I talk all the time about finding joy in what you’re doing, and how the easiest way to keep doing something is to enjoy it.

And I’ll keep preaching that until the dawn of time.

But there’s another piece to it. Sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do (or don’t like doing) because they’re good for us.

Let’s take cardio. Maybe you *hate* it because it’s hard and you can’t imagine hopping on a treadmill for a run. Great, don’t. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t a TON of other types of cardio to try. Find the one that’s the least offensive to you, and then you can actually hit your cardio goal for the week.

Or maybe you only do cardio and you hate strength training. Well, tough. Strength training makes you stronger during your cardio, helps protect your bones from osteoporosis, helps protect your body from injuries, and makes it so you can keep doing the things you love later in life.

Or maybe you hate single leg exercises because they’re hard. Yeah, they are. And you’re going to do them anyways, because it’s important for your body to work one side at a time and hit all the things a squat might miss.

Or maybe you hate going to bed early, but the only time you can work out is in the morning because your evenings are packed. Tough. Going to bed at a time that gets you 7 to 8 hours of sleep will make that morning workout so much easier, because you’ll actually be rested.

Yes, liking what you do is so important, and I hope that once you start doing these things you realize nothing is really as bad as our brains make it out to be. But sometimes you don’t have to like something in order to do it, if you want to be healthier.

TLDR: Do your cardio. Start strength training. Don’t skip exercises you don’t like. Go to bed.