Make exercise enjoyable says behaviour change expert, Heather McKee

How exercise makes you feel is one of the strongest predictors of whether people will stick with it long term, according to behaviour change expert, Dr Heather McKee.

“A 2022 study reinforces something we often forget at this time of year,” says McKee. “Enjoyment predicts habit formation and positive feelings after exercise matter more than how hard it was. Enjoyment isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a behavioural signal.”

The study of 273 exercisers across nine health clubs found that enjoyment predicted three key outcomes that matter for long-term engagement – habit formation; the intention to continue and frequency.

A lot of the enjoyment factor comes down to how well the intensity of the exercise matches the person’s preferences. 

As we hit the new year, McKee has some suggestions about how operators can implement this theory in order to ensure that the resolutions stick: 

Provide options and listen to preferences to align workouts with what members enjoy, not just what’s optimal. 

Ask them what kind of movement they enjoy, have enjoyed in the past, or are curious about and offer a range of class formats.

Ask them how the workout feels and adjust it based on their feedback.

Encourage members to notice what feels good in terms of their energy or mood – there is a wealth of evidence that how someone feels during and right after exercise predicts whether they’ll return. 

Frame workouts as feel-good experiences, not punishments.

Coach people to appreciate small wins, such as progress or mastery. This brings the energy back to intrinsic motivation, rather than extrinsic rewards or outcomes. 

Habit formation is easier when behaviours happen in consistent contexts, so encourage consistent patterns – such as gym after work on set days – rather than sporadic effort.

Reinforce early repetition while enjoyment is high.

Self-Determination Theory shows that when people feel autonomous in their choices, their enjoyment and intrinsic motivation go up. With this in mind, let members choose elements of their workout, such as music, format or pace.

Offer progressions rather than prescriptions.

Recognise progress publicly and compassionately and avoid overly prescriptive, one-size-fits-all statements.

Positive social connections make workouts more enjoyable and help turn exercise into something people want to do, so encourage peer encouragement and accountability and facilitate small group or partner workouts.

“The job of fitness professionals is to design for pleasure, not punishment. This is particularly pertinent to new movers,” says McKee. “Punishing yourself at the gym is not how you build a loving, sustainable relationship with movement. What actually helps is doing activities you enjoy; leaving sessions feeling capable and wanting to do it again. It’s about resetting, refocusing, and recalibrating toward what will actually last.”

McKee has more than a decade of experience applying behavioural science to health, fitness, and wellbeing. She works with gym operators, fitness brands, and digital health companies to help people build enjoyable, sustainable exercise habits that improve long-term engagement and retention, including – most recently – Myzone. 

She has worked globally with more than 100 organisations, including lululemon, Decathlon, Unilever, and HSBC, and advises on behaviour change across apps, wearables, and longevity products. Her research has been published in leading academic journals and featured in international media, including Time, Vogue, and The Times.