Don't feel like exercising? Maybe it's the wrong time of day for you

I too don't feel like exercising after work, or at 6 in the morning. And many years ago I determined that without exercise my life is a living hell. Simply, I need to push weights and exert myself physically to keep mentally sane.

So I've found work that works for me, as in, I can go to the gym at lunch, which is when I feel good about working out.

Make your routine work for you, and not the other way around. Prioritising yourself is exactly like the plane safety announcement, place the mask on your face before assisting others, because you're no good to them passed out. Same thing with your health, make it a priority to look after yourself and feel good, or you won't be your be able to help anyone, and you won't be a good version of yourself people will want to hang with.

I’m not sure about all of this. I’ve been sedentary for 34 years, and I somehow still am.

But I discovered rollerblading at 34 and now I’m part of a rollerblading course in a skatepark at a fixed time in the week, just after my biggest day of work. And going to the skatepark is boring, I need to take a bus to nowhere land and then walk in nowhere land for 10 minutes.

I’ve always been happy to go to it. And even the days I didn’t felt it, I never regretted going for it anyway.

Because it’s FUN. I don’t feel like I’m exercising, I’m just having FUN.

To me that was a revelation that felt more important than what this article says. Exercising shouldn’t be boring.

Well I’m still sedentary because rollerblading is not the most practical sport to do everyday, especially on the countryside. But even then I’m loving it.

I also like biking. Not as an exercise but just to evade. I think I will insist on going for some calm rides.

I never feel like exercising, doesn't matter what time of the day it is. In the morning I feel the need to get to work (I'm a night owl so get up later). But by the time I'm done working, my ability to motivate myself is used up.

I managed some consistency after I read "10k pushups and other silly exercise quests that changed my life[1]."

I modified the plan so I'm doing pushups and squats, so going for 10K of each. I started in late November and I'm currently just shy of 4K each.

I have a couple family members kind of doing it with me, which has helped a little. But the key for me was a very small time commitment that didn't involve changing clothes.

I can do them basically whenever I think about them, although I've found a sweet spot in the morning when I change into day clothes. It's not perfect, I still miss a small number of days, but on the days I do them, I do more. Because I realized the hardest part for me, by far, is getting started. So, on the days I start, I do just a bit more (40-60 each total, instead of 30), to make up for the days I'll miss.

But, yah...I still don't feel like exercising...ever. I've just hacked that "nahhh" impulse to be "it'll be over before you know it" and that has worked for whatever reason. Probably, because it literally takes less than five minutes and, when it's that quick, the "just get it over with" drive has a chance of winning most days.

You might think putting in that little time doesn't make a difference but it's very noticeable in both my rep counts, recovery time, and physique. When I started, it was hard for me to get in a single set of 20 push-ups. I'd get to 30 with two sets. Now, on a regular day, I can do a single set of 40 and on a day when I'm feeling good, I can hit 60. The consistency really does add up.

1: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45456188

My trick: Walk to meals and other excursions/shopping in lieu of driving.

If I leave on a walk for the exclusive purpouse of "exercise", I immediately feel bored, and like I'm wasting time, even if I "know" I'm not. Conversely, if I have goals to achieve at a destination, cutting the walk short to drive - or cook at home - is no less boring, and feels like a waste of the walking I did do.

It started as a way to take a break from work when I was crunching, with the company of coworkers. They'd grab lunch, or coffee, and you might as well stretch your legs and socialize while you're at it.

For me the big deal was going 5 times a week with no possibility to skip during the week. My brain seed it as an extension of work, so it just goes.

When I skip, I put together two session next time (e.g. cardio + weight lifting). 3 years in and the only days I really skipped are those I am parked in bed due to fever.

But, I don't like it at all. I feel great afterwards, exhausted but great. I am now used to it, but I really appreciate going the smallest amount of time for maximum gain, so I do 2 times a week HIIT (30 minutes) and 3 times just 1 hour of weight lifting. Big results, minimum effort.

The man who goes to the gym every single day regardless of how he feels, will always beat the man who only goes to the gym when he feels like it.

The thing that kept screwing up my exercise regimen was external factors like weather, overcrowding, etc. The exercise itself is already hard enough. Fighting a crowd or a blizzard makes it even more difficult.

I found that an indoor erg (rowing machine) to be the best way to solve the problem. I have total control over my environment. I know exactly how much it will suck and there is zero anxiety about getting to the gym before a certain time, checking the weather, etc.

Effectively, I have eliminated all potential excuses for not doing the exercise. The only remaining one is tired/sick/etc., but as long as I draw breath I can move a make believe rowboat at a non-zero speed.

I don't really agree with the whole "social jetlag" part they drop in at the end. Not only does it feel like an ad priming people to accept and seek out heavily monetized social trends, but it misses the bigger picture.

Lots of people are stuck in some level of "fight-or-flight" from the moment they wake up because they're under pressure. Adding exercise shouldn't feel like another thing added to the pile of tasks.

If we agree the problem is psychological then we should focus on the same things we do to treat anxiety. Rule out nutritional or medical problems and focus on the state of your nervous system. Check your bloodwork, get a pulse oximeter (not a watch), and get a journal going of your consumption habits.

I did that and found prediabetes, vitamin deficiencies, and sleep apnea. Something like 75% of the population would find out the same, but these simple tests aren't taken seriously. Even when they are, people don't see or decide to ignore the connection.

On paper I improved my resting heart rate, heart rate variability, insulin resistance, ODI events, etc. just from diet and slowing down my day. In reality it was so much more than numbers. I stopped feeling like shit all the time. Now that I can exercise comfortably, I don't see it as a chore and can enjoy it. I'm not even hung up on when exactly to do it anymore. It just happens anyway because it's fun.

Now that I'm exercising more I can manage my health easier than when I had to push myself to do it. I think if we say people need to take the exercise itself at their own pace then we should also tell them to take their broader health more seriously before telling them to exercise. Otherwise it will be too overwhelming and the whole rhythm is lost.

Just do it. And remember the old cycling mantra, it never gets any easier, you just get quicker/stronger

Another "maybe" to consider: maybe it's the wrong format for you. Years ago, I got yearly subscriptions at a gym that was right below my office, and showed up less than 10 times. This was followed by many more years of no subscription and no physical exertion. A few years ago, I got introduced to group classes at Cult Fit. This format fits me perfectly: just show up, and follow instructions just like everyone else. If I'm doing something wrong, the instructor comes to me and sets me right. I show up everyday. This brought about many changes - many serum biomarkers are under control, and I can do things that I couldn't do at half my age.

From the Washington Post today, for those of us with Type 2 diabetes:

"The effects — and implications — proved to be especially striking for people with Type 2 diabetes, according to the analysis. For them, exercise later in the day tended to result in substantial and lasting improvements to blood sugar control."

"Want to control your blood sugar? Here’s the best time of day for exercise." https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2026/04/15/exercise-... https://archive.ph/oO7Q1

The article didn't really answer the question of whether the right time of day helps you feel like exercising. Just that you might get more out of the exercise you choose to do.

As someone who is more of a night owl, I just don't seem to be able to put out the same effort in the early morning than I can in the evening, whether it be in the gym or on the bike. I'm much more tired and I just can't seem to push as hard as I can in the evenings.

When exercising frequently it can still be really difficult to exercise and I try help that by tuning down the intensity of the workout if I am really feeling off, that way I'm not adding insult to injury by having a touch workout on a day I'm not feeling it.

I get literally sick after exercising. Like, nauseous and even on occasion vomit. I feel like crap afterwards, and need to almost immediately take a nap. I get zero immediate benefits from exercise (both weights and aerobics), and feel bad the rest of the day. If it is leg day, I drag while walking or taking stairs. I have never gotten a "runners high" or felt any same day benefits.

I do get benefits, mind you - my pinched nerve pains go away, I (sometimes) sleep better, my body looks better. But it is super hard to want to do it and gets done as minimally as possible to not have pain.

Also varies by gender: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-61636805

I've been saying this for years. I don't believe in discipline. People who keep up a habit for years on end are not disciplined, they simply found something that works for them. If you try to start running every day after a couple of weeks you fucking hate it, then you need to change something. You might even need to stop running and try something else. Because it won't get any easier, and any excuse you have to break that habit you'll take eventually. Find things you will do without discipline. That's the secret.

I've exercised from 6am to 9pm and everywhere in between. At least for me, it's just about getting into a habit and letting your body know this is the time of day we're going to be active.

I never felt like I had more energy in the morning, afternoon, or night. But if I tried to work out in the afternoon when I was in the 6am habit, I felt completely dead.

Reading some of the comments here wondering what proportion of HNers are night owls to early risers...

When I was in my teens and twenties, 11pm to 2am were my workout hours. Consistently, productively and satisfyingly. I’ve since adapted it to early afternoon or late morning. But the idea of running yourself tired at the end of the day still carries unique appeal for me.

I exercise 3 times a week (running, martial arts, weight lifting). I ran marathons, I exercised 5-6 times per week for the last 5 years.

I am truly fit, but … I still don’t feel like exercising.

Most of the time it’s like brushing my teeth, it is just something I do because it is right.

This resonates. I know that if I don't exercise on the 2-3 hour window right after I wake up, it'll be near impossible to do anything physically taxing that day.

Figure out what "works" for you and DO IT! Just an hour a day of focused physical exertion will change your life.

People need to be outside in the middle of the day and moving. That's what's natural.

Discipline is doing what you need to do, whether you like it or not.

While I agree with the article, publishing this where the evidence is solely based on a trial of 134 people in Pakistan, is pathetic poor journalism