Many of us never get around to exercising, even though we have good intentions.

Framing exercise as hard-and-fast rules to follow is causing many to opt out.

Social comparisons and heuristics can contribute to all-or-nothing thinking.

Health messaging is changing to include small wins and self-care.

Recent research by Dr. Michelle Segar and colleagues (2026) examined all-or-nothing thinking as a barrier to developing a regular exercise habit. They focused on those who had often intended to do so, not those who did not have exercise on their radar. In both cases, not much exercise was happening.

Most of us know that exercise is good for us. Why, then, aren’t more people doing it? Segar proposed that the answer is fourfold: (1) Many individuals see exercise as an all-or-nothing endeavor. When you can’t do an hour or 30 minutes (as most guidelines suggest) per day, then it’s an excuse to not do it at all. (2) People will actively seek excuses not to exercise. (3) Exercise is expendable compared to other daily tasks. (4) Some individuals are even baffled by their current inactivity, considering that they used to feel positive about it.

Many of us are familiar with the physical activity recommendations coming from health-oriented agencies. We are supposed to get 30 minutes of moderate activity most days of the week and do strength training twice a week. This is the perfect set-up for all-or-nothing thinking:

“Well, I know I can’t do that. So, why bother?”

“It’s too much with my busy schedule. I have other priorities.”

“I know they expect me to break into a sweat, or it doesn’t count.”

The sentiments reflected in these statements demonstrate all-or-nothing thinking at its finest.

Exercise Is Expendable

As with........

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