How to love exercising when you don’t

We’ve all been there before.

It’s 6:30pm once again and, with the autumn weather creeping up on us, the sombre evenings are becoming a little icier than what we’ve been used to over the last few months. You told yourself you were going to go for that walk, that run, that tennis session. But now the day is turning dark, you need to start thinking about dinner, and you feel like you simply don’t have the time. A twinge of guilt throbs at the back of your mind as your hand reaches for your phone, and as the screen lights up against your face you wish you hadn’t surrendered to procrastination. What feels like a battle between our unmotivated state and ambition to become better versions of ourselves is not an uncommon one. We’ve all been there before and I’m here to tell you it’s not your fault.

We live in an age of self-improvement

You might find yourself thinking, ‘What is my problem?’, but much of your dilemma is rooted in the world around you. We live in an age of self-improvement, where every other TikTok or Instagram reel features a twenty-two-year-old completing their second marathon or another ‘day in the life’ with a 5am start to get the workout in. Everything is about ‘maxxing’, ‘clean girl’ aesthetics and ‘the grind’. While the commitment of these social media personas is commendable, against the social pressure of self-improvement, exercise becomes a comparison game and measurement of worth. The snapshots we see online make the idea of enjoying exercise and improving oneself unattainable. Perhaps the problem isn’t that you hate exercise, it’s that you have been conditioned to believe your value is tied to it. Recognising this, is the first step to loving exercise.

To exercise is to turn inwards, listen to what you truly need and to act upon it

It is important to consider why you want to love exercise in the first place. A decision to exercise based on peer pressure or social expectations makes burnout and failure inevitable. To exercise is to turn inwards, listen to what you truly need and to act upon it. Is it because you want to feel better in your body? To improve your mental state? Or maybe because you want to improve your health? Whatever the reason, your ‘why’ needs to be solely about you. Reframing exercise as a personal choice made by yourself, and only for yourself, provides firm foundations for motivation and consistency. Once exercise becomes about you and your own potential, the potential to be athletic, happy or healthy, that is when exercise becomes exciting.

The best way to do this is to explore the Warwick Sports Centre’s Rock Up sessions

Many people who start exercising jump right in and commit to stereotypical forms of exercise such as weightlifting or running. Once they realise they don’t actually like the exercises they’re doing, they tend to give up soon after. Exercise is for you, so it’s vital that you find a form of movement you enjoy. The best way to do this is to explore the Warwick Sports Centre’s Rock Up sessions, which are free and available through the university’s official sports app. Rock Up offers a wide range of sports from tennis to pilates, making it perfect for experimenting with different kinds of exercise and finding one that suits you. Different sessions cater to various needs and skills with beginner, advanced and women’s only classes. Not only is Rock Up a fantastic way to discover what kind of exercise you really enjoy at no cost to you, there’s also the opportunity to meet others who, like you, might be learning to love exercising.

Warwick’s sports societies are a wonderful way to immerse yourself in a community of like-minded individuals

Speaking of which, one of the most effective ways to get into exercising and sticking to it, is to do it with other people! Warwick’s sports societies are a wonderful way to immerse yourself in a community of like-minded individuals and to feel supported in whatever sport you want to try. However, if you’re not prepared to dive into a specific sport, there are other fitness-focused societies available! Warwick Yoga Society offer four classes a week of different styles of yoga, and of varied intensity, and are perfect for anyone looking to exercise for their mental as well as physical health. For outdoor lovers, Warwick’s Run Club organise four runs a week at a mixture of levels and offer a supportive environment for those looking to get into running (I went to a Park Run during freshers last year and managed to finish because of their encouragement!). The creatives among us might enjoy merging art and exercise together with EQHO, Warwick’s Hip-Hop Dance society, which offers dance three classes a week of different styles.

Whether it’s any of the above or even a simple walk around the block, as corny as it might sound, the key to loving exercise is loving yourself. Exercising is a choice you make as your biggest cheerleader, as someone who wants to see you flourish. Remember your ‘why’ and be gentle with yourself; learning to love something is a slow but worthwhile process.