Keep reading to learn how to make an exercise routine for beginners that really becomes a lasting habit!
It’s almost that time of year again. When we can all feel the toll of all those delightful holiday treats that we’ve been indulging in, often with reckless abandon (that’s not just me, right?).
Conveniently, the time for making New Year’s resolutions is right around the corner. Pretty soon the gyms will be packed with people who are convinced this is the year they’re going to stick to a workout routine.
But within a couple of months, only a tiny handful of those would be gym rats are actually still going.
If this sounds familiar and you want this to be the year that daily exercise actually sticks, then you’re in the right place!
Now, this isn’t advice for people who are already typically pretty motivated to go to the gym and just want to refine their routine. And this is isn’t going to get into how to find the time to exercise — that’s a whole nother topic for a whole nother post.
This is how your average, every day, non-athletically inclined person can succeed in creating a daily exercise habit that will improve their health and well-being.
We’ve all heard that the key to creating a workout habit is variety and sticking to a strict routine and blah, blah, blah. And maybe that’s enough for some people, but it certainly doesn’t work for me!
I’ve finally figured out what does actually work, though! Seriously– I’ve exercised almost every single day for the past 9 months and am still going strong!
There’s no complicated routine or changing schedule to follow. The secret to creating an exercise habit is actually really, really simple.
Are you ready for the secret to creating an exercise routine that sticks?
Just go to the gym. Or for a walk. Or do a yoga video.
But do it every single day.
I can feel all those eye rolls out there. If it were really that simple, I’d have done it already!
Here’s the thing, though — it doesn’t matter what kind of exercise you do or how long or how intense or any of that. If you don’t exercise consistently, it DOES NOT MATTER. Your health won’t improve and you certainly won’t have gotten any closer to creating a healthy habit.
So the secret isn’t really just going to the gym — it’s deciding that you will go every single day. No weekends off or rest days.
I’m not saying don’t give yourself easier days when you need a break or are just extra tired or just plain don’t feel like pushing yourself. Definitely do that!
But if you have “off” days planned every week, then when you’re having a rough day and just don’t want to go exercise, you’ll rationalize that you can skip today and make it up on the “off day.” But then that day comes, and you really don’t want to go to the gym, and it’s supposed to be your day off anyway, and you can always get back on track next week, and pretty soon you haven’t exercised in two months!
It’s science, y’all!
Recent studies (listen here or read here) have shown that you’re happier and more committed once you’ve made a decision. It doesn’t even matter what the choice you’re making is — it could be where to go for dinner or whom to marry — once you’ve decided, you feel better and will work much harder to make what you chose actually happen.
That’s why deciding that you want to exercise regularly isn’t enough — you have to go ahead and make the decision that you will just go to the gym (or whatever it is you want to do) every day. Once it’s decided, it’s done! And your brain likes that the choice is made and doesn’t want to open you up to indecision again. You won’t have to talk yourself out of taking an off day because those aren’t even on the table!
So now when you’re having an extra tired day, instead of skipping your workout, maybe you just don’t push yourself as much? Or you only do half of your planned exercise? It doesn’t matter, because you’re still doing something!
And even if you have a whole week of easy exercise days, guess what? That’s a whole heck of a lot better than a week of off days.
So are you ready to commit? Comment if you are!
I believe in you!
*I don’t recommend exercising when you’re sick or injured, of course– use good judgment.
If you’d also like to add some high protein meals into your diet to help you with getting stronger, look here for some ideas.
**Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a physical trainer. This post is about what has worked for me personally and should not replace the advice of your physician.
