A Dirty Little Exercise Secret

Exercise Motivation and Discipline

We all probably have one or two people in our lives that seem to love exercise and love to talk about it all the time. Annoying, right?

But did you know that most people who exercise regularly, including many personal trainers and exercise “enthusiasts” don’t really like exercise all that much? I don’t typically look forward to working out; some days I almost dread it. In twenty-four years as a trainer, I’ve never had a client or gym member tell me they enjoy exercising. There is a small percentage of folks who are addicted to exercise. But I don’t think most of them even love it.

There are, however, some tips to make exercise more enjoyable, and help us be more motivated to do it. I’ll get to that in a minute. But the fact of the matter is that exercise is work, and it is an acquired discipline. People who have developed this discipline keep it up, not so much because they like doing it, but because they value their health and love to see the results.

So, let’s discuss some psychological tips for creating the discipline that we all need to have a healthy lifestyle. First, let’s begin with a light workout; but get this, pay very close attention to how you feel afterward. I’ll guarantee that you will feel good at the end of an exercise session, even if you didn’t feel like doing it in the first place.

There are at least two reasons for this. First, the endorphins that your body releases while you exercise are mood enhancers; they naturally make you feel better. Secondly, overcoming obstacles and achieving even small victories do the same thing! So, taking on the challenge of a workout, despite the obstacle of say, a busy schedule, and getting it done have natural physical and psychological effects such that you leave the gym or exercise class with a victory under your belt and on an endorphin high.

I’ve challenged clients with this my entire 24 years as a trainer: the next time you have a really bad day, and think you have the best excuses not to exercise, do it anyway. Maybe the traffic to and from work was horrible, maybe the boss was even worse than usual, or perhaps you had a family issue or were just in a rotten mood. The next time you feel like this, do your workout anyway and pay real close attention to how you feel afterward. Suddenly your horrible day turns out good and you feel happy anyway because you ended your day with a win! In 24 years no one has ever told me that this isn’t true. Psychologically connecting how your workout changed that bad day into a good one is a very powerful motivator.

Here’s another psychological tip. On that very bad day, or any day when you don’t feel like exercising do this. Tell yourself that you’re going to just go to the gym or class and once there, if you don’t feel like working out, you don’t have to do it. Then drive there or go down to your basement gym or wherever you exercise.

Once there, the odds are that you’ll do your workout anyway. Because just getting there is most of the battle. Even if you have a gym in your house! No one’s ever told me this didn’t work either.

Here are some other very helpful suggestions. Get an exercise partner and hold each other accountable by making exercise dates. Put your exercise on your calendar with all your other important events. Because it is important! Just writing it down emphasizes its importance in your psyche.

Enrolling in a fun class or a league for pickleball or racquetball or similar sport is another great way to add some fun and accountability to your exercise plan. And so is investing in a little instruction. Now that’s not shameless self-promotion; though I’ll admit I’m not above that. When you’re not sure if you’re working out correctly, not sure if it’s working, it’s harder to motivate yourself to do it again. But when you know that you’re doing your exercise right and you can feel it working, you are much, much, more likely to do it again, and again, creating a healthy habit.

See my website for more information on how you can feel it working: (About the Program).

So try incorporating some of these tips and next thing you know you’ll be a disciplined exerciser and already more healthy than before.