Let’s face it – exercising is extremely important both for your health and for your looks. If you want to live a long, healthy life while also looking great, you can’t hide from the fact that you have to work out regularly.

Learning how to enjoy working out can also be one of the best things you can do for your mental health since every workout session is like a shake of happiness hormones, injected right into your bloodstream.

“OKAY, Amber… Please tell me something I don’t know.”

Yes, sometimes, hearing about the importance of sports irritates me too. Ever since I was little, the thing that I hated the most was when people were telling me what to do, but never talked about how to do it! It’s like giving someone a fishing rod without teaching how to fish.

So here I am to tell you how you can learn to enjoy working out, even if you hate it, and even if you never were serious about it before.

 

How To Enjoy Working Out

 

1. Visualize Yourself Fit & Healthy

 

Your imagination is a powerful tool you can use to motivate yourself for anything. It’s great for learning to enjoy working out too!

Whenever you work out, imagine yourself being fit, healthy, and beautiful. Don’t think about the weight you still have to lose (or the weight you want to gain!), don’t think about your “imperfections”, don’t think about how weak you feel doing one or another exercise.

Always keep a positive image in your head. It will help your brain associate working out with positive outcomes.

P. S. This technique is actually used by people who train for Olympics, like Michael Phelps!

Another trick I like to use myself is focusing on my health, instead of my looks. When I think about the upcoming workout and feel like I don’t want to do it, I imagine how much healthier I would be after I did it. I imagine my heart getting stronger, my blood pumping better, the oxygen reaching every little cell of my body…

Shifting your focus from appearance to health makes working out a lot more meaningful because you start to exercise for your body, not for those jeans you want to fit in.

 

2. Choose What You Find Most Fitting

 

If you want to really enjoy working out, finding a movement option that is, in fact, enjoyable is a huge key to success.

Of course, you might hate all forms of exercise, but I bet you can find at least one that’s a tiny bit better than everything else.

I personally hate jogging and will probably never jog, but I feel great doing body exercises, lifting weights, or sweating on the bicycle – and I work with it.

When choosing the workout that’s perfect for you, allow yourself some time to really test it. For example, you might not like weight lifting at first, because you haven’t worked out for a long time and it feels too hard. But it is normal to feel that way because you need at least a few sessions to get stronger and start going through those workouts easier. Once that happens, weight lifting might become more enjoyable.

There are tons of workout forms you can choose from and many of them can be found on Youtube to practice at home. You can find perfect Zumba, Yoga, Tai-chi, Aerobics, Dancing, Pilates, and other workouts that will not require a gym account. You might also find out that you enjoy working out with a pair of Youtube trainers as well. My favorite trainers are HASFIT and I’ve pushed through many brutal workouts thanks to their optimistic approach and encouragement.

And if you don’t like absolutely anything… Just choose walking. You’re doing it every day anyway, so invest in a comfortable pair of sports shoes, try to increase the number of steps you take, and it will definitely count towards getting healthier and more fit.

 

3. Have Some Basic Workout Equipment At Home

 

Having workout equipment may help you to stay motivated and it comes in very handy on a daily basis. It’s also an easy choice when you don’t feel like doing anything fancy (you can simply lift some weights or do medicine ball exercises that are simple and fun).

If you want to set up your own workout equipment, I recommend getting these things.

 

1. A high-quality, thick yoga mat to protect your knees and provide stability + cushion:

GoYoga All-Purpose 1/2-Inch Extra Thick Yoga Mat

 

2. A pair of 2-3 lbs dumbbells covered with neoprene (provides better hold):

AmazonBasics Neoprene Dumbbell Pair

 

3. An exercise ball:

 

DEVEBOR Exercise Ball for Yoga Balance Fitness Stability Workout

 

4. A kettlebell to push yourself a little harder:

AmazonBasics Vinyl Kettlebell

 

5. Workout gloves to provide a better hold & grip:

SIMARI Workout Gloves for Women

 

6. A set of resistance bands:

Belus Resistance Bands with Carry Bag

 

With this equipment, you can do a lot of different exercises and do full-body workouts while you’re simply watching TV!

Another thing to invest in is a good workout bra. “Jumping cleavage” is not only annoying – it’s a way to experience breast sagginess earlier than you would like. Look for a supportive sports bra that offers a snug fit and holds your beauties in place even with vigorous movement.

 

4. Pick a Role Model Who Inspires You

 

Having an inspiring role model can help you stay motivated and enjoy working out as your role model does. Seeing someone you adore working out (just as hard as you do!) helps you feel like you are not alone who has to do it. They struggle just as much.

Some people find a lot of role models on Instagram these days. And there are in fact, thousands of fantastic, inspiring people to follow there! But please beware that some of those influencers can be editing their photos.

When choosing a role model, look for people who don’t hesitate to show themselves in a video (which is a lot harder to edit), and those who focus on healthy eating and working out. Don’t fall for fad dieters.

Here’s an example of a great, health-oriented fitness role model!

 

5. To Enjoy Working Out, Gamify It!

 

If your workout goal is to lose weight, here’s another trick that can make you enjoy working out… In a little materialistic way! 😊

We all have different motivators and a lot of people are motivated by money. That is perfectly fine because money can be exchanged for any object or experience we want.

If you would like to lose weight and also get paid for doing it… There’s a cool website called HealthyWage where you can bet on your weight loss and, if you reach your goal, you will get a real financial reward. For example, if you are planning to lose 20 lbs, you can win a prize of 200-500$ just by betting 20$ per month (and you can also win a lot more if your bet size is bigger – the prizes go up to 10.000$).

The reason it works is that investing in your weight loss something more than time adds as a factor of fun + possible prize adds excitement. And honestly… Who wouldn’t like to get some cash just because they lost the pounds they had to lose anyway?

You can also get a bonus reward for long-term weight loss which is a great motivator to stay fit after you reach your goal (and a prize).

Here’s how to start: Bet on your weight loss with HealthyWager. Calculate your prize based on your weight loss goal, make your bet, lose the weight, and win money. Get started today!

… And this is how you enjoy working out! A little mindset change, a little repetition, a little determination, and some excitement boosters can make a whole lot of change. I hope you will try these tips and find a new relationship with being active and working on your health. You can find more tips on health improvement in these articles:

How To Start a Living Healthier & Stick To It

100 Healthy Actions That Help You To Get Fit

99 Simple Ways To Improve Your Health

How To Do a 100% Healthy Body Detox Challenge

100% Healthy Ways To Eat Like a Model

Find more tips below!