How to Start Working Out if You Really Hate Exercising

2015 came and went, and now here we are in 2016. With a new year comes new resolutions everyone is hoping they can keep. One of the most common New Year’s resolution is to start working out. But, not everyone loves to work out. So, if working out is not your thing, but you still want the results of working out, we have a few suggestions for you.

• Pull up your big kid pants: Exercise is good for you
• Change your mental game: Swap “I hate this” for “This is good for me!”
• Get specific about what you hate: If you “hate” running, try jumping rope
• Choose the least-bad option: Choose exercises that you know you can complete
• Be proactive about making it more enjoyable: Try working out with a friend
• Mix it up: Play squash one day and try a spinning class the next

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From the outside looking in, exercise sure looks like a form of medieval torture. The exertion, the grunting, the self-inflicted pain — it’s not exactly a walk in the park.

Except that it is. It is exactly a walk in the park. And if you’re still not exercising because you “hate exercising,” then it’s time for a little chat. Your “I hate exercising” excuse is about as acceptable as claiming you hate puppies, and both speak to potentially serious problems with your heart.

Here’s how to push past the pain and start moving your butt.

Pull up your big-kid pants

Before I even get into all the ways you can overcome your hatred of exercise, I’m going to assume two things: 1) you’re an adult, and 2) you accept the reality that adults sometimes do things they don’t want to do because they’re the right thing to do. Do you always love going to your job, or to dinner with the in-laws? I bet you do it anyway.

Guess what? Exercise is good for you. It’s good for your family. It’s good for your mind, your body, your budget, and your earning potential. It’s good for your mental health and social well-being. It’s good for your self-esteem and confidence. There are a million reasons exercise is good for you, so frankly, as an adult, it shouldn’t matter whether you like it, you should do it anyway. It’s called adulting.

Stop whining about exercise like you’re a 5-year-old (5-year-olds actually love exercise, by the way), suck it up, and accept your fate. If you value yourself at all, you’ll start treating exercise like a necessary appointment regardless of how you feel about it.

Read the full article here.