Women's Health May 27, 2026 0 Comments

Unlock the Secret Mind Hacks That Make Hating Exercise Feel Like Your New Favorite Addiction—No Joke!

Ever felt like walking into a gym was signing up for a session in a medieval torture chamber? Same here—I used to dodge workouts like they were plague. I wasn’t exactly the “active kid” either; soccer? Nope. Tackling trendy fitness fads? Abandoned halfway through. Ultimate Frisbee conditioning? Let’s just say the bench was my best friend. But here’s the twist: a simple playlist of high school musical hits transformed my torturous jogs into joyous dance marathons. Suddenly, workouts weren’t a punishment—they were a party. If you’ve ever struggled to find the fun in fitness, you’re not alone. From binge-watching shows exclusively during treadmill time to bouncing on mini trampolines, folks are getting creative about moving their bodies. Because let’s be real—when exercise feels like play, sticking to it becomes way easier. So, ready to flip the script and actually enjoy working out? Let me show you stories of real people who turned their sweat sessions into pure delight. LEARN MORE

9 min read

For most of my life, stepping into a gym felt like voluntarily strolling into a torture dungeon. I have never been into working out:I was the kid who threw a tantrum of grandeur when my parents tried to force me to play soccer. I gave up on Chloe Ting’s ab challenge about two days in when it was trending, and during Ultimate Frisbee workouts in college (I was a devoted benchwarmer), I would do anything I could to get out of going to conditioning sessions with my designated group.

All of this changed a few years ago, when I started turning my once self-obligatory runs into musical theater jam sessions. I made a playlist of all my favorite songs from my high school theater days, and suddenly running wasn’t so difficult or terrible. Just by a simple switch of music, my 2-mile slog jogs turned into 5-mile joyruns to the sound of Mamma Mia. Now, I actually enjoy running, and can use the endorphin rush to do some strength training while I’m at it.

I know I’m not the only one who has struggled with enjoying exercise—and I’m definitely not the only one who has found a fun way to get myself moving. Some people save their favorite TV shows or podcasts for when they’re working out, or incentivize themselves by buying cute gym sets. (Listen, we’ve all been there.) I’ve seen posts of people bouncing on mini trampolines for exercise, roller blading, or opting for other fun, non-traditional methods.

Honestly, whatever motivates you to move is a win. After all, from cardio to yoga to weightlifting, exercise is key in maintaining a healthy heart, building bone density, promoting positive mood, improving sleep and much more. Regularly exercising can also lower your risk for certain diseases and even extend your general life expectancy. Weigh the benefits, and working out pretty much becomes non-negotiable. So, you might as well make it fun.

Ahead, I spoke to six women about the creative ways they’ve learned to enjoy exercise. By following their tips, even the most staunch exercise haters can start having fun while working out, too.

1. Get In Touch With Your Inner Diva

For Remy, a TV writer in her twenties, working out always felt like a chore; she knew that it helped her with her mental and physical health, but it never felt fun or energizing. That is, until she tried a decades-old Pussycat Dolls’ dance video on YouTube.

“I [tumbled] down this rabbit hole of vintage workout videos, which are totally about the fun. They’re doing crazy dance moves. They have amazing costumes. The sets are so fab,” says Remy. “These videos are a masterclass in diva behavior, and I need to learn from my elders.”

Remy says she wouldn’t be caught dead on a treadmill, but has no trouble working up a sweat in the company of Cher, Jane Fonda, Barbie, and other larger-than-life 80s and 90s moguls. And videos aren’t just dancing: there are resistance band workouts (one of which features an apprehensive Cher in a corset), dumbbell workouts, and of course, step-up exercises. Although the quality of the videos may be a bit grainy, the neon unitards and wristbands make the movements impossible to miss. As a TV writer herself, the campy videos also provide Remy with a fascinating window into a world of pop culture past.

Remy says these videos are also an easy way to democratize exercise: they’re free, only take 20-ish minutes, and there’s no pressure from a class-full of other people breathing down your neck. “For better or worse, working out is critical to my mental health. So I’m always trying to find ways to make it fun and to tell other people how to make it fun,” says Remy.

Find the thing that makes you feel like a diva—whether it be a heels dance class, strutting on a treadmill to Beyoncé, or vintage workout videos—and just roll with it. The endorphins will follow.

2. Discover a New Community.

As a mother of a young child and a bartender with three jobs, Lindsay, 36, is on her feet 24/7. At the end of a long day, working out is pretty much the last thing Lindsay wants to do. She hated going to workout classes—in her experience, they had a cliquey vibe and an offputting cult-like following. One day, her friend asked her to try out a water aerobics class at the YMCA. Because the class consisted of mostly elderly women, Lindsay assumed it wouldn’t be for her. She didn’t want to seem like she was mocking anyone, but apprehensively agreed to try it out.

Luckily, it was one of the best fitness choices she’s ever made. “I fell in love with it. I felt like it was for me,” says Lindsay.

She now goes to water aerobics every week, and looks forward to spending time with the instructor, Joann, who is in her late 80s. She’s found community with the other classgoers despite their age differences, and enjoys chatting with them each week. While past Lindsay would snooze her alarm to avoid going to the gym, present Lindsay can’t get to the pool fast enough.

She says water aerobics help stretch her body out, strengthen her arms, help with her back pain, and just decompress from her week. Working out now actually feels more like a treat for her body than a task she has to check off.

So, don’t shy away from unfamiliar environments, exercise modalities, or people: you just might surprise yourself and find an incredible community.

3. Use Your Emotions As Fuel.

Upon turning the corner into her thirties, Arbela, a 31-year-old in Cleveland, Ohio, came to the conclusion that it was time to prioritize exercise. As someone who never particularly enjoyed working out, she decided to give spin class a whirl. With Brittany Spears pumping through the speakers and the instructor yelling choreographic instructions and encouragement, Arbela found a strange sense of emotional release she hadn’t expected.

“It unlocked something in my brain. I had moments not just letting out my rage, but also letting out grief,” said Arbela. She even remembers crying at one point during spin class after the lights went out. Since then, “riding it out” has become an integral part of Arbela’s weekly routine.

She currently cycles on a stationary bike at home, pumping music from hype-up playlists she makes. Her routine of cycling has even encouraged her to get more into strength training and walking; she often will just go right into a strength circuit after hopping off her bike, still riding the high from her spin sesh.

“Maybe not everyone likes working out, but everyone holds a lot of stress and rage in their body—especially women,” says Arbela. “Don’t even think of it as working out. Just think of it as making your body feel alive and using it as a channel to let this energy out.”

Who needs an energy drink when you have your emotions to fuel you? Turn on your favorite music, hop on the bike (or rowing machine, elliptical, treadmill, lap pool, roller blading rink, etc), and let it rip.

4. Get Some Healthy Competition.

A study of over one million runners who shared fitness data found that the more miles you see your friends running, the more likely you are to log more miles yourself. (It’s no wonder that apps like Strava are so popular.)

Taylor, a 30-year-old event operations manager in Nashville, Tennessee, doesn’t find working out fun or stimulating in general; she just doesn’t have the energy, especially with a job that keeps her so active. A few weeks ago, her ultra-competitive sister invited her to a seven-day Apple Watch competition to see who could log the most steps. And, not being one to back down from a challenge, Taylor accepted.

They’ve been at the competition for over three weeks now. Taylor finds herself skipping golf cart rides at work to log more steps and taking more walks with her dog around the neighborhood—especially when she sees that her sister has logged more movement than her.

“I get bored of exercises easily, but [my sister] does not and likes routines,” says Taylor. So even if Taylor gets tired of the walking regimen (which hasn’t happened yet) her sister will probably still hold her accountable for doing it. Sibling rivalry could be good for something after all.

To try this tactic for yourself, grab a family member or friend and challenge them to a mileage race: it could be for walking, running, biking, or even swimming. You’ll both reap the benefits of cardio while feeling an adrenaline rush of competition.

5. Reconsider Your Definition of Exercise

Dee Maria, 38 and from Michigan, says she struggled with weight loss for a long time, and never found an exercise regimen she enjoyed. Then, while trapped at home during a COVID-19 shutdown, her kids brought home the video game Just Dance. Dancing along to songs by Daddy Yankee, BlackPink, Dua Lipa and more, she found herself enjoying exercise for the first time in a long time. After just a few dance sessions, she was hooked.

Growing up in a Hispanic household, Dee Maria says that dancing was an important part of her childhood; now, she could feel the beat of those house parties and family get-togethers in her own home. She felt motivated to exercise with Just Dance multiple times a week, and began to notice major mind-body changes within the first few months.

“My breathing was getting better [and] my endurance was getting better. I was able to walk up and down the stairs without getting so out of breath as before,” says Dee Maria. She was also sleeping better, eating healthier, and feeling stronger. Even as she started to lose weight with Just Dance (a journey she’s chronicled on her TikTok page), the feeling of strength and endurance remained what mattered most to her.

Because Just Dance gives you scores as you’re dancing, each time you play is a new opportunity to push yourself and reach a goal—almost like a PR at the gym. The elements of self-competition, challenging choreography, and opportunities for family-fun all helped take Dee Maria from someone who avoided exercise to someone who actually looks forward to it.

So forget what exercise is “supposed” to look like: You don’t need equipment, a gym membership, or even time alone to get in a good workout. Dancing in your home—something people have been doing for centuries—works just as well. (After interviewing Dee Maria, I ordered a couple Just Dance discs from EBay and revived my childhood passion for the game. The viral Rasputin dance still holds up, BTW.)

6. Use Visual Rewards for Motivation.

Kimberly, a 35 year-old New Yorker, doesn’t hate exercise, per se, but she definitely struggles to motivate herself to work out. To hold herself accountable, Kimberly created a calendar star chart: every day she goes to the gym, she gets to add a little star to a wall calendar that hangs above her desk.

“It kind of makes me feel like I’m back in school,” says Kimberly. Since implementing the chart back in January, she’s noticed an increased frequency in how much she’s working out, and also how she’s working out. Because she’s exercising more often, Kimberly isn’t always entering the gym with the most energy or even the best mood: Instead, she lets herself work out at an effort level closer to 60 percent, just to get moving. By showing up regardless of her mood or energy levels, the pressure of performance is off and she can just focus on having fun. Plus, she’s found that increasing her time exercising has actually improved her relationship with it.

There are lots of unhealthy tactics and trends for gym motivation out there, most of which involve body shaming as motivation and food as a reward. Kimberly’s technique shines through as a healthy reward system that conjures childlike joy, rather than a set of unachievable societal standards. To try this for yourself, think back to a motivation system that worked for you as a kid—sticker charts, filling a jar with tokens for a big prize when it’s full, or even rewards like extra screen time—and apply it to your exercise tracking. Sometimes a little positive reinforcement can go a long way.

No matter how much you hate exercise or struggle to get moving, there are ways to make it fun. Whether it be finding a fierce competitor, pressing play on a Just Dance video, or trying out that class at your gym you’ve always been afraid of, it’s never too late to find the movement that works for you—and that makes you happy.

Find the Perfect Women’s Health Training Program for You

Halle Newman is a freelance journalist and copywriter based in New York City. When she’s not writing, she’s probably strolling through Central Park with a matcha or trying out a new dance class.