How can I make working out more fun?

The fastest way to make working out more fun is to stop doing the version you dislike. If you hate running, you don't have to run. Almost every fitness goal can be reached through more than one kind of exercise, and the one you enjoy is the one you'll keep doing.

It sounds obvious, but a lot of people stay stuck in a routine they picked because it seemed like the correct one. Boredom is a good reason to change it.

Try different kinds of exercise

If the gym feels like a chore, try something with a different feel. Climbing, swimming, a dance class, a rec sports league, hiking, martial arts or cycling all count. You get the same health benefits from any of them as long as you're moving hard enough to get your heart rate up or working your muscles.

I'd give anything new at least three tries before deciding. The first session is usually awkward in any activity.

Small changes inside your normal workout

• Music or a podcast you only listen to when you train
• A different route for your run, or a new playground, park or trail
• Superset exercises to move faster and cut dead time between sets
• Pick a goal that isn't about weight or looks, like a first pull-up or a 5K
• Time a circuit and try to beat last week's time

Add other people

Training with someone, joining a class or taking part in a group event changes the mood a lot. Even a casual weekly run with a friend turns it into something you look forward to. It also gives you a reason to turn up.

Make it a game

Anything that adds a score or a result helps. Count reps against a clock, chase a streak, or compete against a friend over who logs more workouts in a week. Having something to win makes a boring set a lot less boring.

League of Fitness is built on that idea. You get matched 1v1 with someone near your level every day, the match is settled when the day ends, and you can chat with them and keep a head-to-head history, so a hike, a ride or a short run has something riding on it.

When it's the effort you don't enjoy

Some of it is just hard, and that's fine. Hard and fun aren't opposites, but if every session feels like punishment, you're probably going too hard too soon. Lower the intensity for a few weeks, shorten the session and finish feeling like you could have done more. Enjoyment tends to follow once it stops feeling like a fight.