A few weeks ago, GQ Magazine asked us a simple question: “How do you make fitness fun?”
Naturally, we replied with what can only be described as a short novel.
Thoughts on motivation. Psychology. Purpose. Play. Dopamine. Community. A few rogue workout ideas involving Uno cards and hill sprints.
GQ very politely used… about two lines. Fair enough. Magazines have word counts. But it did leave us with a folder full of ideas we still genuinely believe in. So this is that essay - finally getting its moment.
Because here’s the thing: most people don’t quit fitness because they’re lazy. They quit because it’s boring, joyless, or feels like another thing they’re failing at. And humans are terrible at sticking with things that feel like punishment.
So instead of asking “How do I get fitter?” we think the better question is: “How do I make movement something I actually want to come back to?”
Turn workouts into games (and share the suffering)
One of our favourites: partner intervals or hill sprints.
One person runs hard. The other does press-ups (or squats, or wall sits) while they’re gone.
You suddenly have a very strong incentive to run fast. Not for PBs. Not for VO₂ max. But so your mate doesn’t have to do another ten push-ups.
It’s petty. It’s effective. It’s fun.
Give your run a mission
Orienteering, scavenger hunts, bakery-hopping routes – anything that gives your session a purpose beyond “complete 45 minutes”.
Your brain loves problem-solving. When you’re navigating, searching, or choosing routes on the fly, you’re too busy to fixate on pace or discomfort.
Groups like Unsanctioned Athletics lean fully into this idea – no routes, no rules, just movement with curiosity baked in.
Stretch with someone (it’s less boring)
Stretching alone can feel like homework. Stretching with a partner turns it into a shared ritual.
And if you really want to lean in, acroyoga exists for a reason. Equal parts strength, trust and laughing at yourself.
Make art, not splits
Strava art remains undefeated.
There is something deeply satisfying about finishing a run and realising you’ve accidentally drawn a dinosaur, a croissant, or an extremely questionable heart shape.
You stop thinking about performance and start thinking about creativity. Which, surprisingly, makes you want to go out again tomorrow.
Artist / Cyclist Credit: Maxime Brugere
Let fitness be social (or flirty)
Sports clubs are, allegedly, the new dating apps.
And even if romance isn’t on the agenda, shared plight and post-run coffees (soup n’ dance sessions in our case) go a long way. Moving with other people scratches a very old human itch: belonging.
It turns exercise from a solo self-improvement project into something communal.
Gamify the gym
We love Uno. So sometimes we bring it into workouts.
Each card equals an exercise.
Each draw decides your fate.
A +4 suddenly becomes very personal.
You stop counting reps. You start caring about winning. And somehow you end up doing more than you planned without noticing.
Feed, don’t just “fuel”
Giving yourself an excuse to eat really good food afterwards is wildly underrated as motivation.
Not “earned calories”.
Not punishment-reward maths.
Just the simple pleasure of cooking, eating and sharing something delicious.
(If you need inspiration, Feed Zone Portables remains absolute gold.)
Make movement useful
Not every workout needs Lycra.
Chopping logs. Carrying things. Digging, gardening, fixing, building.
On a cold Sunday, swinging an axe is about as satisfying as it gets.
You move your body, get warm, and end up with something tangible at the end.
Move for someone else
GoodGym is a brilliant example of this – workouts that help someone else at the same time.
Once movement stops being about you, motivation changes. You show up differently.
Chase a view, not a stat
Hike up a hill. Run somewhere beautiful. Get outside.
When the reward is a sunrise, a view, or a sledge ride back down, the effort feels like part of the story - not the point of it.
Why this actually works
Humans are meaning-making machines.
(If you haven’t read Man’s Search for Meaning, we’d highly recommend it.)
We’re surprisingly bad at motivating ourselves through ego-based goals alone – optimise myself, improve myself, fix myself. The ego gets tired quickly, especially when life is busy or stressful.
What tends to last longer is purpose.
When movement is about something beyond “getting fit” – connection, curiosity, contribution, play – it stops feeling like a chore and starts feeling like participation in something bigger.
From a motivation point of view, purpose works because it gives us:
- Autonomy – it feels like a choice, not an obligation
- Relatedness – we’re wired to move with others
- Progress with meaning – not just numbers on a screen
There’s also some simple brain chemistry at play.
- Adrenaline gets you started – that buzz of anticipation
- Endorphins soften the effort and discomfort
- Dopamine keeps you coming back – especially when the reward means something to you
If the only reward is a countdown clock hitting zero, dopamine gets bored fast.
But if the reward is connection, curiosity, pride, or purpose, your brain learns to want more.
In short:
- Adrenaline gets you out the door.
- Endorphins help you enjoy the effort.
- Dopamine is why you come back next week.
The big takeaway?
You don’t need more willpower. You need better stories.
