Why Joyful Movement Is the Key to a Fitness Practice That Sticks Created with Peloton
I spent so much of my childhood dreading gym class and quitting sports after a season—mostly because, in retrospect, I hadn’t yet found a way of moving that I truly enjoyed. Then, when I started running in high school, something clicked. For the first time, I looked forward to long outdoor runs, and I began to appreciate what my body could do.
Little by little, it became my form of moving meditation—something that helped me feel whole and steady and free. And through running, I gained the confidence to try out all kinds of new workouts as an adult. I even went on to become a fitness editor and writer, a job that required me to test new fitness studios and modalities—from boxing and dance cardio to livestreamed cycling classes. Still, running remains the anchor of my routine and the reason I stay consistent—it's my happy place, and I have a feeling it always will be. Unsurprisingly, there’s some science to back up my personal experience. For example, in one study, researchers followed 250 people across 25 different gyms for one year to investigate what kept them engaged in their workout regimens. The strongest predictor of regular exercise attendance? Higher levels of enjoyment.
“You shouldn't dread your fitness routine—and your goals shouldn't feel staunch or daunting," says Katie Wang, a Peloton rowing and strength instructor. "Goals should be informed by passion and connection, so find something in fitness that feels authentic to you.”
Finding that elusive workout starts with tuning into your body and listening to your intuition. Here, Wang shares some of her top tips for identifying, embracing, and implementing the best workout for you.
1. Explore everything.
If you don’t know what type of movement brings you joy, start by casting a wide net—the idea is to get curious, experiment, and maybe even step outside of your comfort zone. “Try different types of workouts and different types of instructors until you find a few that speak to you—I say a few because cross-training is crucial when it comes to a holistic, well-rounded routine,” says Wang. “Cross-training across multiple modalities helps avoid physical and mental burnout, which supports a long-term routine.”
In other words, while running will always be my first love, cross-training is what allows me to keep doing it—and to become faster, stronger, and more resilient in the process. And for anyone who wants to really lean into cross-training, Peloton’s Cross-Training Tread+ with Peloton IQ is an impressively versatile piece of at-home equipment. It allows you to easily pivot from running classes to strength training, stretching—with a movement-tracking camera that counts your reps and corrects your form.
2. Give yourself time.
While you may be eager to lock in your ideal workout ASAP, remember it’s okay if you don’t figure it out in a week. Let your search unfold organically, without putting too much pressure on the process. “If you allow yourself time to discover a workout that truly speaks to you, you'll be able to connect in an authentic way to the movement,” says Wang. And that’s where the magic really begins to happen: “Suddenly your workouts won't feel like work, but rather something you start to look forward to.”
3. Lean in to what makes you happy.
As you begin to identify what type of movement really resonates with you, get creative about how to integrate it into your life more consistently. One way is to create a new challenge or goal for yourself tied to that form of movement. For instance, “If your daily outdoor walks are fueling your soul, set a goal to explore every neighborhood in your city, or a walk for a cause that you believe in,” says Wang. “If you've fallen in love with strength training, set a rep or weight goal that you want to achieve for a specific exercise. If you find peace in yoga and meditation, chase deepening your knowledge by joining a retreat this year.”
And, whatever goal you set for yourself, Wang says it’s crucial to follow one rule: Let it excite you.
4. Find a community.
As you narrow in on the types of workouts or classes you genuinely enjoy, you’ll likely find yourself becoming part of communities that inspire and support you along the way, says Wang.
Making friends and finding a sense of community through exercise can make working out more enjoyable, but the social aspect also plays an important role in accountability and consistency. That support becomes especially valuable when motivation inevitably starts to fade: “Those micro communities will be able to encourage you,” Wang says.
In fact, the same study that identified exercise enjoyment as a key predictor of regular workout attendance also found social support to be one of the strongest contributing factors.
5. Don't be afraid of rest.
A surefire way to fall into a toxic, punishing mindset around fitness is to deprive your body of any days off. “Remember your body, mind, and nervous system need to reset too, so build in recovery days, or days that don't feel so rigid in your routine,” says Wang. She also suggests incorporating meditation and gratitude practices to help you feel grounded in your body and proud of your movement journey.
“Society puts enough pressure on us; we don't need to be adding more onto ourselves,” she says. “Not every workout has to have a prescriptive goal or a target output; allow yourself to move for movement's sake and celebrate all that your body is capable of.”
Ultimately, exercise is about so much more than just staying fit—it’s a way to clear the clutter in our minds, boost endorphins, and connect to our bodies. When I go for a run, I’m rarely thinking about hitting certain splits or pushing my body to go faster—mostly, I’m moving for the love of the sport and how it makes me feel mile after mile. In my experience, the moment you let go of the obligation to exercise and embrace a modality that feels like a beautiful respite from the world, that’s when everything really shifts for the better.