The Habit of Exercise

Exercising isn’t hard. It doesn’t take much to go for a walk or pick up some weights and do some bicep curls. What is hard is making it a regular habit.

This is the magical secret. There you go. It’s that simple. You have to commit to doing it on a regular basis. Maybe that means three days a week you do a typical workout but the other days you go for a walk or work in the garden or do some intense household chores. Or maybe it’s walking 18 holes of golf or chasing your kids around or climbing stairs instead of taking the elevator.

Whatever your fancy, you just need to do it for a minimum of 21 days in a row to make it a habit. Studies show that small, repeated regularly-scheduled actions can have positive outcomes for your everyday life. Little steps make a big difference. There’s no down side to trying so give it a shot.

Things to Consider

So now you know the basis for the idea. How do you begin to set these habits? Here’s a few things which can help.

Give yourself the gift of a month – Commit to 21 to 30 days. 21 days is the bare minimum. 30 days will give you a leg up on keeping your new routine as part of your regular schedule.

Find something you like doing – It helps to have a few things so you can mix it up. The same old routine every day will not help you make exercising a habit. If you balance between strength training, cardio and weight-bearing exercise, you’ll have a good mix. And don’t forget to get outside. Do yard work or volunteer at a community garden. Bike rides, walks, swimming – all of these are great ways to keep moving. You don’t have to be training like an Olympian to reap the benefits of regular exercise. Just move!

Ask for Help – We all need a little help from our friends. Maybe that’s an app you use, which you can connect to friends and family for a little healthy competition or simply moral support. Maybe you find a neighbor to walk with or meet a workout buddy to help keep yourself accountable. It doesn’t mean you have to keep doing it, but it helps to surround yourself with like-minded people as you begin creating new habits of health and wellness.

Take it to the Streets – If you are a social media buff, post your victories and your struggles with your followers. You may find more support than you imagined. Ask a family member or close friend be your cheerleader and check in on your progress. If you don’t have a family pet who needs exercise, there are plenty of shelter pets who do. You meet the best people doing activities you enjoy.

Keep it Real – Find ways to keep yourself accountable. I have a calendar in my home gym where I keep track of my daily exercise. It’s blank, so I’m not assigning myself anything in advance. But it does make me want to keep filling in those empty boxes, even if it’s just how many steps I walked in a day where I didn’t workout, or a walk with my dogs, or how long I spent in my garden pulling up weeds and throwing mulch. Apps are a great tool, so find one that works for you. I use the Apple Health app with my iWatch, MyFitnessPal (to help keep track of meals and check calories) and virtual trainer Erin Oprea’s Pretty Muscles app for kickbutt workouts and coaching.

Find ways to make it stick – Get up a little bit earlier, or skip those 4 hours on the couch watching TV after work and move. Sometimes I exercise before work, with the dogs on the treadmill too! I can catch up on the morning news or check in with family while I am walking or biking. I usually do strength training in the mornings, too, when I am well rested. In the evenings, I made a deal with myself to only watch TV if I was doing some sort of workout. So maybe it’s stretching or yoga or balance work, I try to keep it moving.

Be reasonable with yourself. No one is an Avenger here, so know you may have a bit of a struggle but really, you can do anything for 21 days. And once you get there, it’s going to be a lot easier to keep it going. Now exercising every day is a normal part of my life, and if I miss it, I don’t feel great physically.

Your body is counting on you to keep it healthy, so give it a shot. Eat less, move more and find things you enjoy doing so it doesn’t seem like work. You may be surprised at the benefits you didn’t expect when you create a regular habit of exercise. Good luck!!

Find out more about health and wellness on our Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram and  here on MyNewUsual.

© 2020 Group G Enterprises