It’s been more than a year since I promised to do it, but I have finally started exercising again. Some people would say it’s too early to celebrate, as I’ve only been to the gym twice. Killjoys. That’s exactly the point of the post, though: if I tell everyone that I’m back to my healthy ways, fear of embarrassment will help me stay the course. I mean, if we are already built to be stupidly susceptible to peer pressure, I might at least use this mechanism for something reasonable.

As I know that many people struggle with exercise, I also wanted to share three things that I’ve learned through my own struggles. They might seem obvious, but not all obvious things turn out to be true, so I’m noting them down regardless.

1. Try (different) things. This is what women’s magazines always say and it really is just common sense. Obviously, you need to try at least something to find a physical activity you enjoy and it makes sense to try different things to find the one you like most. You might still be surprised by the results, though. I didn’t shop around much, but the lesson for me was that I never expected to take the traditional gym route. It seemed extremely boring, mindless and somehow sad, all those people inside, on machines, pretending to be rowing. What I didn’t consider is that I like to train alone, I like to push myself, I like to see fast progress and be able to measure it. So against all odds, it turned out that I actually enjoy going to the gym. Seriously did not see that coming.

2. Consider a personal trainer. I know, this is not an option for everyone and it’s of course not necessary. However, if you struggle with discipline and are not a person who likes to train in a group or with a friend, this might be worth the investment. I am 100% sure that I would not have stuck with my regime last time I regularly went to the gym and I wouldn’t now, without a trainer. I like to work with someone who is knowledgeable and experienced, knows when to push me and when to praise. If it’s just me, there’s always a perfectly reasonable excuse to cancel the session, but I’ve almost never done it with a PT.

3. Treat yourself. People are often very dismissive about using nice gym clothes or memberships in fancy sports clubs as motivation, but I say: whatever works. Sure, it would be much better if we just moved without any consumerist incentives, but exercise with dubious motivations is still much better than no exercise. I have had less help from the Pretty Gym Clothes department than you might think, but I do enjoy going to a nice club with nice facilities and a limited number of people. I also love getting a stylish flat white from the cafe across the street after my gym session, so this is what I do, even if it’s ridiculously overpriced. If it takes buying a pair of Lululemon leggings to get you to exercise, I say it’s a small price to pay.

In case nothing else works and you just cannot stick with anything, try finding a job far enough from your home that walking there would count as exercise and close enough that taking a car or public transport would be ridiculous. This is exactly where I’m at right now and already after three weeks, I feel my stamina has significantly improved.