How To Make Exercise A Habit

We all have our own habits, some healthy and some not. For some people exercise is a daily habit they don’t even have to think about, while others struggle to make that initial step out the door for a run.

If you’re wanting to make exercise a habit then know it is possible, it just takes time, 60 days to be precise.

If you’re wondering why only 60 days, that’s the amount of time people generally need to dedicate to an action to develop it into a habit, good or bad.

Seems simple enough but how do you make it through those initial 60 days? Especially when you’re battling against your own bad habits. 

Read on to discover how you can successfully make exercise a habit you’ll stick to long-term.

 

1. Change Your Mindset

The first thing you need to do to start developing healthy habits is shift your mindset.

Mindset plays a major part in developing healthy habits, if you think of yourself as someone who doesn’t exercise or who doesn’t enjoy exercise then that’s exactly what you’ll do. What you tell yourself becomes your reality so change your thinking.

Every time you catch yourself thinking something negative about exercise, shift it. You’re not dreading that afternoon walk, you’re looking forward to getting out of the house and feeling good.

It seems like a small change, but it does make a world of difference.

 

2. Fit Exercise Into YOUR Routine

Of course, you want to make exercise a daily part of your routine, but if you immediately try to disrupt the rest of your daily life you probably won’t stick to it. So, find a time of day to exercise that won’t be too disruptive and fits into your current schedule.

For example, trying to slot an hour-long fitness class into a busy morning getting the kids to school and heading to work might not be the best idea, especially if it throws off the rest of your day. But that hour you usually spend after work watching TV could easily be replaced.

Make exercise fit your routine and the easier it slots into your daily routine the easier it’ll be to keep it there and develop a habit.  

 

3. Start Small

If you’ve decided to start exercising more regularly your normal plan of attack is probably to hit the gym hard with long workout sessions a few days a week. But going from no exercise to an intense hour-long session every day isn’t sustainable.

The best way to make exercise a habit you’ll stick to is to start small, shorter workouts, small bouts of exercise and build on the duration and intensity it as you get more consistent with following the routine.

That could mean starting with a 20-minute walk in the morning which then turns into a morning run after a few weeks. Or it could mean dedicating a couple days a week to a gym class you enjoy and building from there.

Find what works for you but remember there’s no shame in starting small and building those healthy habits.

 

4. Have A Plan

The easiest way to develop a habit is to have a plan you can follow to keep you on track week to week and encourage you to be more consistent.

Exercise plans come in all forms from eBooks to apps and can help you achieve almost any fitness goal you’re striving to achieve.

At Rapid Loss we’ve developed the Rapid Loss® Weight Management Program, a completely free online program developed to help our customers create healthy, life-long habits that will help them achieve the weight loss results they want.

Online or on the go, the Weight Management Program website gives you full access to exercise plans that suit your specific health and fitness goals as well as the tools you need to track your weight loss and stay accountable.

With exercise plans ranging from 4 to 12 weeks in length you can easily make it through those initial 60 days and make exercise a habit you stick to.