🧠 Finding Motivation to Exercise When You Don’t Feel Like It

(Inspired by Atomic Habits by James Clear)

We’ve all been there. You know you should exercise, but your body (and maybe the couch) says, “Not today.”
The truth? You don’t need endless motivation. What you need are habits that make exercise part of your routine, even on the days you don’t feel like it.

That’s the magic behind James Clear’s best-selling book Atomic Habits: small, consistent actions that stack up to life-changing results. I recommend this to almost all my clients.

Let’s look at how you can apply his principles to get moving, right from home, and start building momentum that lasts.

💡 1. Make It Obvious

Clear’s first law of habit building is to make the habit visible and easy to start.

Example:

• Keep your exercise mat or resistance band where you can see it — maybe beside your TV or near your morning tea spot.

• Write down your exercise time on your calendar or fridge (“10 AM: 10-minute stretch”).

Why it works:
Research shows we’re 2–3x more likely to follow through with habits that have clear visual cues (Lally et al., European Journal of Social Psychology, 2010).

⏱️ 2. Make It Tiny (Start with Two Minutes)

One of the most powerful ideas from Atomic Habits is the 2-Minute Rule:

“When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.”

Example:

• Instead of “I’ll exercise for 30 minutes,” say, “I’ll do two minutes of standing on one leg.”

• Once you start, your body often wants to keep going and if you don’t, you’ve still succeeded.

🤝 3. Make It Attractive (Pair It with Something You Enjoy)

Motivation grows when exercise feels rewarding. Clear calls this temptation bundling — pairing something you need to do with something you want to do.

Example:

• Listen to your favourite podcast or audiobook only during your workout.

• Watch your favourite show while doing light resistance band exercises.

Why it works:
Dopamine (your “reward” chemical) reinforces the habit loop. The brain starts to associate exercise with pleasure instead of effort.

🧱 4. Make It Easy (Reduce Friction)

The harder something feels to start, the less likely we are to do it.
So make exercise effortless to begin.

Examples:

• Set up a “movement corner” at home: mat, dumbbells, water bottle all ready to go.

• Choose workouts that fit your energy level that day: seated stretches, short walks, or balance drills count.

• Lay out your exercise clothes the night before.

Research:
Studies show people who plan when and where they’ll exercise are 91% more likely to stick with it (British Journal of Health Psychology, 2001).

🎉 5. Make It Satisfying (Track Small Wins)

The final law: reward yourself immediately.
The human brain loves visible progress.

Example:

• Tick off every day you move, even if it’s just 5 minutes.

• Keep a simple “habit tracker” on your fridge. Celebrate your streak - give yourself a reward if you hit a certain number of days in a row.

Over time, the satisfaction of “I did it” becomes its own reward.

💬 Key Takeaway

Motivation doesn’t come before action, it grows from action.
Start tiny, make it easy, and let the habit take root. Before long, movement becomes part of who you are, not something you have to force.