Published on 7/16/18, Updated on 3/20/25
The fact that exercise is good for you isn’t exactly news. But did you know exercise drives happiness?
Just one workout can skyrocket your mood; stimulate brain chemicals tied to happiness and relaxation; improve your self-esteem; and reduce stress and anxiety. Studies suggest you feel happier almost instantly after movement. Even 10 minutes of exercise can boost mood until the next day[1], and working out longer and regularly heightens these effects.[2]
But if the thought of exercise induces stress or negative thoughts, the fact that it might make you happier sounds absurd. When your relationship with fitness is on the rocks, you’re also more likely to skip exercise altogether, which puts your health and mood at risk. What then?
5 Ways to Maximize Fitness Happiness
Whether exercise starts to feel obligatory, time-consuming, or even painful due to injury or sickness, hitting a wall with your fitness routine is totally normal. Here’s what you can do about it:
Start small
Put large goals like weight loss or running a marathon on the backburner for now. These aren’t bad goals, but they take a lot of time, energy, planning, and sacrifice. This can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t have the mental or physical capacity to take something sizable on just yet.
Reminder: Starting with a smaller goal doesn’t mean you’ll never get to a bigger one. Reaching for more efficient and realistic workouts first will make it easier to build consistency, willpower, and ultimately self-esteem. If you can stick to the small stuff, the big stuff eventually seems less daunting and more fun.
Focus on moving in simple ways that feel good to you. Walking outside, taking a 10-minute mobility or yoga class, or doing prescribed rehab exercises (if you’re dealing with an injury) are all healthy ways to exercise that keep your physical and mental health moving forward. Even mini goals like taking the stairs or starting your day with a stretch can get you feeling more positive about movement.
Do what you love
Optimizing your workouts to max out health or performance isn’t a bad idea. But forcing yourself to do workouts you hate in the name of fitness can spike stress and tank long-term motivation.
Studies have shown you’re much more likely to consistently do a workout you enjoy than one that you don’t.[3] If you find yourself getting caught up in the details or feeling like you “have to” do a specific workout for the benefits, it can be helpful to remember that regular exercise (of all kinds) has been linked to many benefits including stronger bones; weight control; lower risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes; and better mood, sleep, and brain health.
If you can’t come up with a way to work out that sounds fun, experiment with different types of exercise. Think outside of the box if needed—rock climbing, hiking, organized sports, martial arts, yoga, Pilates, dance cardio, and swimming are all good options.
Work out when it works for you
When you’re out-of-your-mind busy, trying to cram a workout into a nonexistent time block can suck all the fun out of it. Sure, working out in the morning might have a slight advantage for certain goals like losing weight.[4] But if mornings aren’t realistic for you, the workouts you’ll inevitably have to skip or cut back on only take an unfair blow to your confidence.
You’re much more likely to stick with a fitness routine you have time for. So, choose a time to exercise that comfortably fits within your schedule.
If you don’t have time in your current schedule (we get it, we’re all busy), make time. That might mean waking up before your kids, asking for assistance from family members, or hiring help. Exercise enables you to show up better for yourself and everyone else around you, so don’t let guilt keep you from finding a solution that works.
Adjust as needed
Having a planned fitness routine can boost consistency, but it’s also important to listen to your body, emotions, and mental load. Exercise doesn’t need to be all-or-nothing to be effective. When life gets in the way of our best laid plans, it might be worth tweaking your routine for a day or two.
This is where intuitive fitness comes in handy. Intuitive fitness is listening to your body and giving it what it needs, whether that’s an extra active recovery day, lighter workout, longer warmup, or a more challenging workout if you’re feeling good.
For example, when you have more energy, try high intensity workouts like HIIT or heavy strength training. If you’re feeling down, lower-intensity workouts like zone 2 cardio or yoga might be a better option. When you’re stressed you might go one of two ways: a high-intensity workout to get out of your head, or low-intensity to decompress—what’s most important is understanding what you need and doing that.
Scale slowly
Wait to scale things up until your body, mind, and schedule are ready for more. Speaking from experience: an achy, overworked body isn’t exactly a recipe for happiness or stress relief. But the mental weight of biting off more than you can chew is often overlooked.
If this is your first time exercising in a while (or ever), aim to increase your volume (reps, sets, distance, or time) by no more than 10% per week to give your body time to adapt. This ensures your workouts are challenging enough to progress, without overloading your body and mind too soon.
If you’ve just taken a short hiatus (a day or two to a week) from your usual routine you can probably get away with dialing things up a bit faster. When you press pause in the middle of a training cycle, consider repeating the week of training you most recently completed before moving forward. If you’re at the end of a training cycle, feel free to chalk up your break to a deload phase and hop into the first week of the next cycle feeling fresh.
How the SunnyFit® App Can Help You Love Exercise Again
Still not sure where to start? The SunnyFit app has everything you need to get started, progress, and stay motivated.
Free classes for every mood
Whatever vibe you’re feeling—high or low intensity, upbeat cardio or chill yoga, equipment or no equipment—SunnyFit has you covered. You can filter workouts led by certified personal trainers to 10 minutes or less, or fire things up with more challenging 45-minute sessions.
Built-in rewards
Rewarding yourself for both the little and big fitness wins, like completing workouts and hitting milestones, can help you stay motivated.[5] The SunnyFit app’s built-in incentives—leaderboards, points, badges, and challenges—are designed to give you a healthy dopamine hit that keeps you coming back for more.
It’s social
Studies suggest that having a support system can increase how often and consistently you exercise.[6, 7] In the SunnyFit app, you’ll find a community of people ready to celebrate all your workouts along the way.
REFERENCES
1. Zhang, Z. & Chen, W. (2019). A Systematic Review of the Relationship Between Physical Activity and Happiness. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-018-9976-0.
2. Chekroud, S. et al. (2018). Association Between Physical Exercise and Mental Health in 1·2 Million Individuals in the USA Between 2011 and 2015: A Cross-Sectional Study. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(18)30227-X/fulltext.
3. Teixiera, D. et al. (2022). Enjoyment as a Predictor of Exercise Habit, Intention to Continue Exercising, and Exercise Frequency: The Intensity Traits Discrepancy Moderation Role. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8894246/.
4. Schumacher, L. et al. (2021). Consistent Morning Exercise May Be Beneficial For Individuals with Obesity. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7492403/.
5. Plangger, K. et al. (2022). Little rewards, big changes: Using exercise analytics to motivate sustainable changes in physical activity. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S037872061930285X.
6. Tian, Y. and Shi, Z. (2022). The Relationship between Social Support and Exercise Adherence among Chinese College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Effects of Subjective Exercise Experience and Commitment. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9517627/.
7. Lieber, S. et al. (2024). Social Support and Physical Activity: Does General Health Matter? https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11188280/.
