Gents Weekly: Making Exercise Fun

Issue #31: The manliest newsletter on the internet • August 17, 2026

Gents Journey

Aug 18, 2026

∙ Paid

Welcome to issue #31 of The Gents Weekly, a newsletter for the modern man.

New issues every Monday. Brought to you by the men of Gents Journey — Dean Bokhari, Stephen Seidel, and Matt McManus.

📝 THE MESSAGE

A timely piece from the gents.
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How do you make exercise fun?

^{by Dean Bokhari}

Exercise is a chore for most men.

And if you can’t get yourself to enjoy it, it’ll be a lot harder to do it.

One way to make exercise fun is to engage in physical activities you actually enjoy: sports, weight-lifting, hiking, etc.

Another way to make exercise more enjoyable is to turn it into a habit.

Habits put your actions on auto-pilot…

And just like brushing your teeth every morning — when a behavior becomes a habit, you just do it automatically.

In this week’s issue of the Gents Weekly, we’re covering how to make working out both fun and habitual.

Let’s dive in.

— Dean Bokhari
Co-founder, Gents Journey

Share this with someone you think it could inspire.

📰 THE MOMENT

Sh*t that’s happening now, ICYMI
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This Week’s AI Prompt: Making Exercise Fun

Exercise doesn’t have to suck. Here’s how to make it actually enjoyable.

Most guys treat exercise like punishment. Grit your teeth. Power through. No pain, no gain. Get it done.

But here’s the thing: You’re way more likely to keep doing something if it’s actually fun.

And fun doesn’t mean less intense. It just means you’re not miserable.

Maybe it’s jogging faster to catch different sights. Maybe it’s running a new route and actually looking around instead of just grinding. Maybe it’s finding a post-workout ritual that becomes something you actually look forward to. Maybe it’s adding a challenge, a competition, a game, a reward.

Whatever it is, the goal is the same: Turn exercise from something you have to do into something you want to do.

This prompt helps you figure out what would make moving your body actually enjoyable.

THE PROMPT:

Copy everything below and paste it into ChatGPT or Claude:

I want to stop hating exercise and start actually enjoying it. Help me figure out what would make moving my body something I look forward to instead of something I have to grind through.

Help me:

1. AUDIT your current exercise routine (Be honest)
   - What are you currently doing? (Running? Gym? Sports? Bodyweight?)
   - Do you actually enjoy it? (1-10, be real)
   - What part sucks the most? (The grind? The boredom? The soreness after?)
   - What part, if any, feels good?
   - Why do you think you're not enjoying it?

2. IDENTIFY what would make it fun
   - What if you changed the route/location? (New scenery? Something to explore?)
   - What if you added a challenge? (Faster pace to see something new? New route? Race against yesterday?)
   - What if you added a game? (Competition with yourself? Tracking something? Hitting a new personal record?)
   - What if you added a reward? (Post-workout protein shake? Cold plunge? Specific snack? Something to look forward to?)
   - What if you did it with someone? (Buddy system? Group class? Friendly competition?)

3. FIGURE out your "why" for this specific exercise
   - Why did you start doing this movement in the first place?
   - What's the reward you're actually after? (Strength? Clarity? Stress relief? Health? Looking better?)
   - Is your current routine actually giving you that reward?
   - Or is it just... a thing you do because you think you should?

4. BUILD your fun factor
   - SCENERY: What's one new route or location you could try?
   - CHALLENGE: What's one way you could gamify this? (Speed? Distance? Time? Frequency?)
   - REWARD: What's something small you could do after that you actually look forward to?
   - COMMUNITY: Is there someone you could do this with? Or is solo better?
   - RITUAL: What's the one thing that would make you want to do this again tomorrow?

5. CREATE your new exercise routine (The fun version)
   - What are you changing about how you move?
   - What's the ONE thing that would make you actually look forward to it?
   - When are you testing this new approach?
   - How will you know it's working? (You actually want to do it? You're less drained after? You feel alive?)

Here's what I'm currently doing: [Describe your exercise routine]

Here's why I don't enjoy it: [What's the real problem?]

Here's what would actually make it fun: [What calls to you?]

Here's my new approach: [How are you changing it?]

Don't let me stay in punishment mode. Help me find the fun in moving my body.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

The AI is going to help you figure out what would actually make movement enjoyable—not someday, but starting this week.

By the end, you’ll have:

Clarity on why your current routine isn’t hitting
A list of ways to add fun (scenery, challenge, reward, community, ritual)
A specific shift you’re making immediately
A new post-workout reward or ritual
Permission to stop grinding and start enjoying

WHY THIS MATTERS

Exercise that’s a punishment never lasts. You’ll white-knuckle it for a few weeks, then quit.

But exercise that’s fun? That you look forward to? That you want to do because it makes you feel alive or challenges you or gives you something to chase?

That’s the kind that sticks.

The guys who stay in shape aren’t more disciplined than you. They just found a way to make it enjoyable.

Run this prompt. Find your fun. Make exercise something you want to do.

Drop ONE thing you’re changing to make exercise more enjoyable. Let’s see who’s turning the grind into something they actually enjoy.

— Matt McManus
Co-founder, Gents Journey
Exercise Should Feel Like Living, Not Punishment

👊 THE MOVES

Media for men.
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When in a Pickle, Try Pickleball

Growing up, tennis was my favorite sport, but then I tore my meniscus. I had to find something just as fun, but a bit easier on my body.

Then I found Pickleball; it’s as if tennis and Wiffle ball had a baby.

You can still hit the ball hard; it stays in play, and it’s lower-impact and less intense. Not to mention, courts are popping up everywhere, including Country Boys Brewing’s PKL near me in Lexington, KY.

Beer AND Exercise? Yes, please.

Top Spin — Bend down and come over the ball to create movement. Harder for the opponent to read, more likely to stay in bounds.
Footwork — Everything starts here. No shot works without it. Same as life: the foundation always comes first.
The Reset — A soft lob when you’re out of position. Less is more. Sometimes the move isn’t to swing harder — it’s to buy yourself a moment to reset and reposition.

These aren’t just pickleball tips, but also how high-performing men operate daily.

Everything you do should create connection and movement, alongside a solid foundation where you feel comfortable resetting, if needed.

Exercise Should Be Fun, Not a Sentence

Pickleball is now a professional sport, and it’s under consideration for the Olympics.

More importantly, it’s my top choice for making exercise something you actually look forward to, while it checks off nearly every pillar in our 7 Pillars of Manhood.

Friendship: Best played in doubles, so call your BFF to catch up on life, and bond over who dominated the kitchen. Just a heads up, the “kitchen” is the NVZ, or non-volley zone, when playing.
Family: On vacation? Challenging your in-laws to a game? Everyone wins, well, sort of.
Fun: If it’s fun, it gets done, and we’ve never met anyone who played a game of pickleball and didn’t enjoy it.
Focus: A mental game, like golf or tennis. Training your mind matters as much as training your body.
Fitness: Get endorphins flowing, as it beats another YMCA deadlift session.
Freedom: There’s nothing like stepping outside your four walls and swinging freely - no desk, no screens, just open air and the click-clack of your paddle.
Faith: We’ve all prayed to get that 2nd serve in.

Like anything, the biggest results come from taking action and committing to showing up.

Try This: Call up your local YMCA or Pickleball Center and book a court.

Invite your colleague, boss, or friend and see how many pillars you check off. After you’re done, take out your journal and write how you feel and how it went.

— Stephen Seidel
Co-founder, Gents Journey