This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure for more info.
Innercise is the term used to describe a series of mental and emotional exercises that can help you unleash your brain’s hidden powers.
The idea behind Innercise is that by training your mind in specific ways, you can change your thoughts and feelings, which will lead to changes in your life.
Innercise exercises range from simple breathing techniques to more advanced visualizations, but they all have one thing in common - they focus on using the power of positive belief to improve your life.
The Innercise program was created by John Assaraf, a self-help guru who has written several books and courses on the subject.
Assaraf is also an entrepreneur and motivational speaker who has worked with professional athletes, Fortune 500 executives, and members of the entertainment industry.
In addition, he has had a profound impact on many successful people through his company, NeuroGym, which features strategies and exercises for achieving success in business and life.
And one important exercise domain Assaraf covers in clear detail is Innercise.
“Success is not a mystery. It is a science.” – John Assaraf
The Building Blocks of Innercise
Innercise consists of three foundation pillars: 1) Awareness 2) Acceptance 3) Action
1) Awareness—When we are aware of our thoughts, feelings, emotions, and body signals, we can then choose how we want to react to them. This allows us to make better decisions and ultimately leads to better results in life.
2) Acceptance—Once we notice our thoughts, it’s important to accept them without judgment so that we can begin looking for solutions rather than fighting with our inner demons. If you don’t accept negative thoughts, then they will continue controlling your behaviour until you accept them and choose a different course of action.
3) Constructive action—When you take productive action, it changes the way you think about things, which subsequently makes it easier for other positive actions to follow suit.
Tapping into the Brain’s Subconscious
Innercise is a technique that uses the brain’s subconscious to help achieve goals. It can be used with anything from losing weight to reaching career goals, and it helps you become more productive by changing your behavior.
The subconscious is said to control 95% of our actions and so in an indispensible part of achieving our goals. Along with the three building blocks mentioned above, there are also three concrete steps to Innercise:
Step 1: Relax and clear your mind.
Step 2: Tap into the future or imagine something you want.
Step 3: Shift your awareness to what you want.
When using these steps together, you can see how effective Innercise can be for helping people reach their goals.
In order to let go of bad habits, you must be able to visualize yourself without them—your subconscious will then work on this vision and create it in reality.
You need to imagine what you want and then focus on it, which makes Innercise an effective tool.

John Assaraf's Innercise is a form of neuro gymnastics where you can work out the brain and work out challenges!
Innercise Capitalizes on Neuroplasticity
John Assaraf asserts that Innercise is based on the principles of neuroplasticity, so your brain can be trained to make new connections between neurons (brain cells) in order to form new habits or behaviors.
The exercises in Innercise help users develop new habits by changing their thinking patterns and beliefs about themselves, others, or situations in life.
The brain has an incredible ability to change its structure and function based on how it is used. The more we exercise certain parts of our brain, the stronger they become and the easier it is for us to use them to optimal potential.
John explains how he uses this principle in his own life: by focusing on exercises that strengthen the prefrontal cortex, he’s able to focus better, remain calm in stressful situations and make better decisions.
He also offers practical strategies for using this practice in your own life.
7+ Innercise Examples to Win a “Brainathon”
When your brain is compared to a muscle, it’s usually intending to explain how important it is to exercise it.
But there’s another way to look at this metaphor that applies in a different context: brain power (just like muscle power) can be trained by using it regularly and pushing yourself beyond your self-imposed limitations and comfort zone.
Finding time to exercise the brain can be hard for people who are busy because of personal and professional obligations.
But just as you can get into better physical shape by going for a run every day, you can also improve your mental ability by doing regular work on a challenging problem.
In fact, running a marathon is incredibly similar to going on a “brainathon,” when you put your mental muscles to work on a tough question until you’ve solved it.
When you run a marathon, the first several miles are easy—you’re cruising along at a leisurely pace. Then, as you hit about mile six, and start passing those spectators cheering on runners, you’ve really got to push yourself further despite exhaustion,.
The same goes when challenges and stress come to the forefront. You need to marshal your brain’s coping mechanisms to handle adversity and move forward toward your goals.
Innercise can be part of this process, exemplified by the following examples:
1) Prime your brain for success.
“The secret to having it all is believing you already do.” – John Assaraf
The first step to Innercise is to set a very specific goal with a deadline. Then, you need to write three reasons you have to achieve it. The more specific and compelling the reasons are, the easier it will be to achieve the goal.
The next step is to read your goal out loud, reinforcing your aim and underlying desire to fulfill it.
See yourself already having achieved it in your mind’s eye - picture yourself as if it has already happened—smiling as if it were a memory—and feel all the pleasant emotions that would come with achieving the goal successfully.
2) Conjure up past accomplishments to enhance self-esteem
To increase self-esteem, we must first understand what it is. Self-esteem is the value or worth one has for themselves.
It is not related to external factors (e.g., your weight, job, or even your possessions). Self-esteem is how you feel about yourself and how you view yourself.
If you have low self-esteem, then it’s probable you have negative thoughts about yourself that are unfounded and irrational. You may also have a hard time accepting compliments because they don’t fit with your negative view of yourself.
Conditioning may be the primary reason for this unfavorable self-concept. It is a process in which the way we perceive ourselves gets shaped by the way others have treated us. It is learning that happens automatically, without our conscious awareness.
For example, if you were told as a child that you were not good enough, or that you were not smart enough to succeed in life, this message would become hard-wired into your brain through conditioning. You would then internalize it as a part of your identity and feel low self-esteem.
But John Assaraf asserts that poor self-esteem can be unlearned. Here is one Innercise metod to thwart negative self-image:
Close your eyes and take a series of relaxing deep breaths. Picture a past accomplishment (e.g., school success, riding a bicycle for the first time, winning an athletic competition, etc.), and cement this picture into your brain.
As you dwell on the accomplishment, notice how this positive memory activates an enhanced emotional state.
Research indicates that using effective imagery in your mind’s eye (whether conjuring up past or future successful outcomes) can activate and increase dopamine, the feel-good brain chemical and other neurotransmitters to your advantage.
To make this Innercise even more effective, write an additional 5 past accomplishments and hone in on them for at least a few minutes.
3) Use the process of fractionalization
We’ve all been there: you have too much to do, and you feel completely overwhelmed by it. You can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, and as a result, you feel as though you’re failing to get anything done.
But there’s a way to avoid this feeling of being overwhelmed. It’s called “fractionalizing,” and it’s a simple strategy that can help you build up momentum and not feel so stressed out about everything on your plate.
Here’s how it works: take a piece of paper and write all the things on your to do list. Take them out of your memory so that they don’t continue crowding your mind with anxiety over how much work needs to be done.
Then prioritize that list, scheduling only the top three most important tasks for today or tomorrow (depending on how much time is available). If possible, schedule these tasks immediately after waking up in order to start off each day with something accomplished.
The next three things from the list should then be scheduled until you’ve gone through your complete to do list.
Fractionalizing is an important part of managing your time. You can lower stress by taking a seemingly insurmountable number of tasks and transferring them / organizing them onto a piece of paper.
You’ve also set a clear path to fulfill these tasks through scheduling and you’ll feel a sense of relief.
4) Know your why to stay motivated
Motivation is like a fire. If you light the right flame under the right conditions, it will move you along the path to your goal. If you light the wrong flame, it’ll burn out quickly and leave you with nothing but smoke.
Knowing your why is essential to lighting the right flame. It’s what gives you that initial burst of enthusiasm and helps keep you on track when things get tough. It’s the core of who you are and it’s what makes you unique in this world.
The hardest part is finding your why. You may have to dig deep and really think about who you are as a person and what your life means to you.
You could write a few sentences or a couple of paragraphs describing your why. Use techniques, such as mindfulness and meditation, to keep searching until you find a statement that describes who you are and what matters to you most deeply in life.
Knowing your why, according to John Assaraf, will serve as the mainsail of your motivation and move you toward success.
5) Envision your objective before taking action
The brain is a powerful tool, but if you want to use it to its full potential, you need to give it explicit instructions. A goal isn’t a goal until you’ve visualized it and created a plan of action.
This can be done in a variety of ways, but the most effective method is by writing an abstract goal down and then filling in the details that will make it concrete.
You don’t have to be an expert in neuropsychology to know that what you see is what you get. The visual cortex is where images are formed in your mind’s eye, so when you’re able to see your goal clearly, the part of your brain that’s responsible for action becomes more active.
When this happens, you become more likely to take steps toward reaching the goal—and that’s why visualization plays such an important role in achieving success.
If you’re struggling with setting goals or creating effective plans for reaching them, John Assaraf recommends spending some time writing every detail about your goal.
Ask yourself questions about how you can achieve it and come up with answers for each one. By taking the time to examine your goal from all angles and giving it a real physical presence on paper, you’re wiring your brain for success.
Afterwards, as an added enhancement to this Innercise exercise, envision achieving the goal to internalize this feeling of success until it becomes a part of you.
This strategy is similar to priming your brain for success, mentioned above, but requires even more visualization on the "how-tos" of goal attainment.
6) Know your trigger and change an action, while giving yourself a reward
While not always the case, most bad habits have their roots in some sort of reward. For example, you may seek the taste of a greasy burger or other comfort food after a long, stressful day at work
Whatever the reason, it often seems easier to fall into routine than to think about how we can change our behavior for the better. But once you realize habits are simply repetitions of actions that can be interrupted by replacing them with new behaviors, they don’t seem so impossible to break.
In another Innercise exercise example, the first step is to identify what triggers your bad habit—what sets off the action? For example, if you consistently snack on a bowl of ice cream before bed, what’s setting you up to do that?
Alternatively, put a sticker near the ice cream, and replace the idea of indulging in the dessert to taking a walk instead or listening to beautiful music — whatever gives you pleasure and stress relief.
The key to changing bad habits is finding out what’s triggering those actions and then finding a healthier alternative way to deal with them, while offering yourself a similar reward.
7) Defeat fear and use it as fuel with a combination of two Innercises
Deep breathing is a proven technique for neutralizing the flood of adrenaline and cortisol that comes with a rush of fear.
In order to turn off the panic switch in your brain, you need to get oxygen into the brain.
Deep breathing does this by filling your lungs with air, which then has to be expelled—this process helps blood flow to both the heart and brain.
When we experience something that triggers feelings of fear or anxiety, such as a car accident or an argument, our brains trasmit signals that speed up our heart rates. Our breath quickens and adrenaline and cortisol flood our system. These feelings cause us to fight, run away from the situation at hand, or helplessly freeze and do nothing.
In order to overcome these feelings, John Assaraf recommends the following two Innercise exercises:
a) Write a goal you want to attain and feel an associated fear (e.g., fear of failure, fear of embarrassment, etc.).
Use the “Take 6 Calm the Circuits Method.” Here, take six deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. Each inhalation and exhalation should last 5 seconds.
This will quiet down the fear response and neutralize fear-based neurochemicals. Now we can start thinking more clearly about how we want to respond to the anxiety. We can return to being present in that moment instead of feeling overwhelmed.
b) Use Assaraf’s “AIA Method” — an acronym for awareness, intention, and action.
Awareness - The first step is to realize what you are thinking and feeling. Ask yourself, what am I thinking and feeling right now? Is my heart rate fast or slow? In this state of calm awareness, you can observe your internal state.
Intention - Next, ask yourself what is my intention right now? Is my intention to move forward or to stay in this fearful state?
Action - Take action and think of one thing you want to do to move forward. This could be anything from making a phone call, writing an email, or writing a preliminary goal-oriented strategy.
Whatever action you choose will help you move forward toward your goal instead of allowing fear to paralyze you with inaction.
Using fear as fuel is a great way to turn it into something positive instead of letting it hold you back from doing what you want in life.
How Long do Innercises Take to Perform?
Innercise techniques should be done every day, but there is not much time investment needed. Each innercise can be done in just a few minutes as long as you are engaged with them.
You can perform Innercise techniques several times per day, but just allocating time for one session should suffice.
The great thing about Innercise is that it is so easy to do and so simple to learn. Anyone can do it.
You can also do it anywhere and anytime, because all you need to do is close your eyes and focus on your body, breath, and brain.
What are the Benefits of Innercise?
Innercise is an easy, powerful tool that will help you:
- Turn your life around by changing your habitual patterns.
- Eliminate disempowering emotions like fear, low self-worth and self-esteem, negativity and pessimism.
- Develop the confidence to create a successful business and life you love.
- Get rid of procrastination once and for all!.
- Improve how you respond to challenging situations.
- Enhance your relationships with others.
- Cultivate an elite athlete's mindset with unwavering confidence and relentless determination.
- Move you toward a healthier lifestyle, such as securing better sleep.
- Feel a greater sense of happiness and self-fulfillment.
Is There a Free Innercise PDF Available?
Are you looking for an Innercise PDF that you can secure online? While the resource is not available it its entirety for free, you can sample part of the e-book.
If you're interested in the complete guide, you can purchase it on Amazon (not an affiliate link).
Alternatively, you can opt to get John Assaraf's Innercise audiobook at Amazon, too, but that necessitates a monthly subscription.
You may also buy the Innercise audiobook through Audible (also not an affiliate link).
Final Words About John Assaraf’s Innerise
"The answer was within me all along. It's also within you." - John Assaraf

Innercises are cognitive and emotional exercises to help you improve all aspects iof your life and move you toward a healthier, new direction.
Innercise is a simple, yet effective way to change your life. It’s not about the movement of your body, it’s about the movement of your mind and spirit.
Innercise uniquely combines exercises and techniques, helping you unlock your inner potential.
It’s a system that helps you get into a state of flow where you feel more focused, energized, and calm all at once. As you master these methods and techniques, they will become second nature and you’ll be able to use them whenever needed, whether it’s when you’re in the middle of an important meeting or when you’re having trouble falling asleep at night.
The basis of Innercises is neuroplasticity, according to John Assaraf. Neuroplasticity, in the most general sense, is the brain’s ability to change according to experience, but we can also understand it as the way we can reprogram our minds by changing our internal dialogue.
It allows us to overcome fear and move past limiting beliefs that prevent us from reaching our goals.
John Assaraf’s Innercises also help people reach their goals by harnessing the power of the subconscious to achieve their dreams.
By learning to program this part of your mind, you can set up specific goals for yourself and then reprogram your brain to carry out those goals in its subconscious processes throughout the day.
It doesn’t matter what your goal is — losing weight, getting more muscular, winning the game of money , being more successful at work, or attracting a mate— John Assaraf’s Innercises can help you achieve it.
Free 10th Annual Brainathon
Are you ready to flip on your brain's "success switch?" Discover life-changing Innercise exercises and other science-based breakthrough techniques to help you achieve your goals and dreams, and live the life you deserve.