“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” — Jim Ryun
One of the biggest barriers to starting or maintaining a physical activity program has to do with something I call fitness resistance — the reluctance to welcome fitness into our lives in the form of a sustainable workout routine or program.
Making Fitness a Habit
How hard is it to change ingrained habits? When researchers at MIT tracked people’s everyday activities, they found that a staggering 90% of what people do each day is so dictated by routine and so consistent, those mathematical equations can accurately predict future behaviour. The bottom line, it’s human nature to simply revert to the comfort of our existing routines. This means making fitness a sustainable habit requires a bit of conscious effort and some willingness.
The first thing to note is that if you’re going to start an exercise habit, an incremental approach works better than going big right out of the gate. One or two workouts that leave you feeling exhausted and sore aren’t enough to achieve your goal, and they might just discourage you from getting into a fitness routine. Instead, to fall in love with fitness you will need to create a habit loop. Any habit is essentially a feedback loop of four phases: cue (make it obvious), craving (make it attractive), response (make it easy), and reward (make it satisfying).
Let’s say you’re trying to get into the habit of working out. Laying out your athletic gear the night before would be an example of a cue. Following a simple workout routine, that’s fun and efficient and fits within your schedule would be an example of a craving. Training at home, or choosing a gym that is close to home as possible would be an example of a response. Tracking your workout performance on a fitness app like Strava and seeing your fitness level improving over time can be an example of a reward.
The goal is to train your brain to crave the reward and therefore, the new fitness routine. When you stick with this routine, over time you will create great habits and sustainable results.
“Don’t wait until you’ve reached your goal to be proud of yourself. Enjoy the process and be proud of every step you take toward reaching your goal.” — Benjamin Mumme
Photo by iStockPhoto.com
9 Ways to Create a Workout Routine That You Will Love to Do
When it comes to building a long-term fitness habit, what can you do to increase your chances of success? Here are nine ways to create a workout routine that you will love to follow.
1. Set a Realistic Starting Point.
When you’re on your way to creating a fitness habit, it’s easy to get carried away. You may plan to work out every single day for the next week or even the next month. But if this means you’ll be going from zero workouts to working out every day, then you might be setting unrealistic expectations. You don’t want to start too intense, or you’ll just end up hurting yourself and falling off the bandwagon a week into your new routine. Be realistic with your starting point, and you’re more likely to stick with your workout routine. You can always add more workouts with time.
2. Build your workouts into other routines.
Along with starting small, it’s a good idea to build your workout into other routines. If you already have a good morning routine, see if there’s room to squeeze a workout in. If you have an after-work routine, try incorporating a physical activity then.
3. Understand Your Why.
Take some time to think about why a long-term fitness habit is important. Why do you want to get out of bed before the sun comes up? Why do you want to spend your lunch hour at the fitness centre? Understanding your why can help you maintain your motivation to build a fitness habit. On the days you’re tempted to skip a workout, remember why it’s worth it to show up.
4. Create SMART Goals.
Fitness can mean something different to different people. As you’re building your fitness habit, create specific goals around what it means to you to be fit. A goal like “be fit” is too general. Instead, you want to create goals that are specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic, time-bound sensitive (SMART). As you achieve your goals, set new ones that push you even further. Goals are an excellent way to help you stay on track over the long term.
5. Set Short-Term Tasks.
Once you have your specific goal, then you also have something concrete to work toward. However, if it will take you a few months to accomplish your goal, then it might be hard to maintain your momentum. It’s helpful to set short-term tasks that support your long-term goal. These short-term tasks are like mini checkpoints that you can use to stay on track with building your fitness habit.
7. Keep a Workout Journal.
When you keep a workout journal, you have a great place to write down your goals and track your progress. Writing down your workouts in a journal gives you a visual record of what you’ve accomplished. On the days that you feel like you’re stuck or you’ve hit a plateau, you can look back on how far you’ve come from where you started.
7. Expect Setbacks.
Expecting setbacks may sound like a negative approach. But setbacks tend to catch us off guard. Some obstacles you can control for, but there are other obstacles that you can’t predict or prevent from happening. However, if you have a plan for how you’ll handle a setback, like an unexpected work trip, then you’ll know the best way to get back on track.
8. Keep Yourself Accountable
You should never underestimate the power of accountability. It could be a fitness instructor or a friend, or a family member. Having someone you know who will check in on you is a great way to avoid slipping into a rut with your new fitness routine.
9. Find a Workout You Love.
When you participate in activities that you enjoy, you’re more likely to continue doing them. If you don’t like your current workout routine, you probably won’t be able to sustain it. On the other hand, when you find a workout you love, then it’s more likely that you’ll turn that routine into a sustainable habit.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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Photo credit: iStockPhoto.com
It’s true that people start a workout and after two-three days they stopped doing it. People should be habitual towards their work. The workout should be in the habit so that it can become the most important part of life to do. You mentioned a lot of points that are easy to understand the importance of workout. Keep posting!
It’s true that people start a workout and after two-three days they stopped doing it. People should be habitual towards their work. The workout should be in the habit so that it can become the most important part of life to do. You mentioned a lot of points that are easy to understand the importance of workout. Keep posting!