Ugh — girl, we FEEL you. Even the word “exercise” feels like work sometimes. Not everyone is born an athlete, and that’s fine! That doesn’t mean you’re doomed to a life of sitting on the couch in pajamas all day. Here are our top five ideas for people who hate exercise. 

Reframe your thought process

Okay, hear me out: What if you don’t think of exercise as exercise. Instead, think of it in terms of whatever your goal for exercise is. Looking to get more fit? Looking to be less out of breath when doing regular things? Looking to improve your health? Whatever the case may be, think about that thing instead of thinking of exercise. Make it about how you’re gonna go “get fit” or “get healthy.” Even save it in your calendar as such. You’ll be surprised at how much words can make a difference!

Plan out a sick playlist 

You know what perks just about anyone up? A playlist with songs that get you revved up. Whether your thing is rap, country, rock, or hey, even some of the oldies, go through and fill your playlist with songs that get you motivated to move your body. 

Reward yourself

Were you ever in a class where the teacher gave out stickers or had a treasure box after you got a certain number of checks on your chart or something? Remember how good it felt to get that sticker or reward from the box? There’s a reason for this! Our brains like rewards! So if exercise itself isn’t doing it for you (That’s okay!), then start rewarding yourself for whatever you’re able to do. 

That reward can be whatever you’d like! Your favorite smoothie or healthy treat is a favorite. You can even make it workout-related. Say there’s this workout top you’ve been eyeing. Tell yourself if you work out for the number of goal days you’ve set for yourself for three weeks in a row, you’ll get yourself that top!

Start slow

Working out can seem like a monumental task. Don’t rush in and expect yourself to be okay doing intense workouts five to six days a week. You’re going to burn out and burn out FAST. Instead, take it easy and work your way up to exercising more. Also, don’t dive headfirst into committing to a two-hour long workout at first. Starting with even as little as 10-20 minutes and working your way up may help you better stick with it in the long run! 

Find your thing

Choose a type of exercise that appeals to you (okay, okay, or the type that sucks the least in your mind). May we suggest yoga? Yoga is an amazing way to work out that is as relaxed or as intense as you want/need it to be. The important thing is to get started and stick with it.