There seems to be a cultural consensus that you have to love fitness. People will tell you that if you don’t like exercising, it’s just because you haven’t found what you like, or you’re not doing it frequently enough to engage a positive feedback loop. As a fitness writer and coach who has been training consistently for over a decade, I can confidently say that I don’t like exercising, and that’s okay.
The idea that everyone should enjoy at least some form of exercise is stupid. It’s fundamentally the equivalent to a philatelist telling you that your disinterest is probably because you have yet to discover the world of self-adhesive envelopes or octagonal stamps. It’s ludicrous. You have no obligation to enjoy everything in the world, and spending your time workout hopping in the hopes of finding some magical workout you love is inefficient and discouraging. There are much better uses for your time than repeated self-inflicted torture.
But that doesn’t mean you should give up. Exercise has undeniable benefits beyond just ‘looking better’ that have been proven with science time and time again. First, it can be great for your mental health. Various meta-analyses have found evidence to suggest that both resistance training and cardio can be just as good as medication in treating mild to moderate depression, and can be immensely helpful for decreasing stress anxiety.
