How do I think more positively about exercise? Because just the thought of doing physical activity sparks dread inside me! Will this mentality change over time?

Maybe you are starting with too much too fast? Or trying a type of exercise you hate? It doesn’t have to be horrible hard work to count. If you had a dog, taking over the chore of walking it would do just as much as “get out for a five minute walk.”
Think of something you like doing or are already doing a little. If you use the stairs, make one extra trip. If you like to dance, put on one song. Make it fun and make it easy and make it tiny. You can expand later.

I also struggled with this, following the sphere ritual for exercise has helped me a lot. First thing that's important is to start slow. If you realize that a little tiny bit of exercise doesn't hurt you and can be fun then you are on the way. Very gradually work up your exercise and realize it won't always be the most fun part of the day, but you are getting so much healthier that it outweighs that. I think I started to not dread it after a while.

I find positivity in knowing that although it may be tough in the beginning I know that it is worth the extra time that will be added to my life. I also find motivation in knowing that I can keep up with my kids

Define what exercise is to you. Often times, we compare ourselves to what others may think and this could be the same about exercise. It should be fun and get your heart rate and breathing going. Listen to an upbeat song or an audio while doing something simple as walking. Just like the fabulous app suggests, do it for as little as eight minutes. Look for things to appreciate while exercising and notice what thoughts are in your head. Having those dreadful thoughts again? Tell yourself that these are just practiced thoughts and overtime you can change them into positive ones. And just like the app suggests, take it one day at a time.

Hey Fabulous Friend,

Working out can feel like just another thing on a long to-do list. But it is the part of the to-do list where you can focus on just yourself and your body. It is a way to care for yourself, and at the end of a workout I always feel better! More centered, I sleep better, and I have more energy the next day.

When you think of exercise try thinking of good things, such as your goal( your goal is to be really buff so imagine that or winning a race imagine that). Try to think of your goal. And come up with a why power, again like above, why do you want to do this? And when you finish you exercise celebrate, I don’t mean go out for ice cream I mean jump up and down cheer, dance around, or try a small reward like watching your favourite movie if you exercise 6/7 days that week! Hope that helps!

I love to workout when I am in the flow .. I recently got knocked down from life and finding it very hard to get back into the swing .. I went for a run last night but didn’t really enjoy it .. I’m feeling super lazy right now but know once I let go and start again I’ll feel so much better about myself and help see things more clear .. I’ll be in a much better headspace

Start with going for 20 minute walks at lunch or whenever it works and build from there. Just get moving. if you can afford it get an I watch. Your worth it 🙂

Your attitude will change just with you doing your exercise. Think about the nice parts. Being outside in the fresh air or listening to your favorite music or podcast. Go with a friend sometimes so they can help distract you from the parts of exercise that you don’t like.

Honestly I'm still feeling dread everytime I get ready to exercise but I just push it away until I start the n once I start I like to finish whatever I start I just tell myself keep going you started now finish. Listening to workout music like trap or high beats helps my focus off the workout I'm doing and to concentrate on the music especially when it's my favorite songs by the time I notice I have already ran/walked for 20 minutes and I tell myself keep going you're almost finished until I did 30 minutesor did my 1.35 mile a day

Starting with 8 minutes is a good idea because it is short enough most people feel they can do that time but long enough you feel like you accomplished a positive task . Pick 2-3 of fun songs you like.

I still hate exercising, absolutely, but I found that in order to do it, it needed to be as easy as possible to do. Not many people will go for this because of sweat but I actually don’t change out of my jeans/ work clothes to exercise. I also only workout for a maximum of ten minutes and I use weights to do lighter movements (calf raises, sit ups, ballet- like leg lifts, donkey kicks). Keep it light and easy to start!

I have never ever in a million years think i would become a runner. Well needless to say i run 4 times a week and on the days that i don’t run I still make sure to get a lot of walking in. Get “working out” out of your head and just start walking which will eventually lead to jogging and possibly running. Also have weights at home really helps me with muscle toning. I have always hated doing weights at a gym with all sorts of bros!

The best way to think more positively is to find workouts you like and go into it to make it fun. It gets easier the more you do it and I am at a point where I just enjoy working out. However it does take time and effort to get over the dread. Finding a workout partner also helps imensly

Maybe not. It’s still hard for me to get motivation to exercise and I have been pretty consistent all my life. How I look at it is more of a discipline. If I can discipline myself to do this, then I can discipline myself to do anything. Also, that discipline in my opinion shows through to kids and family. Not sure if that is important to you (because myself, I don’t have kids yet) but I know I want to be a good example on health and don’t want my children or anyone for that matter to have personal issues with appearance. It’s not about what you look like. It’s about how you feel.

Instead of thinking "I have to do exercise," I tell myself "I get to do exercise," and I focus on how much better I feel when I'm done exercising than the dread that comes before. It also helps to incorporate things you enjoy into exercise, like going for a brisk walk with friends, or listening to good music or a podcast.

Exercise in the morning, do 10 to 20 minutes for a good day start. I do yoga, for example, there are plenty of videos for beginners without crazy poses and no needing too much flexibility. Plus I choose this one because I don't need to leave my bedroom to do it so I'm eliminating an excuse. The idea it's to create a routine, start small and then, when you get use to do a physical activity, start slowly increasing the difficulty. It will surprise you how good a physical activity does to your energy levels when you do it on a daily basis.

Try different exercises until you find one that suits you. I found for myself that body weight exercises are something I enjoy. And another exercise activity that’s fun for me is dancing.

Exercise should include something you enjoy to add an enjoyable element. I always like music to motivate me and keep me going.

It will get better. Make a note of how you feel straight after, one hour after and the evening after exercising. Just knowing that you will feel better for it is motivation enough for me.

Me too, but it will really make you feel so much better and healthier. Now I would never miss. Just do it for a week and you'll understand.

When you exercise you should think about that body or good lifestyle you want to have. It will motivate you to continue exercising. Of course this mentality will change over time, soon, hopefully, you enjoy exercising rather than hating it.

I think the first step is to accept the feeling of dread. I have this feeling about exercise too. It has never really gone away, or changed. What keeps me exercising is also trying to find something pleasurable- either bringing back a memory of feeling great while exercising, or thinking about how great it will feel to just know that despite feeling dread, I exercised. Fabulous suggests celebration after completing an action, and also really taking a moment to feel in your body a memory of positivity while exercising, these are both helpful actions. You are always capable of doing actions you commit to, but remember to be accepting of yourself as you gently push yourself forward!

I don't feel it's necessary to to train hard or to excess. No pain no gain is bo****ks anyway. I walk early in the morning, I get out of breath and work up a sweat but the pleasure of the early day, the light, the birds and other wildlife and right now the frost and beautiful sunrise is no only my exercise but my celebration too.

I can relate. Most times I don't want to even think og starting at all. But what has been motivating me is thinking of how I will finish when I end my workout. Sounds crazy but when I focus on the end, I have somethinh to look forward too. In the beginning I skip what's too hard or only do what I can. I have things around me that motivates me like; jeans I plan to fit back into, body goals, vacay, etc. I also watch motivational videos on youtube of motivators and those I follow who motivate me. (The Fabulous is 1) Hope this helps, Good Luck!😁

I’m very familiar with what you feel. In my case, I knew that the only way I will workout in the mornings was if I’ll find a way to make it fun. I started in just 8 minutes- put my self boosting music and started to dance or run with my dog. After a while it become part of my (and my dog) routine and I found my self wanting to add real and more complicated exercises. Steel, there days that I straggle to find the motivation. And I return to my fun dance. I know that for me it’s the only way to keep the habbit without going back to hating it. Hope I helped and good luck 🙂

Same here, i never like exercise. To meet fabulous's challenge I use the 7 minutes workout. Turns out, when i'm exercising, i tend to burp often (idk why), and my body feels better. So the point is I think you need to find what immediate benefit you can get by exercising. Good luck!

It's hard to see the positive in it at times. However you can't let that negative voice stop you or you won't do anything and it wins. Start with baby steps. Keep telling that voice that 'you can do this' 'it's not that bad, and it's making me feel great' … don't try to do too much exercise at once, or it'll be overwhelming and you'll overdo it. You can do anything for 5 minutes … right? Sure, you can. A walk around the block might be all you can do to start (or whatever your limit is) and that's ok … great in fact cause it's more than you did 5 min ago. Give yourself a pat on the back and do it again. Then double your time you walk or double the number of blocks you cover. After a little while look at adding in other exercises, some strength training (this can be repetitions with soup cans nothing fancy needed) and don't forget some stretches maybe even look at a class.
Set your goal and celebrate your success with each goal succeeded. Change that inner voice as you start and yes eventually that negative voice will be smaller and quieter, speaking up less often.

Yes it will change over time! But what you should try to do is to find something that you like doing or like the feeling mentally and physically after it’s done. Any form of exercise is good! It doesn’t have to be what we usually think of like lifting weights or go out running. If you’ve never tried that then try it, cause you never know, you might like it. If that’s not your cup of tea, try dancing, aerobics, spinning, walking, swimming, martial arts, crosscage, yoga, pole dancing, biking outdoors, rollerblading or whatever you can come to think of that you haven’t tried or given an honest go at. The thing about working out, moving your body is that it releases endorphins and they are somewhat addictive. So they will have you coming back for more once you’ve triggered those endorphins enough times by exercise. The feeling of well being and happiness will be linked to exercise. There are forms of exercise that I really don’t like doing but the feeling afterwards is amazing. And then there are some that are plain boring and give me nothing after and there's some that I enjoy doing so much I forget I’m actually exercising. I try to combine the first and the last one and just never do the ones that are boring and give me nothing. There’s no such thing as “you should do this or that type of exercise”. You do you, find your thing and eventually you’ll get over the threshold and it will just be a natural part of your life. You’ll get there:)

I like the endorphins that I get after exercise! And it helps my anxiety. It's still difficult to get motivated and do it, but I know it's SO GOOD for me. Starting small works for me – say just dancing for a few min or a really fast walk.

Try not to think about exercise as a punishment of what you ate or what you look like. Think of it as a celebration of what your body can do! You can walk and notice small changes in your neighborhood. You can run and feel the wind against your face. You can lift weights – which help keep you strong so you can be continue to be independent as you age. Set fun goals for yourself – if you can get to running a 5k, consider planning fun trip to hike somewhere new. Let yourself celebrate your body’s new/improved abilities.

Well, think about the strength, the body shaping, your overall health. Think that you have just one body and you want to take care of it. You want to live a long and healthy life. You want to feel good and look good.

Exercise is something you do for yourself so choose something fun. If you walk in Nature it has many more benefits, fresh air, trees to look at and birds singing. Take this time to be with yourself and tune into what you want for yourself. Go for it!

It will change over time. Think of how good you feel at the end. The energy, the gratification of doing something for yourself. If you really dred it, maybe you are doing the wrong excercise. Change things up. It will change over, do it a few times and reflect. Was it really that bad, or was it just hard to get started. Stop thinking, and just do. Eventually it will make sense.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Any movement can be exercise especially if you don’t work out much. Getting in and out of a chair can be a squat. How many times a day can you bend down deliberately using good posture?

Find something that feels more like a fun activity rather than a chore. I hate going to the gym or doing anything that has to do with working out but I found that through stepping out of my comfort zone I really enjoy indoor cycling. I love getting on the bike and forgetting about the world. Since finding my love for spin, I no longer dread working out. Instead, I find myself counting down the hours to my next class.

Im not so good to write english But yes it Will change over time. Just make it to a habit that you need to do. And Then write Down some things that was great When you did you’re work out. The more positive Vibe you give it the more it makes you’re mind Think Its positive. Keep up the good work!

I’ve had the same dread and have been trying to work on it (unsuccessfully) for years. What helped me was when Fabulous reframed it as “play” and pointed out that movement is exercise, then encouraged us to start small. So I’m going into a room, turning up some great music, and singing loudly and dancing around. It may sound silly, but it’s a lot of fun for me and a great way to start the day. I actually look forward to it (for once)!

People say this all the time, but you really do have to find something you like or you’re not going to do it. That said, the search for that thing and getting into that thing might still sound unpleasant. I find it helpful to sign up for a workout class with a friend so that you have 2 layers of commitment and you have somebody telling you what to do so you’re less likely to quit partway through. Try a bunch of different types of classes til you find one that works for you. Then you can branch out on your own and keep going with it. Alternatively, listen to NPR’s Life Kit podcast on exercise. They have some good lessons about starting small. You don’t have to go to the gym and workout. Just try to climb some stairs every day for a week and then tack on some squats the next week and then some walking outtside for 5 minutes and keep going like that.

Exercising gives you so much energy. If you push past your thoughts of dread and embrace the fact that exercises does the body good.

This’ll absolutely change over time. I was like that when I started. Today, If I don’t run everyday, I feel guilty. I feel that I should run.

I know it will change. I promise. The trick is to start really small. Do 1-2 minutes of stretches and build from there. Then it won’t seem so intimidating. If you’re having a bad day then hey, you can always stretch for 2 mins even if you’re not up for something more intense.

You have to know your REASON for doing it. If you know your goals, your why, it will get easier. Even though you dread having to exercise, just try to think about how you’ll feel after: super strong, energized and happy! Sometimes having the right exercise regimen makes it easier too. Try out different types of exercise; it doesn’t all have to be hard core. You can go outside for a walk, do yoga, dance with a friend! Having an exercise partner is fun too! And smiling might make you feel better about it.

Me too!! What works for me is to decide to commit to a slow buildup. That might mean the first day all I say is stretch for a minute. As I add new things each day I don’t push myself, I stop when tired. Before I know it I’m able to do the short routines like the Fabulous app has for inside the house. Or I might take walks and go a little faster up a hill. It’s amazing that once you start you can build it up rather effortlessly if you’re ok with being patient about it. Along with eating more fruits and veggies, you can get much healthier in no time at all with just a couple minutes of daily exercise. Have fun! Some people just set the timer for a few minutes and move around however they want, it feels good! Use your intuition!!

Think of each physical activity as one step. And then just keep taking steps. One more and one more and suddenly you’ve become so good at it that you will love it. It’s that simple. Read this article that also touches on the philosophy of the ancient Greeks: https://theartoffitnessandlife.com/how-to-develop-a-passionate-love-affair-with-exercise/

Workout at your own pace slowly building your workouts intensity up over time start small 5 push ups an one day soon you will be doing 100 a day 😁

You will need the figure out why you want to exercise in the first place, is it for health benefits, losing weight, dream body.. etc, write it down somewhere you’ll always see it, it will work as a reminder why you started in the firt place. I believe when you take time to figure out your why the rest will be easy. Hope this helps!

I love exercise, it makes me feel rejouvenated and refreshed. It makes me forget all about what happened and makes me focus on what’s happening. Life can get so busy with all the things we have to do, we tend to forget to breathe through the whole process. Today, I’m thankful I took the time to check my app. I don’t know why I’m so neglectful on it when I love it…. something to reflect on.

To stengthen my body with exercise would make it easier to go through another pregnancy. I can exercise to stabilize my body

I am working on this as well, as I used to work out a ton and then totally stopped. What worked then and I’m trying now is just committing to 15 minutes. If I want to stop after that, I can, but often/usually you keep going (and if not you’ve still done 15 minutes).

Yes, things that seem like a task can always be made fun to do rather than making it look like something you'd put off. Think of exercise as something that you're not doing it simply for weight loss or abs, but for enjoyment. How it can help you in the long run? Just like meditation and yoga, exercise can also bring peace and serenity.

I actually enjoy exercising. I feel so much better physically and mentally when I exercise. I have historically made excuses to not exercise out of fear of getting sick (all or nothing). As I age I’m reading nothing will change if nothing changes. Thoughts and plans are great but not worth thing if there is no action!