When it comes to feeling motivated to move your body, the depths of winter are usually the undisputed champion of low appeal. But lately, I’ve noticed that August gives February a serious run for its money. Between the recent sunny spells, last-minute skyscanner deals, and impromptu drives to the beach, any semblance of routine tends to disappear, and with it, much of the drive to do anything remotely sweaty.
If you’re nodding along, you’re not alone. Maybe you’ve never really loved exercise, and mostly do it out of obligation: another box to tick alongside booking the dentist or sorting the council tax. But given the sheer number of demands that come with adulthood, it feels like a bit of a waste for movement (something that should make us feel better) to end up filed under ‘chore’.
Fortunately, there’s good news here, because research suggests it’s not just possible, but genuinely achievable, to train your brain to enjoy exercise. And yes, that’s true even if you’ve spent most of your life dreading PE lessons and dodging spin classes.
“Repeated physical activity can lead to changes in brain regions associated with reward and motivation,” explains Dr Adam Jameson, Pharmacist and Precision Health Executive at REVIV. “Just like when we learn a new skill, regular physical activity can modify the reward system in our brain, so that exercise feels more pleasurable.”
It’s all down to that familiar neurotransmitter, dopamine, and a set of hormones called endorphins, which you might remember from GCSE biology or from social media posts about the elusive “runner’s high.” Both are released during exercise: dopamine fuels motivation and reward, whilst endorphins send pain-relieving, mood-boosting signals to the brain.
The best bit? Studies show that even small amounts of consistent exercise can spark the release of these chemicals, meaning that you don’t need to be HYROX-training or marathon running to start shifting your attitude around exercise.
There’s more, too, says Dr Jameson. “When our muscles contract during exercise, they release tiny messenger molecules called myokines, which travel to the brain via the bloodstream, where they help to reduce stress, improve mood, and encourage the growth of new neural pathways. Over time, it becomes easier for the brain to associate being physically active with feeling good,” Dr Jameson explains, “resulting in a positive feedback loop which increases the likelihood that you’ll be physically active again.”
So, what does all this mean for us in real terms? Well, in short, your brain is adaptable, and just like your muscles, is capable of being trained to look forward to exercise. And thankfully, the experts have some tips to accelerate that process.
Curious? Keep scrolling. And if you’re after more ways to take care of your brain, don’t miss our guides to how to find joy, how to reframe negative thoughts, and an expert’s go-to self-care ideas, here.
Ever wondered how to train your brain to enjoy exercise? Experts share their failsafe tips.
1. Start with joy, not pressure
Motivation is one of those pesky things that tends to ebb and flow, but while you may feel differently about exercise day to day, research shows that intrinsic motivation (meaning a motivation that comes from within), rather than external motivation (motivation which comes from an external pressure), is the key to not only build, but to sustain a habit long-term. It’s why Oliver Patrick, Physiologist and Head of Wellbeing at Heights, suggests choosing a kind of movement which feels like fun, even if that’s not something traditionally classed as a workout.
“Too often, exercise is framed as a punishment or obligation. Instead, choose a movement that feels fun, such as dancing, hiking with friends, or a short yoga flow. These activities still have plenty of health benefits, and by associating movement with joy, you’re more likely to keep it up.”
2. Know Your Why
Gita Chaudhuri, head of psychotherapy at The Balance Clinic, says connecting to your reason for exercising is essential for sustained motivation and enjoyment. “Just focusing on the cognitive side of things isn’t enough,” she says, “it needs to connect to your deeper sense of values, purpose and fulfilment. Get in touch with what you really want to get out of exercising, and you’ll find it much easier to do it.”
3. Schedule it in the diary
It turns out that having a plan is important when it comes to building an enjoyable exercise routine, as Dr. Stephanie Minchin, Clinical Psychologist and Yoga Teacher at MoreYoga, explains.
“Behaviour scheduling is an approach used in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. When we purposefully plan activities that are meaningful and rewarding, we are more likely to participate in them. When we pair this with behavioural activation, which is the opposite of avoidance, we increase the likelihood that we’ll repeat the behaviour. Essentially, the more we do, the more we can do, and the more we feel more motivated to do it again. This is why we say to activate before we motivate.”
4. Remove barriers
Start small, says Dr Jameson. “The beginning of any exercise journey can be challenging, so make things easier by removing barriers. This could be choosing a time of day that suits you, keeping your trainers by the door, or starting with something that you can do from home.”
5. Use visualisation
It’s a practice commonly used by elite athletes, but Chaudhuri says that practising exercise visualisations can be beneficial for all of us.”By imagining yourself doing something and seeing it make you stronger, you can build your desire to do it in real life. It reframes the brain’s perception of exercise, and there are plenty of studies to show it has a very real benefit for performance, too.”
6. Consider habit stacking
You’ve probably seen this phrase pop up on your For You page in the last year. Habit stacking has become a serious buzzword, but with good reason.
“Whenever we build a new behaviour or pattern in our lives, our brain forms new connections, which strengthen the behaviour and allow the pattern to become embedded,” says psychotherapist and author, Eloise Skinner. “This means that breaking patterns and building new ones can feel like a huge effort. Habit stacking makes the process easier by combining a well-established habit with a new behaviour. For example, you could try combining your favourite podcast with a new workout routine. By integrating the existing habit of downloading the episode and finding your headphones, with a new habit of putting on your running shoes and going outside, you make it easier to embed a new activity into your routine.”
7. Track your progress
It’s important to be mindful here. The boom in fitness wearables and health tracking brings a risk of slipping into fitness obsession, if not used in moderation and with a healthy pinch of intuition.
That said, there’s still a strong case for tracking your progress, when done sensibly, as Dr Jameson explains. “Studies show that tracking activity can help people move more, walk further, and improve gains during strength training. Plus, by making your progress visible, you can help boost motivation and self-esteem, with positive reinforcement shown to be a significant predictor of habit.”
8. Recruit a friend
Though you may not feel like one after a long day at work, we are innately social creatures, and using exercise as a chance to connect with a friend is a great way to boost enjoyment. As Dr Minchin explains, “connecting with other people boosts oxytocin, which is our bonding hormone. This leads to us feeling valued, increases our sense of belonging, and helps us feel safe and emotionally regulated.”
9. Feed your brain
Your brain is an energy-guzzling organ, and the way you support it nutritionally will impact its ability to function, adapt and form new neural pathways.
“This is especially true if you’re rebuilding your exercise routine from a place of burnout or fatigue,” says Patrick, who explains that post-exercise hydration is especially important here. “Adding electrolytes to your water after sweaty sessions, to replenish salts lost through sweat, is an important part of any exercise routine. By staying hydrated and mentally sharp, you reduce the likelihood that you’ll skip workouts due to low energy, poor mood or brain fog.”
10. Focus on the feeling
“It’s very easy to believe that working out is aesthetic-based, and that people go to the gym to look a certain way,” says Sophie Hascher, neuroscientist and founder of BrainFlowElite.
But, as Hascher explains, this mindset doesn’t often foster a particularly happy or healthy relationship with exercise. “Instead of working out to try to change something about yourself, try to focus on the way movement makes you feel. For me, I started lifting weights to focus on feeling new strength in my body, both physically and mentally, whilst ballet allows me to feel fully present in the moment, and to flow with the music.”
11. Switch up your routine
It’s not just exercise newbies who can notice a dip in motivation to exercise. Even those of us who have had a routine in place for years can suddenly find that we’ve lost the will to move in ways we used to crave.
“Boredom can really impact our sense of enjoyment around exercise,” says Skinner. “But it can also present us with the perfect opportunity to try something new. Research shows that imbuing novelty into your routine can help to reconnect you with a sense of enjoyment around movement, so experiment with dance, HIIT, run clubs or swimming, to find something that feels good for you right now.”
12. Add a soundtrack
“Music and movement both have powerful positive impacts on the brain,” says Dr Minchin. “Both increase the release of dopamine, which boosts your mood, helps you shake off stress and supports neuroplasticity” (the development of new neurons and new neural pathways), “which in turn increases motivation to repeat the exercise.”
13. Remember to rest
And finally, “one of the most overlooked parts of a healthy relationship with exercise is knowing when not to push,” says Patrick. “Rest days aren’t a sign of weakness – they’re a time when your body repairs, your muscles grow, and your energy is restored. Building in rest as a non-negotiable helps prevent burnout and keeps movement feeling enjoyable rather than obligatory.”
Bottom line? Well, as Dr Jameson reminds us, “enjoying exercise is not always about pushing harder or keeping up with the latest social media trend. It’s about starting with something small and achievable, and finding a form of movement that feels good for you.”
“It’s this that, over time, causes our brain to associate movement with pleasure. These small bouts of enjoyment then grow into something we genuinely look forward to. All it needs is time, patience, and consistency.”
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Why have I suddenly stopped enjoying exercise?
For many of us, daily movement is an essential part of our routine, and something which supports both our body and mind. It’s why a sudden dip in motivation or enjoyment can be really unsettling.
If that’s you, it’s important to know that you’re not alone. It’s actually a fairly common problem that can be down to a whole range of reasons, says psychotherapist and author, Eloise Skinner.
“Falling into an exercise rut can be due to stress, overtraining, sleep deprivation, exhaustion or burnout, as well as a changing relationship to your body, a shift in priorities, or even a sense of boredom with your favourite form of exercise.”
If it feels like a sudden change, Skinner recommends “tracking back through your last few workouts to see if there was a trigger, such as an instructor, playlist, or class that you didn’t enjoy.”
If it feels like a more sustained shift, she suggests “taking time to look at your overall motivations and feelings around exercise. Consider switching up your regular routines, trying something new, or exercising with a friend, to see if novelty helps you to find reconnection with your sense of enjoyment.”
Of course, if your dip in motivation or mood around exercise persists, and you’re noticing that it’s negatively affecting your life, it’s always worth chatting to your doctor, who can rule out any underlying conditions and provide further emotional support.