Are you looking to create a lasting exercise routine for yourself? Making changes to your habits can be tough; what is even more challenging is maintaining those habits. Many people desire to develop a regular exercise routine in hopes of turning it into a practice. A survey stated that exercise was the top priority for most people who wanted to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
Wanting to create a habit of exercise and actually making it happen are different altogether. Wanting to change your behavior and adopt a new lifestyle can be a tough journey, especially when your personal feelings about your body image and self-worth come into play.
However, there are ways to stick to an exercise routine easily. There are three ways to establish your exercise routine that you can follow consistently for two years without missing a workout. Although it is not easy to be consistent, there are ways can incorporate this habit and successfully turn exercising into an enjoyable weekly habit.
Create a routine to make starting easier
Habits are actions that you do again and again by choice. If you don’t start working things consistently, you won’t be able to develop a habit. To build new habits, you should keep repeating them regularly until you no longer need reminders. So, if you can find a way to start turning your actions into habits more easily, you can make working on those habits easier. That’s why the rituals and routines that you choose in this process matter a lot. If you can create a routine that makes the start process of your workout automatic and easy, sticking to it will eventually become simpler.
For example, you can make your own routine by connecting your exercise habits to something that you already do or by setting up a regular schedule for it. You can also make plans to exercise for the coming week:
I will exercise on this [DAY] at this [TIME OF DAY] at/in this [PLACE].
Begin with a super simple exercise
If you are someone who is planning to add exercise as a habit to your regular routine, start with an activity that’s really easy. Start by doing something that is simple and that you can do even when you’re not feeling very motivated. Pick something so easy that you can’t refuse and enjoy doing.
Start with this helpful approach that is: The 2-Minute Rule. This is a very straightforward way: focus on starting for just 2 minutes instead of worrying about the entire workout.
Have you been struggling to gather the energy for a run? Don’t give up, instead, just fill your water bottle, put on your running shoes, and go out of your house. Doing this tiny task is enough to be counted as today’s successful workout. This quick 2-minute start is all you need to boost your motivation and complete the activity.
Put the habit first, and think about results later
Many people usually start with their goals when it comes to diet and exercise. They might say, “I want to lose 20 pounds in the nextfour4 months,” or “I want to be able to lift 50 pounds more in the next six months.” But we believe this is not the best way out. It’s always smarter to focus on the process instead of the goal.
What really matters at the beginning is planning a new routine that you will be able to stick to rather than just wanting a specific result. Basically, the first six months are more important, you must not miss out on any workouts to make some major progress. Once you become the kind of person who doesn’t skip workouts, you can start making major progress in your journey of getting better.