Stanford Psychologist: Anyone Can Crave Exercise—Here's How

The Liz Moody Podcast

Liz Moody

Self-improvement, Education, Mental Health, Health & Fitness

4.9 • 3.2K Ratings

🗓️ 7 January 2026

⏱️ 107 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

I used to dread doing any type of workout. I remember thinking, maybe I’m just naturally more lazy. But it turns out, we’re all wired for it—I was just approaching it all wrong. Today’s episode is going to turn you into the type of person who gets excited to move. I’m thrilled to share this conversation with Dr. Kelly McGonigal, a Stanford professor, bestselling author, and someone who has spent decades studying the psychology and neuroscience of movement. Her work was pivotal in changing my relationship with working out. This episode isn’t about forcing yourself to work out harder. It’s about why we’ve been thinking about movement all wrong—and how to finally make it work with your brain instead of against it. 🎧 What you’ll learn: Why motivation is the wrong entry point for movement What actually works to crave working out The wild impact movement has on preserving our dopamine levels as they decline with age How long it takes to enjoy working out The step counts of people who were depressed versus the step counts of people who felt full of meaning and purpose And so much more Check out the FREE “21 Days To Change Your Life Plan” we made for our listeners at LizMoody.com/January. If you liked this episode, check out this one: The Science Of Putting Together a Workout Routine To Hit YOUR Goals For more from Kelly McGonigal: Instagram @kellymariemcgonigal Website: www.kellymcgonigal.com Book: The Joy of Movement: How exercise helps us find happiness, hope, connection, and courage Ready to uplevel every part of your life? Order Liz’s book 100 Ways to Change Your Life: The Science of Leveling Up Health, Happiness, Relationships & Success now! Connect with Liz on Instagram @lizmoody or online at www.lizmoody.com. Subscribe to the substack by visiting https://lizmoody.substack.com/welcome.Buy our cute sweatshirts, conversation cards, and more at https://shop.lizmoody.com/. Use our discount codes from our highly vetted and tested brand partners by visiting https://www.lizmoody.com/codes. To join The Liz Moody Podcast Club Facebook group, go to www.facebook.com/groups/thelizmoodypodcast. This episode is brought to you completely free thanks to the following podcast sponsors: Timeline: visit Timeline.com/Liz to claim my special offer. IQ Bar: text LIZ to 64000 for 20% off. Pique: head to PiqueLife.com/LizMoody for 20% off. Lumebox: go to TheLumeBox.com/Liz for 40% off anytime. The Liz Moody Podcast cover art by Zack. The Liz Moody Podcast music by Alex Ruimy. Formerly the Healthier Together Podcast. This podcast and website represents the opinions of Liz Moody and her guests to the show. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for information purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions. The Liz Moody Podcast Episode 394. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Today I turned to my friend and I said, I am so sad that we went to the gym already because it's
0:04.2	usually something that I look forward to in the evenings. If you had told me five years ago that I would
0:09.2	ever say that, I would tell you that you were insane. I used to dread doing any type of workout.
0:15.4	I would put it off until the very end of the day. And then often, by that point, I'd be too
0:19.9	burnt out and I would skip it
0:21.4	all together. I remember thinking maybe I'm just not wired for this. Maybe some people are
0:26.3	naturally more lazy, and that's okay. I just need to make my peace with it. But it turns out we
0:31.7	are all wired for it. I was just approaching it all wrong. Today's episode, and I promise this, even if you do not
0:38.7	believe me, is going to turn you into the type of person who gets excited to work out. Welcome to
0:44.2	the Liz Moody podcast. I'm Liz, and as a longtime journalist, I have spent my entire career
0:48.6	asking the uncomfortable questions that you want answered to give you the science back strategies
0:54.0	that cut through all of the wellness BS so that you can get results give you the science-back strategies that cut through all of
0:55.4	the wellness BS so that you can get results, the results that you want, even if you are busy,
1:00.5	even if you are tired, even if you are totally overwhelmed. I am so excited to share this
1:05.2	conversation with Dr. Kelly McGonagall. Kelly is a Stanford professor, a best-selling author,
1:09.7	and somebody who spent decades studying the psychology and the neuroscience of movement. Her work was pivotal in changing
1:16.1	my personal relationship with working out. We're going to get into why motivation, willpower,
1:21.2	and discipline are the wrong entry points for movement and what actually works instead. We're
1:26.3	going to get into the hidden benefits of movement
1:28.2	that most people do not know about, including its absolutely wild impacts on preserving our dopamine
1:34.7	levels as they decline naturally with age. We're going to talk about exactly how long it
1:39.6	takes to enjoy working out to crave it. We're going to talk about these step counts of people who
	...

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