![\"Stella](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2f5fe32fe20ac9d197b8c22fb4bef7eefd3b55db.jpeg\")
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\u201cHowever, no group is immune; dislike for exercise can cross all age, gender, and background categories depending on unique life circumstances, health, and beliefs,\u201d says Singh, and this can directly impact how motivated a person is to undertake it.<\/p>\n
Another factor commonly reported, says Singh, is a failure \u201cto obtain pleasurable sensations from physical activity,\u201d which, according to peer-reviewed and population-based literature, sits at about 25 per cent in Australia.<\/p>\n
This \u201cstrongly predicts non-adherence or dropout rates,\u201d he says. Fava says it was a contributing factor to her lack of motivation to exercise.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never seemed to experience those magical endorphins that sporty people rave about,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
But in February 2023, this changed when she was introduced to pickleball by one of her friends.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy friend described it as a mix between tennis, badminton, and table tennis, a new sport taking Australia by storm, and insisted that anyone could play, even me. After a year of her persuasion, I finally gave in and gave it a try,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n
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Stella Fava has become a convert to the pleasures of exercise since taking up pickleball.Credit: Sam Mooy<\/p>\n
Fava says she picked up the sport quickly and that this, along with its low impact and \u201cshort and fun\u201d game times, played a significant role in her motivation to continue.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the first time, I felt that rush, that elation, people talk about when they exercise. As I got a little better, I even started feeling competitive and wanted to improve,\u201d she says. \u201cThat was when my whole attitude towards exercise began to shift.\u201d<\/p>\n
How do you get motivated for exercise?<\/p>\n
Dr Gregore Iven Mielke, senior research fellow at the University of Queensland, says one effective strategy to increase exercise motivation is to \u201cmake it social\u201d and use it as a way to catch up with friends, family, or your community. Another approach to improve motivation is to give exercise purpose by integrating it into your day.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome people prefer to use active transportation like cycling or walking to and from work, so \u2018they are done\u2019 with exercise after work \u2026[or] they schedule it like a meeting, so you create a commitment and stick to it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Mielke also suggests starting small, with 10 minutes per day or one session per week and building the duration up gradually, to try new things and to \u201cnever force yourself into something you dread\u201d.<\/p>\n
Additionally, Mielke says:\u201cI would also suggest setting realistic goals and celebrating small wins.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMany people lose motivation because they start exercising with unrealistic expectations and then get frustrated when they don\u2019t see immediate results.\u201d<\/p>\n
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But if these strategies don\u2019t work, Dr Dan van den Hoek, senior lecturer in clinical exercise psychology at the University of the Sunshine Coast, says that there are ways to \u201ctrick yourself\u201d into exercising.<\/p>\n
While this can also be achieved by joining a sports team or group activity like pickleball, dancing, walking or team sports where the focus is on fun and socialising, distraction can also be helpful.<\/p>\n
\u201cUse music or podcasts to distract from discomfort during workouts\u200b \u2026 try activity-based video games or exergames that make movement fun\u2026[or] focus on external stimuli, such as enjoying a scenic walk or chatting with a friend while exercising\u200b,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n