It’s one of the best things you can do for your mind and body, but it’s not always easy to start exercising, especially when you have zero motivation. The couch feels too comfortable, and the idea of a workout feels like a monumental task.
You are not alone. Motivation is a fickle feeling that comes and goes. The secret isn’t to wait for motivation to strike; it’s to build a system that works even when you don’t feel like it. Here are five practical, guilt-free tips to help you start exercising, even on your least motivated days.
1. The 5-Minute Rule: The Easiest Way to Start Exercising
The biggest barrier to exercise is often just starting. So, make the starting line ridiculously easy to cross. The 5-Minute Rule is simple: commit to doing just five minutes of an activity.
Want to go for a run? Just put on your shoes and walk out the door for five minutes. Want to do yoga? Roll out your mat and do a single sun salutation.
Often, once you’ve started, you’ll find the energy to continue for longer. And if you don’t? That’s fine! You still kept your promise to yourself, which builds trust and momentum for next time. Success isn’t the hour-long workout; it’s the five minutes you showed up.
2. Forget Motivation, Build a Habit
Motivation is an emotion, but a habit is an automated process. You don’t need motivation to brush your teeth; you just do it. We can apply the same logic to exercise.
Focus on creating a “trigger” for your workout. For example:
- The Trigger: “As soon as I change out of my work clothes…”
- The Habit: “…I will put on my workout clothes.”
You don’t even have to work out. Just put on the clothes. This tiny habit breaks the initial resistance and makes the next step (the workout itself) much more likely to happen.
3. Pair It With Something You Love
This technique is called “temptation bundling.” It involves pairing an activity you should do with an activity you love to do.
- Only allow yourself to listen to your favorite podcast while you’re walking.
- Only allow yourself to watch the next episode of that Netflix show while you’re on a stationary bike.
- Listen to an exciting audiobook only during your workout.
By linking the exercise to a reward, your brain starts to associate the activity with pleasure, making it easier to start.
4. Schedule It Like an Important Appointment
If you had a doctor’s appointment, you wouldn’t just “go when you feel like it.” You’d put it in your calendar and honor it. Treat your workout with the same respect.
Block out a specific time in your day to start exercising, even if it’s just for 15 minutes.. It could be “Walk: 12:30 PM – 12:45 PM”. When the time comes, it’s no longer a negotiation based on how you feel; it’s simply what’s next on the schedule.
5. Redefine What “Success” Looks Like
Often, we don’t start because our goal seems too big (“I need to lose 10 kilos” or “I need to run a marathon”). This is intimidating.
Change your goal for the day. Make the goal simply “to put on my shoes and get out the door.” That’s it. Anything that happens after that is a bonus.
Celebrate the success of showing up, not the performance of the workout. When you consistently win these small battles, you build the confidence needed to tackle bigger goals later on.
Conclusion: Be Kind and Start Small
The key to starting an exercise routine when you have no motivation is to be kind to yourself. Remove the pressure, lower the barrier to entry, and focus on building small, consistent habits. Don’t wait for a burst of inspiration—create a system that doesn’t need it. What is the one tiny, 5-minute action you can schedule for tomorrow?
If you have any questions about starting your own journey, feel free to visit our contact page.