Health & Beauty
Science Says You Can Train Your Brain To Truly Enjoy Exercise—Here’s How
I used to be that person who would lay out a perfectly coordinated workout set in excited anticipation for her 7:30 a.m. CrossFit class the next morning. But somewhere between burning out from my once compulsive exercise, having a baby, and rediscovering movement to simply feel good (as opposed to look “snatched”), it’s now an entirely different story. I have 101 reasons to convince myself not to work out; the classic “I’m too tired” or “I don’t have enough time” have found permanent residence in my head.
The pros far outweigh any cons when it comes to sweating it out (improved mood, energy, and sleep, for starters)—but to be fair, we’re wired to be sedentary and not want to exercise (we have an evolutionary instinct to conserve energy). “At times, our brains can seek energy preservation, which helps explain why exercise can feel like a chore, especially late in the day after a long day of work or early when you’d rather sleep in,” said Dr. Brook Choulet, MD, a board-certified sports psychiatrist and founder of Choulet Performance Psychiatry. It’s called “working out” for a reason.
Just the same, you can rewire your brain to love working out (yes, really). After all, experts say the key to better and more consistent workouts is not in the body but in the mind. According to a 2025 study, you can develop mental toughness and train yourself to be more welcoming of physical activity—despite the discomfort—giving you the motivation to keep going back for more and even crave it. Keep reading as experts dish out how to hack your mind to enjoy exercise.
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- Try temptation bundling
By pairing an undesired task (AKA an action you need to do) with an immediate reward (AKA a reward you want to get), Dr. Choulet explained that temptation bundling promotes associating the activity—in this case, exercise—with pleasure instead of dread or effort. “It still activates the dopamine reward system (dopamine is a neurotransmitter that motivates us to seek out pleasure and reward) and helps you crave that again in the future.” You can think of the cognitive behavioral technique like dangling a carrot in front of you or bundling your “wants” with your “shoulds.” Say you’re late to the Love Island obsession and you’re officially hooked. Using temptation bundling, you only watch your reality show guilty pleasure (the thing you want to do) when you’re on the treadmill (the thing you need to do). Or maybe you reserve listening to your latest playlist during your yoga flows or low-stakes Pilates sessions.
“Save music that genuinely excites you—whether it’s high-energy pop, your favorite nostalgic songs, or that new album you’ve been meaning to check out—and make a rule that you can only listen to these songs while moving,” said Dr. Kevin J.P. Woods, PhD, a Harvard-trained neuroscientist and director of science at Brain.fm. It can also look like treating yourself to a post-workout smoothie or scheduling a workout class with your ride or die. When you set aside one of your favorite activities to habit-stack with your workouts, you’re more likely to seek out exercise.
- Reframe exercise completely
Unless you’re the exception and wake up with the can’t-wait feels pre-workout, the lead-up to hitting the gym can come with a sense of dread. However, Dr. Choulet said if you can flip the script on exercise as an important component of self-care and maintaining good health, you can alter your own internal narrative. Instead of thinking “I have to exercise today” or “I need to burn off my cheat meal from last night,” it’s “I get to move, clear my head, and reset” and “I’m building a stronger version of myself.” “This creates intrinsic motivation rather than the external pressure that can make exercise feel like punishment,” Dr. Woods said.
If that isn’t incentive enough, Dr. Woods recommended reframing exercise as play rather than work by choosing activities that feel game-like or exploratory, like doing dance videos, hiking new trails, going on scavenger hunt walks, or getting your steps in while listening to engaging podcasts (ICYMI, that’s tackling hacks #1 and #2). Or, gamify your workouts: “Create a point system for different exercises, track ‘streaks’ of consecutive workout days, or set mini-challenges like ‘Can I do one more rep than last time?’” Dr. Woods said. “Your brain’s dopamine system loves progression and achievement, so framing exercise as a game where you’re constantly improving is a great way to stay motivated.”
- Track your mood
Reaching your end goal—be it losing weight, building strength and muscle, or running a half marathon—can feel overwhelming and like the fitness odds are stacked against you from the get-go. But both Dr. Choulet and Dr. Woods pointed out that we’re looking at exercise the wrong way. “Focus on how working out makes you feel immediately afterward, not long-term goals,” Dr. Woods suggested. “After each workout, spend a minute mentally noting the positive sensations: increased energy, better mood, or even just the satisfaction of having moved your body. This trains your brain to associate exercise with immediate rewards rather than distant, abstract benefits that could otherwise be discouraging.”
You know the feeling: the rush of endorphins after you’ve crushed your last set of weighted squats or a killer Pilates class. That “I never regret a workout” sense of accomplishment you get will tap into the positive feedback loop, reinforcing the drive to squat/plank/step—you name it—again and again. And thanks to the added bonus of a strength and confidence boost, the domino effect will not only carry into your workout habits but also other areas of your life, like your career and relationships. Consider it the one time getting in your head pays off.
Source: theeverygirl.com
