Overcoming Exercise Aversion: A Journey to Consistent Movement

Identify the easiest form of exercise you can consistently do. Start small! This could be a 5-minute walk, a short dance, or stretching. The goal is to build momentum.

“Oftentimes it's finding the thing that they hate the least, so maybe it's just walking for five minutes a day, maybe it's doing a dance class. I don't really care what exactly the method is; ideally, I want them to do something with the least possible resistance that they can do consistently.”

Learn to distinguish between the discomfort of choosing exercise (willful suffering) and the suffering from the consequences of inaction (unwillful suffering). This understanding is key to motivation.

“In life, there are two forms of suffering: willful suffering and unwilled suffering. Willful suffering is the suffering that you get to choose. This is the suffering that, for example, when you wake up in the morning when you're nice and comfortable in bed and you just want to stay there, you decide to take the covers off, put your feet on the cold floor, and get a workout in. That is a form of suffering.”

Establish a regular exercise routine, aiming for at least 20-30 minutes several days a week. Focus on consistency over intensity. Use habit stacking to integrate exercise into your existing routine.

“You've still got to do it. You don't have to do it every day; you don't have to do it seven days a week for two hours on end, but several days a week for at least 20 to 30 minutes. Exercise: willfully suffer because you would rather willfully suffer and have the benefits than unwillfully suffer and have that just destroy your life.”

Find an exercise buddy, join a group class, or share your progress with friends and family for added motivation and accountability.