6 simple steps to build an exercise habit

fruityPond7887 February 16th, 2023

"The new year is here and so are resolutions to exercise more. Google searches for gyms typically spike in January, and gym membership also increases.

While many people will start an exercise routine this week, the hard part will be sustaining it. Creating a lasting exercise habit takes time, experts say.

Motivation for exercise can come in many different forms. Here is some advice from experts on how to build sustainable change.

1. Set specific goals

Having a resolution to exercise is just the starting point. It’s helpful to have specific goals and then make an actionable plan.

“Be specific about when you will do it: Where will you do it? How will you get there?” Milkman said. “Research shows that when we make our goals really concrete and bite size, it’s more effective.”

2. Find your 'why'

Michelle Segar, a researcher at the University of Michigan and health coach, believes the first thing that people need to do is think about their history with exercise and identify whether their approach has been working.

Segar tells her clients to “find your why.” While people often start exercising to lose weight or get healthier, that approach often is not enough to “motivate ongoing exercise,” Segar said.

Instead, try finding a more meaningful “why,” such as focusing on the positive feelings you experience from an activity, said Segar, author of the book, “The Joy Choice: How to Finally Achieve Lasting Changes in Eating and Exercise.”

3. Avoid 'all-or-nothing' thinking

Rigidity and perfectionism are often the enemy to building an exercise habit.

In Milkman’s research on flexible vs. more rigid habits and routines, she found that individuals who were more flexible in the timing of their workouts were more likely to keep going to the gym than the rigid group.

4. Bundle your workout with something fun

Exercise can and should be fun, and people tend to repeat things they enjoy. You can make exercise more enjoyable through a technique Milkman calls “temptation bundling.” Link exercise to activities that you enjoy. For example, binge a TV show while using the treadmill at the gym.

Milkman also recommends exercising with a friend. Studies have shown that people enjoy working out when they do it with friends and feel accountable to someone.

“The reality is what motivates us is we enjoy the experience,” Milkman said. “So thinking about habits, we repeat things that we enjoy more. Persistence is how you build a habit. The more you do it, the more automatic it becomes, the more you stick with it. So it’s a nice reinforcing cycle.”

5. Be patient. Habits take time.

It often takes months for habits to form in the gym, so remind yourself that you are trying to create a lifelong fitness habit.

“There’s huge variation across people, but on average, it isn’t something that happens just like overnight, or over a couple of weeks,” Milkman said.

People should also take comfort that habits are getting stronger over time even if it doesn’t feel like things are getting easier, Duhigg said.

“Eventually, it’ll just feel automatic,” he said. “And in fact, once it becomes a habit, you probably won’t even notice that it is a habit.”

6. Motivate yourself with kindness

If you have trouble sticking to an exercise habit or routine, go easy on yourself. Your struggle may be because exercise feels like punishment, instead of something motivating.

Practicing self-compassion — which means being kind to yourself — can actually help you achieve your goals.

To practice self-compassion, think about how you would motivate a friend to help them achieve a goal.

“What types of things would you say to let them know that you believed in them, and that you were there to support them?” Neff said. “Then say something similar to yourself.”

And if you miss a few days or even a week or month of exercise, don’t beat yourself up.

“If you do fall off the wagon, which many do, that’s how goals work, we often don’t achieve them,” Milkman said. “That’s part of setting goals. There are other fresh starts around the corner. So don’t give up on yourself completely.”"

*Creating an exercise routine is so hard! While exercise is healthy for us and we really should be doing it on a schedule, it isn't always the most fun at first. It can take time for our bodies to form the habit of exercise and for it to become easier to want to participate in it. We have to find activities that we enjoy and connect them with other enjoyable activities, like watching a show or listening to music. Working out with a friend can be more enjoyable as well and makes it easier to go! I also try to think of exercise as not something I'm doing to "lose weight" or "tone up," but rather to stay healthy. It helps us not put as much pressure on ourselves!

**What is your favorite way to exercise and stay healthy?!*

#Exercise #Healthy #Habits

Please find the full article at The Washington Post!

If you liked this article, you may like this one on the impacts of exercising before bed or this one on how exercise can protect your brain volume!

6 simple steps to build an exercise habit

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