How do I enjoy exercise?

Are you trying to exercise at the right time of day for you? I’m fine in the morning but any time after 5pm, forget it - I’m too tired, struggle with when to eat dinner and just generally too busy, even if it’s an exercise I enjoy!

You need to stop putting up barriers and get on with it.

It's painfully easy in your case as you already have something you like - cycling.

You just need to plan and plot. Look at your week ahead and decide which ways you will ride and plan accordingly. Either get up early or go out later in the evening... work from home - at dinner?

Clearly if you have the kind of lifestyle you can fit gym in (this is what you seem to say), sod that, go for a ride! I assume you'd be in the gym an hour, add in travel time and shower and changing. That gives you a 2 hour ride.

Fit cycling into daily life. If you work, start occasional cycle commuting. I've no idea what your family looks like - as in how many kids and ages. But if possible get them in on it. I just have one, now 6. He came on many of my cycling adventures from 4 months in a trailer. He's been cycling himself since 2.5. I'd run - he cycled (I would push with a stick - not ideal but needs must). I used a kids ride shotgun seat for him too. Have also got a Followme tandem and towwhee rope.

I work full time - mainly from home. I have a turbo trainer setup in my study. I can actually do some of my job from it. Otherwise I might start work earlier, before the rest of the household is up, then do a few hours on the turbo in working hours. That's more of a winter/ wet weather thing though.

I average about 10 hours cycling a week. Admittedly I do race (very amateur) so motivated to keep at it. But I've been doing it so long, it's a way of life.

Pick yourself an event - sportive maybe. Enter it. Get yourself fit for it. It'll give you something to aim for.

I only suffer with dips in motivation when there's not something specific I'm aiming for. My goals previously have been as simple as this year I will ride 500 hours.

Get peddling!

The only exercise I really enjoy is cycling long distance, but I cant do enough of that with work, family etc.

How far is long distance, how fast, do you even have a decent bicycle? Who do you cycle with?

I get a lot of exercise but I'd find gym going soul destroying. Classes are loud or dull for most part, I find. Swimming is dull but it's good for overweight joints, do you swim?

Making it social helps me - walking with friends, or going to classes with friends. 2 friends and I did some training for a mini triathlon, which was a good excuse to meet up. I have also tried to reframe my thinking around exercise - instead of it being another chore that I have to do, I try to think of it as something I'm lucky to do - am healthy enough, fit enough, have the necessary means etc. A bit of gratitude goes a very long way.

I think doing it with a friend, or having a Pt to talk to. Having music on you like. Not expecting to enjoy it every time but just make it a part of your routine that you don't even think about it.

Have you thought about what it is about cycling that you enjoy?

Would you use a Peloton? I think there are ways to hire one, short-term, to try out.

For me it totally changed when I found the exercise I love. I'm excited every time, happily get up early to train, I would never skip a session. I'm not like that with other forms of exercise. And it wasn't something I had to make happen, it just happened right from the start. So my suggestion is to find that thing.
A lot of people talk about consistency rather than motivation as you can't rely on the latter. For me I'm still motivated every time (it's been over a year) but I guess consistency helps as it's just part of life now, not going would be really odd.