70% of people who start a workout program don’t finish it. And the statistics for how many people have a gym membership but don’t use it are around the same. So how do you make exercise a habit? How do you stick with it this time, finally? How do you find the motivation and discipline?
I can totally relate to the not-sticking-with-it-thing. I used to think there was something wrong with me, like some key part of my brain was missing or not firing or something. Like my discipline center was defunct. But now here I am exercising 5-6 times a week, most weeks, for 5 plus years. This girl who was never an exercise person, never an athlete. How did I turn it around?
There is a lot to it, and I’m sure that would be the same for everyone. I talked about some of this before in an earlier post you can read here. But what’s been bouncing around in my head are these 7 things that helped me make exercise a habit (and an enjoyable one!):
- Change your mindset. My shift didn’t happen until I switched my focus from wanting to be skinny to wanting to be healthy and strong. I think that was important.
- Commit to a calendar. The first form of exercise I stuck with was Insanity, and I think part of the commitment came from having that workout calendar that came in the box with the DVDs. I am not generally a compulsive person, but I get a little anal with my workout calendars. You might too. If you’re not looking for a packaged workout program then create your own calendar. Print it out, mark off your workout days, create a start and end date- how many weeks or days. When you get to the end, make a new one!
- Make it a priority. This was drilled into my head by my husband, and sometimes I resented it when it applied to him. But it’s true, and once I started doing it for myself, I realized how much I needed to believe it and apply it. It is a priority. And it benefits me and everyone around me. Don’t let other people or other obligations make you feel guilty about prioritizing exercise- they will get a better you when you’re feeling better. And no doubt about it- exercise will make you feel better. Don’t let it be an option.
- Stick with it long enough to make it a habit. We’ve all heard that it takes 21 days to form a habit….unfortunatley that may not be true. Getting to the point where exercise feels as much a part of your day as brushing your teeth and taking a shower may take longer. Know that you might not love it right away, but you will grow to like it. Know that it won’t always feel like torture making yourself get started!
- Get support. There are options here. Commit to what you’re doing with a friend, one you know won’t encourage you to ditch the workout and go to happy hour instead. Join an accountability group on Facebook. Ask someone who is already in the habit to encourage you. Reach out to me, or someone like me, who can point you in the right direction. Lots of studies show that feeling accountable makes you more likely to be successful and more likely to stick with it.
- Stop making excuses. Give yourself a little tough love. We all have 24 hours in a day. We are all busy. Someone busier than you is working out right now. Motivation isn’t going to pull back the covers and gently wake you or do the workout for you. You need to cut the whining and the bullsh*t and work for what you want to happen. (I have an easier time tough-loving myself than other people! But sometimes tough love is what it’s gonna take, so I’m working on it!)
- Pick the right workout. If you think you hate running- I swear you might change your mind down the road!- don’t pick running. Even if you have it in your head that you want to be a runner- if you don’t like running don’t pick running. Lift weights. Do a boot camp. Try some high-intensity cardio. Go to yoga. This does not mean that you can’t pick any exercise because you don’t like any exercise 🙂 You have to start somewhere, and if you’re not an exercise person chances are it will challenge you at first. You will find something that you like best (or at least something that is less painful than the others!)
I’d like to do a post about each one of these because I feel like there’s so much I could say about each one! And I hope they’re helpful….if you still find yourself struggling with getting going, start with the mindset one. Pick up a book about getting healthier, pin some motivating quotes, start thinking about why you want to exercise anyway. Do you have health concerns? Do you feel tired and crappy most days? Do you want to be more active with your kids? Do you want to fit into your jeans so you don’t have to buy new clothes?
Start with an honest conversation with yourself. Committing to exercise is the best thing I’ve ever done, aside from my kids of course! It doesn’t have to be a terrible part of your day that you dread. Commit to it and you’ll see before too long that I’m right. Don’t sell yourself short! You can do this. You deserve to feel good.
What are you going to commit to?
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