How to Create an Exercise Routine You Actually Enjoy
Exercise, in my opinion, is healthiest when it is enjoyable.
In today’s post, we’re exploring how to create an exercise routine you actually enjoy.
Exercise that you LOOK FORWARD TO, rather than feel like it’s something you *have* to do.
Exercise that adds positive momentum to your life, rather than leaving you feeling depleted physically and emotionally.
We’ll be thinking about things like…
- What types of activities do I genuinely enjoy?
- What frequency and intensity generally feels best to me?
- What might it look like for me to balance structure and routine vs. spontaneity and flexibility?
and more! 🌟
But first, before we can get to these questions in a way that’s actually helpful, we need to tune into what I call our “Healthy” or Core Selves.
This can be thought of as the core part of us that is operating out of well-rounded, balanced health.
Our Healthy Self is in contrast to what I refer to as our “Disordered Eating Part,” or in this case, our “Disordered Exercise Part.”
Curious about your own relationship with exercise? Read this post on four indicators of a healthy relationship with exercise. 💫
This is the part of you that may have caused your current relationship with exercise to become overly obsessive, rigid, or unenjoyable.
This is the part that says you have to exercise a specific way regardless of what you prefer, what you feel like, or what’s actually healthy.
We need to tune into our Healthy Selves, otherwise this conversation may easily get hijacked by your Disordered Exercise Part.
Questions to tune into your Healthy SelfÂ
These questions are intended to help you explore what mental and emotional barriers prevent you from pursuing exercise in a way that’s enjoyable and truly healthy, thereby keeping you stuck engaging with exercise in an overly rigid and obsessive way.
- What am I afraid might happen if I focus on enjoyment as the core foundation of my exercise routine?
- Why am I afraid of this?
- What thoughts and beliefs are behind this fear?
- How does this fear control my life in ways that aren’t in alignment with my true values?
- How ready am I to explore (even in an ever-so-gentle way) moving past these fears?
–> If I’m not feeling ready at all, what further support might I need? - Can I allow myself to temporarily set aside these fears in order to explore how my Healthy Self would like to be engaging with exercise?
How to create an exercise routine you actually enjoy
Questions for your Healthy Self to consider include:
- What types of activities do I enjoy?
- In what frequency?
- At what intensity?
- What’s a good balance?
- What about other details?
- How do I balance spontaneity and structure?
- What else might I need?
What types of activities do I enjoy?
Often, our Disordered Exercise Parts might tell us we should be exercising a specific way — maybe it’s running, going to the gym at 6am, or doing a cycle or HIIT class.
If you genuinely like these activities, that’s great — assuming you’re healthy physically, they could be part of your enjoyable exercise routine.
BUT, might there be other activities you also enjoy, or ones that you’d rather be doing?
Another question might be: what types of activities would you do if exercise had NO relation to weight / body shape and size?
Maybe it’s running, hiking, dance, or pilates. Maybe it’s going to the park with your kids, rollerblading, or joining a sports league.
Really sit with this question and see what comes up! 💡
In what frequency?
Exercise does NOT need to be done every day to be effective. In fact, in a lot of ways, less can be more!
What feels good to you and works for your life right now?
What you do right now doesn’t need to work for forever.
How many days a week do you generally want to try to exercise? How many days a week might you do certain exercise types versus others?
I love running, but the number of days I typically run per week has decreased over the years as I find this works better for my body at this point. Instead, I incorporate more walking + hiking.
At what intensity?
We don’t need to be “going hard” or even working up a sweat for exercise to “count”! (Whatever it means for it to count, anyway…) 🤯
I don’t recommend that all your workouts (or even the majority of them) be too strenuous. Exercise is a stressor, and we don’t want to overly be ramping up our cortisol levels without adequate rest and downtime. Our muscles also need time to rest and recover for us to get stronger.
When I’m in my usual exercise routine, I’ll run for a few days a week, walk for a few days a week, and head to one hot yoga class. This (for me) is a good mix of higher and lower intensity exercise.
What’s a good balance?
When I speak of balance here, I’m talking about some sort of blend of cardio, strength, and balance/stretching. These are all key components of a healthy, well-rounded exercise routine.
Some of us might inherently prefer to do more strength than cardio, or vice versa. But, in my opinion, including at least some aspect of cardio, strength, and flexibility is important for optimal health, athleticism, and longevity.
Examples of cardio-based exercise includes walking, running, hiking, skiing, biking, and swimming.
Examples of strength-based exercise includes lifting weights, bodyweight exercises, resistance band exercises, yoga, and pilates.
Examples of balance/flexibility-based exercise includes yoga, pilates, barre, and general stretching.
What about other details?
What times of day / week do you prefer to exercise? Some people naturally have more energy in the morning, others later in the day. Or maybe other aspects of your schedule determine when you might have time to exercise.
Do you prefer to exercise by yourself or with others? Do you like to listen to music or a podcast, watch a show, or just listen to what’s going on around you?
Do you like to exercise inside or outside?
Our Disordered Exercise Parts might convince us that exercise needs to look a very specific (and often boring) way. In reality, the options are endless!
I exercise in a variety of ways, but one of my favorite ways is to be outside (preferably in the mountains!), enjoying all the beautiful scenery around me.
How do I balance spontaneity and structure?
Some of us naturally prefer to be more routine-oriented when it comes to exercise, and others of us prefer to be more spontaneous and intuitive.
I do recommend *some* degree of spontaneity and flexibility in creating a healthy exercise routine. This includes shifting gears (or nixing your plans altogether) when you’re feeling tired or sick.
Maybe you like to be more structured and have a plan for your week, knowing you can adjust or cancel if you don’t feel great or don’t want to do what you had planned that day.
Maybe you like to decide spur of the moment what you’re feeling. Either way can work!
What else might I need?
What else might you need in order to create an exercise routine that you enjoy?
- Do I need more support in outlining the specific details of an exercise plan?
- Do I need more knowledge about how to do specific exercises?
- Do I need therapeutic / dietetic support in having a healthier relationship with exercise?
- Do I need more support in eating enough + fueling my exercise appropriately?
An exercise routine that you genuinely enjoy is going to not only be healthier for you, but also more sustainable. When we look forward to moving our bodies in ways we enjoy each day, we’re more likely to stick with it and reap the positive benefits of exercising regularly.
If you’re looking for more support in improving your relationship with exercise and/or creating an exercise routine for you that’s balanced + enjoyable, I invite you to reach out to book a free consultation call so we can chat further about what working together 1 on 1 might look like! ✨
You can also ask me an exercise-related question here!
As someone who has experienced what it’s like to have an addictive and obsessive relationship with exercise, I know firsthand how all-consuming and unhealthy this can be.
If this is you right now, know that you don’t have to stay there and that healing and freedom is possible. This doesn’t need to mean abandoning exercise or fitness. All of this can be done in a truly healthy way!
September 3, 2025
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