There are tons of great fitness blogs out there that offer some excellent advice. Fitness blogger Rafi contacted me to offer a tip on his latest fitness tips post in which he asked several fitness bloggers their best tips.
I was glad to offer a tip and here is what I sent below:
Make exercise a habit. Choose a workout program and stick to it for at least 21 days to form an exercise habit. Once it becomes a habit to exercise regularly, you will no longer question whether or not to workout, it will be a part of your routine.
Making exercise a habit is one of the best things you can do to keep working out no matter how lazy or unmotivated you become. If you don't form a habit, it is way too tempting to slack off. One day off turns into two. Two turns into three and the next thing you know, you haven't exercised in months and worse - in years.
It's too easy to tell yourself you will start tomorrow or next week etc. Forming a habit makes it a part of your daily routine. It becomes as common as brushing your teeth. There are times when my motivation is low and I would rather do anything besides exercise. However, 90% of the time, I do it anyway.
That is mainly because exercise is just part of what I do now. My usual thought is, "I have to get my workout done." That is my current top tip for fitness. What is your top fitness tip?
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
One way to make fitness it a habit is to get a partner. Being accountable to someone makes you more likely to succeed.
Yeah, that’s excellent advice!
-Rafi
I couldn’t agree with you more. Everything we as human beings do is a result of a habit whether it’s good or bad. A lot of people say that taking action and getting started is the hardest part, but in a lot of cases it’s consistency that can derail progress. Consistency is built on forming a habit. Great post!
@Greg – that is great advice and accountability is another thing that has helped me stick to my workout program.
@Rafi – Thanks for letting me participate!
@Rahim – very good points! Forming an exercise habit will make it so much easier to keep up on a regular basis.
any advise for those who doesn’t brush their teeth daily.??
Totally agree Eartha. You have to make a plan that you will workout on certain days and stick to it. It can be tough in the beginning but once you have done it for a few weeks it does become a habit.
Momentum. That is the key to building habits. To build momentum you need a powerful start… I’ll never forget Stephen Covey’s analogy of the rocket going to the moon… it used more energy going the first mile up than it did the following 100s of thousands of miles to the moon!
It is so important to maintain an interest in exercise, whether it is to mix it up and do different forms- yoga, running, strength, cycling, etc, etc or to just give yourself rewards. As a personal trainer, we are constantly searching for ways to keep our clients interested.
I want to say the hardest part about making exercise a habit is is building the momentum thats going to want to make you exercise every day. i know for me, when it comes to exercising especially when i have not hit the gym in months i need a jump start. I’m 20 6′1″, 220 lbs. i used to have mass muscle but i for whatever awful reason, stopped going to the gym. Now I’m flabby, i need to tighten up. Ha, when i think about the gym, i laugh it off because i know how much work it is going to be to get back in that routine and especially work off the fat around the gut and those love handles. But i have heard of a machine out there called the SX-4000 Pro! i have found much interest in this product as i did my research on it, to mind amazing results.
check out my video i posted on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBogPFPM7xM
i think this can be a great alternative for the initial jump start into a healthy routine that you can eventually form into a strong even healthier habit.
Great blog and great question. I think the best way to make exercise a habit is always set a goal. Make your initial goal really achievable to set you up for success. Once you feel the energy and satisfaction from achieving your goal just set another one and carry on. I recommend setting a goal over 12 weeks, a tangible time for great change but not so far away you’re going to lose focus.