Finding Exercise You'll Actually Stick With

The best exercise is the one you'll keep doing, and studies of why people stick with physical activity keep landing on the same answer: enjoyment. People who like the activity itself, rather than only the results they hope for, are much more likely to still be doing it months later. So it's worth working out what kind of movement actually suits you.

Find your type

If you like company, look at group classes, walking groups, recreational sports leagues or dance. The social commitment does a lot of the motivating for you.

If you're competitive, try anything with a score or a clock: tennis, climbing grades, a local 5K, or simply beating last month's time on the same route.

If you need to switch off, solo activities with a rhythm, such as swimming laps, cycling, running or rowing, give the mind space to wander.

If you like learning, skill-based activities such as martial arts, yoga, bouldering or a new sport keep giving you something to work on long after the fitness gains level off.

If you love being outside, hiking, gardening, paddling and even brisk dog walks count as real exercise.

Why "no pain, no gain" backfires

How an activity feels while you're doing it predicts whether you'll do it again. Studies by exercise psychologists such as Panteleimon Ekkekakis have found that when people exercise above a certain intensity, roughly the point where talking becomes difficult, their mood during the session drops sharply. People who feel worse during exercise are less likely to keep it up, whatever the fitness benefits. Letting beginners choose their own pace tends to produce better long-term habits than pushing them hard from the start.

Count what you already do

Plenty of movement doesn't look like exercise. Carrying children, mowing the lawn, cycling to work, dancing in the kitchen and a long walk with a friend all count toward the 150 minutes of moderate activity a week that health guidelines recommend. Recognizing that can take away some of the pressure to fit in "proper" workouts.

What keeps people going

Psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan's self-determination theory, one of the most widely tested models of motivation, points to three needs that help an activity stick: feeling that you chose it (autonomy), feeling that you're getting better at it (competence), and feeling connected to other people while you do it (relatedness). Studies of exercise programs have found that people whose reasons for exercising are their own, such as enjoying it or valuing how it makes them feel, keep going longer than those exercising mainly out of guilt or pressure.

In practice, that means choosing activities yourself rather than following whatever is fashionable, picking something where you can see progress, and involving other people where you can.

Make it easier to enjoy

• Use the talk test. At a moderate pace you can talk but not sing. Many beginners go too hard, feel miserable and quit, when an easier pace would have kept them going.
• Try anything for at least three or four sessions before judging it. The first class of almost anything feels awkward.
• Pair it with something you already like, such as a podcast, a friend or a favorite route.

Starting again after a long break

Coming back after months or years off is often harder psychologically than physically. Start well below what you think you can do, such as two or three short sessions in the first week, and increase gradually. Muscle soreness is normal for the first couple of weeks with any new activity and eases as the body adapts. If you have a heart condition, diabetes, joint problems or another health condition, or you experience chest pain, dizziness or unusual breathlessness, check with a doctor before stepping up intensity.

Trying things without a big commitment

Many gyms, studios and clubs offer a free or cheap first session. Community centers, parks departments and local running or walking groups are often low-cost. Free online classes let you try yoga, dance or strength workouts at home before spending anything. Treat the first month as an experiment: try three or four different things and keep the one you look forward to.

You don't have to love every workout. But if you dread most of them, the problem is usually the activity, not you.