How To Love Working Out

Sound impossible?   Growing up my only exercise other than skiing was climbing a tree where I could read my book when my mother forced me outside "to play". I now love lifting weights and moving to music in addition to skiing, and more recently tennis.  I believe everyone can find some form of movement to enjoy.
First, you need to figure out what you do not like about working out:  Do you think exercise is repetitive and boring?  Do you look at exercise as punishment for gaining weight?  Do you believe exercise is painful and uncomfortable?  Or do you hate it because it takes up too much time?  Each reason can be valid, but there is a solution to all:
1.Exercise can be repetitive and boring if you are doing the same thing every day.  Mix it up:  Go outside, go inside, take a fitness class, try a DVD, get a partner, join a team.  Change what you do and your body and mind will thank you.

2.If you view exercise as punishment you may be working too hard, or maybe you need to change your mindset.  Link exercise to a reward.  It can be a physical reward such as better sleep or more energy (but do not link it to weight loss).  Exercise is a proven stress reliever; make that your reason to go.

You can also pair something pleasurable with the exercise; workout with a friend, listen to a book or music, or save your favorite tv series to watch while you exercise.  Find something you enjoy doing; I do not view tennis or skiing as exercise; they are simply activities I love. 

3. If your exercise is always painful, perhaps you need to change what you do. You do not need to submit to the rigors of CrossFit or a boot camp to get a good workout.  Try a different class or trainer if your workouts are excruciating.  Reward yourself for your effort, not for the results. 

4.If you view exercise as too time consuming, research shows that even ten minutes a day can make a difference to your health.  HIIT (high intensity interval training) is proving to be very effective in helping people reap benefits in a small amount of time.  Take an honest look at your schedule; are you spending hours watching tv or playing games on the computer?  How does that make you feel?  Trade just thirty minutes of those hours for a workout session and you will be amazed at what a difference it makes.

It is possible that you can try all this and still not love to exercise.  However, if you manage to stick with it anyway, I can promise that you will love how exercise makes you feel.