trampoline workouts
- Sports
- Cycling
- Rowing or kayaking
- Obstacle courses
- VR fitness games
- Yard work or gardening
- Playing with kids or dogs
Pick one activity that you think you can realistically add to your current lifestyle and start small. Try it out for a week or two and see if you like it or not. If you don’t, swap it out for a different one. Or go ahead and ask your friends or Google an activity that’s out of your norm and see what may be right for you.
Overcoming Mental Blocks: Shifting Your Mindset About Exercise
Mind over matter. Your mindset shapes your experience. If you see exercise as a chore, it will feel like one. Reframing it can change everything.
How to Shift Your Thinking
See exercise as a reward, not punishment. Exercise improves your energy, mood, and overall well-being. You can also view your workouts as your personal time, time to be alone, and time to get away from the hustle and bustle of life. Most people really like and look forward to having this time for themselves.
Make it fun. Choose the activities that you enjoy doing, like dancing, hiking, or sports.
Think of it as stress relief. Movement lowers your stress hormones and boosts your endorphins. Start viewing your exercise as a way to blow off steam and watch how much you’ll start looking forward to exercising knowing that you’ll feel better after you’re done.
Focus on the benefits. Exercising gives you more energy, better sleep, less stress. Plus the relief from pain makes exercise worth it.
Examples of Mindset Shifts
- A mom turned her walks with her kids into her daily movement routine.
- A former athlete treated their workouts like a personal competition.
- Someone who hated running found joy in their local gym’s group dance classes.
Shifting your mindset can turn exercise from something you dread into something you enjoy.
Starting Small: How to Build Consistency and Enjoyment
Starting small is key to overcoming your hatred for exercise.
Short, simple workouts are the key. Begin with just 5-minute daily stretches, a quick walk, or a few bodyweight exercises to make movement a habit.
Small steps lead to long-term success. Starting small removes the pressure, helps you enjoy exercise, and builds your confidence over time.
Set realistic goals. Aim for a reasonable amount of exercise that you think you can do per week instead of daily sessions or workouts that are hours long to prevent yourself from burning out.
Progress naturally. As your consistency builds, increasing the time or intensity of your exercise will feel easier and more rewarding over time.
The goal isn’t perfection—it’s progress. Start small, stay consistent, and let momentum build.
[RELATED: The Keys to Fitness: Success System (eBook + Printable Pages)]
Key Takeaway: Redefine Exercise on Your Terms
Understanding why you hate exercise is the first step to overcoming it. Your dislike might stem from boredom, discomfort, or past experiences, but shifting your mindset can change everything. Instead of seeing exercise as a chore, reframe it as an opportunity for movement that benefits your health, mood, and confidence.
Explore different activities, start small, and stay consistent. The more you experiment, the more likely you are to find something you genuinely enjoy. Fitness isn’t about forcing yourself into workouts you hate—it’s about discovering movement that fits your lifestyle.
Take your first step today! What’s one exercise you’re willing to try this week?
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