Turns out that doing something for 21 days doesn’t really make it a habit (unless that thing is something simple like drinking a glass of water first thing every morning…which, by the way, I highly recommend).
So if you’re working on a new exercise habit, buckle up. It might be a long ride.
Wait. WAIT! Don’t freak out. I have some good news too! 🙂
The good news – all backed up by research reviewed in Dean’s book (I like research, especially the psychology geek kind)…
You don’t have to do something everyday for it to become habit.
Tiny tweaks to the situation in which you do stuff can make a big change in how you do them.
Simply becoming aware of your exercise habits has a positive effect on your ability to establish or change them.
You can talk yourself into exercise with a tiny little mind trick.
Okay, now that we’ve got some encouraging news, let’s break it down into practical steps. These are all strategies used by my private clients struggling with exercise habits. While I find it comforting that research backs them up, I know first-hand that they work!
1. Listen to your body.
Experiment with different kinds of movement until you find something that you like to do. And make sure you find a time of day to do it that will, more often than not, be available to you and in sync with your body’s “biological primetime.” One of the tricks with exercise, Dean reports, is creating environmental cues that it’s time to do it (unlike with eating, there are no natural cues for exercise). If you always exercise at a certain time of day – even if you don’t do it every day – you’re more likely to stick with it…simple as that.
2. Make a plan, but stay flexible.
Put exercise appointments in your calendar, just as you would with any other appointment. (Seriously…do this. It’s probably the biggest “ah-ha” moment for my clients. And it works!) Establishing a regular time to do stuff does make it a habit faster, BUT make sure you give yourself a little wiggle room. Your life is busy and often unpredictable. Planning one week at a time works best for me – I have a goal for how many times I’d like to exercise and I generally do it at the same time of day, but the days of the week might shift from week to week depending on what else is going on in my life.
3. Track what’s happening.
If you’re just starting out, get a pedometer or other tracking device to track how much you’re moving in a day (vs. your goal). Get a wall calendar and put a star or big, beautiful, red heart sticker on each day that you exercise. As elementary-school as that may sound, bringing awareness to what you’re doing – and celebrating it – is a powerful motivator. (Besides, reconnecting with your kid-self on occasion is good for the soul.)
4. Leave yourself love notes.
This strategy is something that Dean would probably call an “implementation intention.” Think about the benefits you’ve noticed when you exercise – for example, it helps me think more clearly, increases my energy, helps me sleep better – and write them on a sticky note that you keep in a visible place in your home (bathroom mirror, refrigerator, etc.). Next time you begin talking yourself out of exercise, use the note to remember why you actually do want to exercise. The implementation intention would go something like this: “If I tell myself that I’m too busy to exercise, then I’ll remind myself that exercise helps me think more clearly, increases my energy, and helps me sleep better.” Who knew there was a fancy name for leaving sticky notes on your mirror?! 😉
Habits are hard to make and to break, for sure – and exercise seems to be one of the trickiest. While it may take some effort to make exercise feel as essential and automatic as brushing your teeth, it IS possible with a little help from Psychology 101…plus a dose of intention and grit from you. 🙂
Now it’s your turn. Tell me in the comments:
What’s your biggest challenge with exercising regularly?
Which of these strategies will you try in the next couple of weeks?
Christina Wallace is a self-described human Venn diagram with a career at the intersection of business, technology, and the arts. How to lean into your own portfolio life.
