Guest Post by Satu Hattula
In a perfect world, daily exercise would be a habit like brushing your teeth – something you do without giving it a second thought…
But that’s exactly the problem: how do you start a regular exercise habit if you have zero motivation to exercise? Or the only regular exercise you get is when you wrestle for the possession of remote?
Becoming a regular exerciser wasn’t straightforward to me either, but today I’m happy I kept working on it. I’ve developed a set of tricks on to get myself moving and to get back on track after a break. Here are my three tips on how to start a regular exercise habit:
#1 Start small. The purpose of this tip is very simple – to get you moving, any old way. Very often we make the mistake of starting too big, like set a goal to go to gym five times a week even if we’ve been dedicated couch potatoes for the last five years.
You’re much more likely to keep going if you can guarantee little successes in the beginning. So my advice is to set yourself a small goal: start by taking a brisk walk around the block three times a week. If even that feels too hard, start by putting your workout clothes ready for the morning. I’m sure you get the idea.
This technique is actually the same as the “toe-in-the-door” technique used in marketing. It’s a well-known fact that if you agree to a small commitment first, you’re more likely to agree to a big one later. 🙂
This is also the technique to fall back to when you have a break in your exercise routine. If you exercised 4 times a week before your break, the way to get started again is not to start where you left off.
Instead, regroup and do something small. Very soon you’ll be back where you left off.
#2 Always have Plan B. In an ideal world, circumstances would always stay the same. Your dog never eats your trainers, and you never need to work overtime. But you already know things don’t always go according to your plan.
For example, I love long walks outdoors, but during winter when it’s freezing cold and slippery outside, I stay inside and do Leslie Sansone’s walking workout or lift my kettlebells.
Now is a good time to create your Plan B (or several) so that will be in place if you get derailed from your routine.
#3 Do what you like, not what you think you *should* do. There’s actually no rule that says everyone needs to go to gym or attend group classes. The best way to start a regular exercise habit is to do what you find enjoyable. If the only form of exercise you enjoy is hula hooping, then you hula hoop.
At any rate, don’t choose your exercise solely on the basis of how effectively it burns calories.
There also isn’t a rule that says you have to exercise at least 30 minutes for it to have an effect. Ten minutes is just fine, especially if you repeat that at every opportunity
I hope you put my tips to good use and start a regular exercise habit.
Remember the saying: “No matter how slow you go, you’re still lapping everyone on couch!” 🙂
About the author: Satu Hattula loves to write about exercise and healthy lifestyle. For more tips on how to get fit and stay energetic, visit her blog at http://BodyCapable.Com. And don’t forget to check her Facebook page.
Angie says
Great tips!
I have been exercising regularly for over 5 years BUT I wasn’t doing strength/weights like I should have been (at least 3x a week). Now that I hired an online personal trainer, it has become a habit and I am so happy. It’s making a difference and now I finally get that cardio shouldn’t be the only thing we do.
Now when it comes to food, that is where I struggle. Next step….nutritionist!
Love the quote lol
Satu says
Hi Angie!
I was in the same boat re strength training. Now I feel I migh’ve found a great strenght training program at last.
I find that diet is the hardest struggle for many people, me included.
Lynn Terry says
I’m the opposite. I find the diet EASY. Exercise on the other hand, I find it extremely challenging to make it a regular habit. I think because I am going to eat anyway, so eating well doesn’t take up additional time (lol).
Exercise on the other hand, does take time – and has to be worked into the schedule. I just bought another Halti (like a Gentle Leader) so I can now walk both Great Danes together. I’m hoping to get out now that the rain has passed, and get all three of us moving! π
Angela Wills says
Great tips and so timely for me!
I joined the gym approximately 30 days ago and have gone ONCE. I just can’t force myself to do it no matter how much I know I should. There are two reasons: 1) time and 2) I just don’t wanna
So a few days ago I guess I took your advice #3 and decided I’m just going to do something fun and do weighted hula hooping. I’ve tried it for a while and really like it but now I’m trying to really get into it by giving myself a 30-day self imposed challenge. I know that’s kinda taking it big to start but I figure the public accountability of posting to youtube every day will keep me going.
And so far it’s working because I’ve done 3 days in a row… better than my gym record,lol.
Oh and I love that quote! I actually just found it yesterday while researching fitness quotes for a client and thought it was great. Great post, thanks for writing it π
Satu says
Good luck with the hola hoop challenge, Angela! That is actually something I’d like to try myself, just to see if I can do it. I was very bad at hola hooping as a child… π
Lynn Terry says
LOL me too! But I do have more hips now than I did then (lol). π Where do you get these weighted hula hoops? That sounds like something fun to try!
Angela Wills says
Join me, join me! lol. I think I’m starting to see a difference in my abs and it’s day 6 today.
You don’t need hips, it’s not really a hip thing and the big ‘weighted’ hula hoops are way easier than when we were kids. I couldn’t hula hoop well at ALL as a kid, but I can use these.
Anyway, how to get them:
I made my own and it’s pretty easy. You need:
– Irrigation tubing (got mine from Lowe’s but had to buy 100ft for like $25)
– a coupling (to connect the tube)
– Colored duck tape or electrical tape (Michael’s or even wal-mart have cool duck tape patterns!)
I made a video over a year ago and I plan to do one in my new youtube channel soon, too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf-yJLYz5hs
If you buy 100ft of tube you’ll have enough to make about 8 hoops, so you can give them to friends and share the hooplove!
OR – you can buy them all over the place – Amazon, Hoopnotica.com, other places and maybe even some local fitness places might have them.
Hope that helps and that I convinced you to try hula hooping ,lol!
Lynn Terry says
Very cool! I’m off to check out Hoopnotica… π
Cynthia Overfield says
Satu, you give great advice! 20+ years ago, after my fifth child was born, I was about 15 pounds over weight. I bought a Nordic Track, which was the exercise machine must have at that time, and I worked out 4 times a week, 30 minutes a day and I lost the weight without even changing my eating habits. Of course I lived on cigarettes and coffee and I am sure that had a lot to do with it.
Fast forward 20+ more years, age 51 and two more kids. I am about 25 pounds over weight again and I am finding it harder to get the weight off with exercise alone. I quit smoking 3 years ago and I didn’t gain any extra weight by doing that, thank goodness. I bought a Gazelle (it’s geared for the older set, lol). I actually sold advertising space on one of my blogs so I could buy it! Now it sits leaning up against the wall…used once.
I am going to take your advice and start using the Gazelle a few minutes each day. It’s better than nothing, right? It’s just so hard to get motivated these days. The bad thing is, I know better. I have studied nutrition and I know what I should be doing to lose the weight. I just need to get off my lazy bee-hind and take some action.
Great post!
Satu says
Thanks, Cynthia!
Starting small is my best advice. It’s enough to start using your Gazelle even a few minutes a day so you start thinking about yoursefl as an exerciser.
And I know what you mean when you say the weight doesn’t come off that easy anymore!
Lynn Terry says
I love my Gazelle π
But like you Cynthia, mine is folded up right now. You inspired me to set it back up. I like having it in my office where I can watch webinars or movies (like Criminal Minds if I miss it on TV). I also like to put it in front of the TV in the living room. I only watch two shows a week, but that’s ~45 minutes of exercise I could get! π
Diane says
Hi Satu, what a timely post this is. I too struggle to find consistency in exercising, hence the overweight body to show for it. There always seems to be so many excuses, like it’s too cold and I will irritate my asthma, it’s too late in the day, or I’m too busy with my work, or I should do the dinner first. My doctor gave me some advice which I think can be helpful, is to make an appointment with yourself daily and stick to it no matter what. I like that you say any exercise no matter what is better than none, and I couldn’t agree more. I love walking. I have a bicycle that my family bought me for Christmas ? years ago and I still haven’t gotten onto it. Why, because I’m too embarrassed to let anyone see me exercising on the bike!! How bad an excuse it that??
I do like your quote, thank you.
Lynn Terry says
That’s great advice – I like that. Ideally I would like to get up and take the Danes for a walk first thing in the morning – around sunrise (before most people, as Slim is not very well socialized, lol).
It’s a great intention, but I need to make that appointment! π
Missy says
Hi, Satu:
I joined a local Meetup in February which is all about Running and Fitness aptly named Running and Fitness (Lol) and have attended two sessions so far, today was the second one and we walked/jogged for 2 1/2 miles. It was AWESOME and this coming Saturday is the next one. A 3 mile fun run/walk along The Museum of Science and Industry. This should be fun, just hope I can keep up. Nice guest post.
I so need it as I spend so much time sitting down at my computer. Way too much time.
Cheers,
Missy
Lynn Terry says
Great idea, Missy! You can find all sorts of fun things like that on meetup.com. I know I found a local hiking group and I am really tempted to join. Nothing like a group of people to do it with to make it FUN. π
Missy says
I would LOVE to go hiking. Never have, but this is something I was going to pitch to my group – as one can suggest ideas of things to do.
Hiking in a nice (not too hilly) area, would be super duper awesome.
Lynn Terry says
I just went hiking this week with my friend Tawnya, and it was great fun! Here’s a video slideshow so you can check it out – we hiked the three waterfalls trail at Burgess Falls State Park here in Tennessee: http://www.lynnterry.tv/404/hiking-burgess-falls/
π