3 Hacks To Get Your Brain To Love Exercise, From A Neuroscientist

However, Heisz notes there are some hacks that can convince your brain to love working out, even before those exercise endorphins make their appearance. Below, find her go-to tricks: 

Sure, you might toss on an energizing playlist on a run or walk, but according to Heisz, listening to your favorite tunes just before heading out the door can inspire you to get moving. "It can stimulate the reward system and start making that connection with movement and enjoyment," she explains. In fact, research has found that upbeat music increased participant motivation for high-intensity workouts1.

See, if you're starting a new exercise routine, your brain isn't familiar with the sense of enjoyment you may receive after the fact (thanks to those feel-good endorphins). Over time, your brain might connect exercise with a positive experience, but right now, your brain wants you to stay comfortable and relaxed—which is why you may face a lack of motivation. "Listening to your favorite music can bootstrap that process," says Heisz. 

"The idea is that it convinces the lazy brain that resources are plenty," says Heisz. "But the trick is you don't actually have to drink it—you can just swish it around in your mouth and that's enough." Just one final caveat: Artificial sweeteners don't have the same effect, according to the study. "It has to be real sugar," Heisz adds. 

After you build up that neuropeptide Y, the theory is that your brain becomes more resilient to tolerate that short sprint at the end. The intense burst of exercise, "essentially acts like an exposure therapy," Heisz explains. "They're getting used to feeling their heart race and that difficulty breathing, but it's in this safe space where their brain is infused with resiliency, and it seems OK. Exposing themselves to these intense feelings, watching them come and go, and realizing they're safe is really therapeutic." 

The hardest part about starting a new exercise routine is actually, well, starting—from there, your brain will gradually associate those happy endorphins with the workout itself. Try Heisz's workout hacks to motivate your brain and body in the beginning, then browse our library of at-home routines to find one you love.