How to Start a Daily Exercise Habit You Can Stick To
- Set easy short-term goals. Start by planning for 10 minutes of exercise per day. Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has shown that his minimal amount of activity can help save lives, particularly for adults over age 40.
- Find an activity that you can enjoy. Possibilities include: walking outdoors, riding a bike, dancing in your home, lifting weights, and kickboxing. If taking a walk bores you, maybe listen to a podcast while you walk.
- Reward yourself each day you meet your goal during the first week. A behavior you reward is more likely to be repeated.
- Ask a friend, partner, or spouse to join you. Even if they’re only available sometimes, their involvement adds a social support element to the new routine.
- Join a class if you benefit from added structure and group support. Many community centers offer classes for yoga, dance, or martial arts.
- Be specific when setting up your new routine. Think through the when and where of the new activity so that it’s realistic and more likely to happen.
- Use habit stacking, as explained by James Clear in his book, Atomic Habits. Tie the new behavior to an existing routine behavior.
- Use time as your cue if your schedule is very consistent from day to day. As an example, 6 PM might be your time for daily exercise.
- Set up physical cues. If your routine is to go to the gym, consider leaving your gym shoes by the doorway or a water bottle where you’ll see them when it’s time to go.
- Believe in your ability to meet your goal. This is much easier if your first goal is easy for you. You can gradually build the level of challenge or the time spent exercising if you’d like.
- Be flexible in terms of the outcome you’re seeking. Maybe you started the new routine hoping to lose weight and became discouraged when that didn’t happen. Another desirable outcome, such as gaining strength, might replace the original weight loss goal and serve as the new motivator.
- Forgive yourself on the days when it doesn’t happen. Being 100 percent consistent daily and month after month is highly unlikely, except for those addicted to exercise, and that’s a different problem. When you miss a day, just set your intent to resume the exercise the next day.
Read the complete article available at Psychology Today!
Reflection:
Do you stick to your workout routine?
#Exercise #Routine #Habits
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@comfortableNight4463
Great article, thank you for sharing this with everyone!
I totally stick to my workout routine. Its pretty easy to do when you are a Fitness Instructor to always have a schedule of doing so. I took a break for quite some time after 11 years of teaching. However, as of Last fall I've been completely back on track.
I find it easy to stick to a workout routine by simply doing the things I actually 'ENJOY' doing! If you aren't doing something that you like or enjoy, it will make it that much more challenging to stick to it or create a routine.
If you like to Dance, find a ZUMBA class, if you like to Swim, find an Aqua ZUMBA or Aqua Aerobics class... if you like strength exercises, then find a good weight/strength class. Also, some people seem to think that you have to find a "Gym" to do these things, but the pandemic has proven, that there are so many other avenues. Find a ZOOM class that incorporates these classes, or simply go to an exercise channel on YOUTUBE!
@PoliteOcean This is great! Thank you for sharing!
These are great points.
I find that I have to do all my exercise early in the morning. If I leave it to later in the day, it never gets done.
I usually do two things -- walking and kettlebells.
First, I go walking. I might walk round my neighbourhood. There are two lakes I can walk around, up a big hill or by the sea.
So I am very fortunate and have some great locations to walk.
I usually carry two kettlebells while walking. 15 pounds each. It's just enough added weight to make a difference.
And I listen to my Chinese lessons while walking too. It's perfect,
The second thing I do is kettlebells.
I either do this in the gym in my community. Again, I am very lucky to have a gym that is free to use.
Or I just go in the recreation area and do it outside. In the summer, this is very easy.
When doing the kettlebell exercises I listen to loud music via my earphones.
I am coming out of a bit of a slump where I have not done any real exercise for about a week. But I will start again.
I find exercise has far more mental benefits than physical benefits. But that's just me.
Great start to the day!
@gregariousBunny4035 Thank you for sharing! You go this!