If you’re not currently in a fitness routine, it can feel really overwhelming to get started. I mean, let’s be real – sometimes the idea of working out sounds as appealing as decluttering your house. You know you should do it, but the actual getting started part? Mehhhh.
If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. And here’s the thing: exercise doesn’t have to be miserable! It doesn’t have to be a “no pain, no gain” situation. With some creativity, a fitness routing can actually be enjoyable (yes, I said it!).
As a coach and trainer, here are some practical tips to help you get started (even when motivation seems to be missing).
1. Stop “shoulding” all over yourself.
You know what I mean – “I should go for a run; I should join a gym; I should be able to stick with a routine.” Trying to guilt yourself into exercise won’t work. Instead…
2. Choose what sounds fun!
If you had to choose one fitness activity to start right now that sounds enjoyable – what would it be? Do that!
Can’t think of anything? Brain dump a list of 15-20 exercise activities. Then go through and circle the top 3 activities that sound most appealing to you. How can you start just one of those this week?
If it helps, here are some ideas to get you started:
- Hiking – One of my personal favs! Explore local trails and enjoy nature.
- Pickleball – This isn’t my thing, but I know people who l-o-v-e it. Grab a friend to play and have some fun! Some YMCAs and other fitness facilities will have specific beginner pickleball time frames too, where you can go solo and find another beginner to play against.
- Rollerblading or roller skating – Great throwback workout that is good for cardiovascular health and really works the glutes.
- Trampoline workouts – You could buy a mini trampoline for your living room (yes, I’ve got one in mine – great for kids and adults). Or you can visit a big indoor trampoline park for bigger bounces. Fun for playful fitness.
- Rock climbing – Indoor gyms offer beginner-friendly classes that are great for full body strength.
- Bodyweight strength exercises – These are easy to start at home and may feel less intimidating than going to a gym.
- Swimming – Whether indoor at a pool or outdoor at a lake/pond, swimming offers low-impact exercise that’s refreshing and enjoyable.
- Boxing – Combine stress relief with high intensity cardio and strength work.
- Yoga – Perfect when a slower-paced form of stress relief is needed. (We actually have a free yoga class video in this post).
- Hula hooping – Surprisingly challenging for your core! And a blast to do with your kiddos.
- Paddleboarding – A great option if you’re in a climate or season that allows for getting outside in warm weather. This builds balance and core strength while you enjoy being on the water.
- Ninja gym – These facilities are often designed for both adults and children, and include lots of challenging but fun activities (like monkey bar rings or running up a slanted wall!).
- Jump roping – Get in touch with your inner 10-year-old and start jumping. Also – did you know jump roping is one of the most effective forms of cardiovascular exercise!
- Dance workouts – Zumba, hip hop, ballet, pole dancing…even just freestyle dancing in your living room works!
- Walking – If nothing else seems appealing, try pairing walking with something you love – like a new playlist, time with a friend, or a great podcast. This is one of my favorite ways to get in daily activity in a low-stress way.
3. Cut your goal down until it feels easy.
Want to start working out 5x/week? Amazing – you will get there! But if you’re already feeling resistance to exercise right now, it might be tough to meet that right off the bat. Let’s say you set that as your goal but then you only do three days this week. Instead of feeling like a huge success (which you are), you might feel like a failure for falling short two days.
Instead, try slashing your goal in half – or even more – so that it feels easy. Want to walk for 30 minutes today? Great, your goal is to walk for 15 minutes. If you end up doing 30, you’ve mentally crushed it! And if life gets in the way and you only have time for 15 minutes, you’ve still achieved what you set as your goal.
Small wins build consistency, and that consistency will then start to create internal motivation to continue working out.
4. Try “exercise snacks”.
If you think of a 45-minute gym workout or a 1 hour hike as an “exercise meal”, it’s pretty easy to envision what an “exercise snack” would be. Just like it sounds, it’s a short 5-15 minute bit of physical activity that you put into the middle of your day when you can fit it in. These can be great for fitting exercise into a busy schedule.
For example – got 15 minutes before your next meeting? Walk up and down the stairs a few times. Have some extra time on your lunch break? Go out for a 10-minute walk. Waiting for a pot of water to boil at dinner? Throw some music on and dance it out!
If you build several of these into your week, they add up!
5. Use the 5-minute rule.
Not feeling like workout out? We all have those days. Unfortunately, it can be tough to discern between our bodies truly needing some rest & relaxation, and simply skipping the workout because we just don’t feel strong internal motivation in the moment.
The way to get around this? Use the 5-minute rule. Start doing some type of exercise for just 5 minutes. It may not be what you originally had planned, and that’s OK (for example, you might skip the gym but decide you’ll walk for 5 minutes) – but choose some type of movement.
If after 5 minutes your body is calling for you to stop, you can honor that. But a large majority of the time, you will get over that initial lack of motivation and feel encouraged to continue after the 5 minutes.
6. Stack exercise with something you already love.
This is one of the easiest ways to make fitness feel less like a chore. Here are some examples:
- You love being social and hanging out with friends = Walk-and-talk with a friend, bowling with friends, join a running or walking group, take a beginner group fitness class
- You love binging some trashy reality TV shows (just me?) = Catch up on your favorite shows while you walk on a treadmill, ride a stationary bike or use the elliptical
- You love spending quality time with your spouse = Take evening strolls after dinner, practice a sport together, take dance lessons together, go bowling, discover other active date ideas
- You love your adorable pup so much you can’t even stand it = Go on more walks with your dog, play active games like fetch, take your pup for hikes in new places
- You love a certain podcast = Save that for a morning walk. (I have a favorite I listen to every Sunday morning, and it’s a treat I look forward to!).
7. Avoid making exercise all about aesthetics
I get it – a lot of folks feel motivated to exercise in order to make some type of change to their appearance or a number on the scale. But we aren’t always in control of those changes, and it can lead to external motivation that quickly wanes.
Instead, try to focus on some of the other benefits – like tracking your strength improvements over time, seeing your run time improve, sleeping better, having more energy each day, or feeling less stressed.
With this change in focus, movement becomes its own reward, rather than a chore we have to do.
8. Embrace a mindset of playful curiosity.
If something doesn’t click or you discover an activity you don’t like, that doesn’t mean you’re a failure. It’s actually helpful, because it gives you more information about your body and preferences!
For example, I have a ton of friends in my town that love hot yoga. They go all the time to the local studio. But it is just *not my thing.* Sweating profusely in a room and slipping on my yoga mat? Nope, not for me. But that’s OK, because there are plenty of other things I enjoy!
Stay curious and keep experimenting, and you’ll be sure to find something you love (or at the very least, something you moderately enjoy).
9. Try a challenge (if you like that kind of thing).
For some folks, having some sort of daily/weekly/monthly challenge to follow can be motivating. Even though I generally recommend smaller goals, a la #3 in this list, I recognize sometimes the consistency of a challenge can create the momentum some people need to get moving.
If that sounds like you, choose a challenge that is feasible to complete within your lifestyle. For example, if you choose a challenge to take a gym-based fitness class every day, but you have a full time job and three kids who are in sports each evening – that’s probably going to be extremely difficult. Instead, seek out a challenge that seems doable but still inspiring.
One of my favorites is the 30-day walking challenge that I have here on the blog. You can use the free printable to track your progress, and the activities build on their length and intensity.
Other challenge ideas include:
- 30-day push up challenge – Start with 1 push up today, then do 2 tomorrow, then 3 the next day…and so on. Beginner push-ups can be done on an incline, like at a sturdy kitchen counter, or can be done on the knees.
- 5000 steps per day challenge – If you’re just getting started with movement, 10,000 steps can seem overwhelming. Let’s aim for 5,000 per day and see if you can create a streak!
- Try one new activity each week/month – See our list in #2 for ideas!
- “5 for 5” challenge – Do 5 reps of 5 simple bodyweight movements everyday for a month (squats, push-ups, lunges, crunches, jumping jacks).
- 30-day yoga flow challenge – Find videos on YouTube and commit to doing one each day. There are many options that are only 5-15 minutes long and these can be done right at home.
10. Seek out help if you want it!
Sometimes the hardest part about exercising isn’t the workout itself. For example, you might actually enjoy how you feel when you are strength training, but you find yourself consistently skipping it for some reason. Instead, it’s often the planning or accountability aspects that are the challenge.
If that’s the case, consider hiring a personal trainer or fitness coach, even if it’s just for a short time frame. It can take the guesswork out of know what to do, and provides accountability for when to do it. A good coach can help design a plan you enjoy, and cheers you on as you progress.
The Bottom Line
Starting an exercise routine doesn’t require crazy discipline or endless motivation. It’s really just experimenting with what you enjoy, and taking one tiny step at a time. Eventually those tiny steps add up, and you find yourself consistently sticking with exercise. Before you know it, you’re moving frequently, feeling better, and maybe (just maybe!) actually looking forward to your workouts.
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