Monday Fitness Fun Fact

Boner
on 10/12/08 10:46 pm - South of Boulder, CO

7 Ways to Build the Exercise Habit

You’ve probably tried it several times. You’re fed up with your overweight body. You decide to finally do something about it. So you take a gym membership. Some friends decide to join you. After a few weeks however, your friends don’t show up anymore. Then you end up alone. And eventually you quit.

Yeah I know, this happens all the time. I’ve seen it over and over again. I know what you’re thinking. How come some people can stick with it and others not? What is their secret?

I’ll first tell you what it is not: it’s not discipline, it’s not willpower. Discipline and willpower only work in the short-term.

What works in the long-term is making exercise a habit. That’s their secret. And that’s what this post is about — 7 ways to build the exercise habit.

1. Set your Goal. What do you want to achieve?

Bigger muscles?
Less fat?
More strength?
More speed?

Exercising can be used for several means. Before you take a gym membership, start by setting a definite goal. What is it that you want?

Don’t try to achieve more than 1 thing at a time. Start with one goal. Once you have attained it, you can work towards a second goal.

2. Set a Deadline. Set a date by which you will reach your goal. Write your goal and deadline on a piece of paper and put it somewhere you can see it multiple times a day.

A good place would be on your nightstand. Look at it on waking up and before going to bed. This will act as a constant reminder of your goal.

3. Make a Plan. Once you have set your goal, you must back it up with a plan.

Which exercises will you perform?
How many sets and reps will you do?
How many times a week will you go the gym?

Your time is precious. Any minute in the gym must bring you closer towards the achievement of your goal. So choose a solid training program. If you’re a total beginner to strength training, read Starting Strength. It’s the best place to start.

4. Exercise First Thing in the Morning. When you’ve just had a tough day at work, it can be hard to train for another hour at the gym. A solution is to exercise first thing in the morning:

Wake up early
Eat breakfast
Prepare the stuff you need for work
Go to the gym

One hour later, you’re another step closer towards the achievement of your goal. And you have your whole day to do whatever you need to do.

5. Stick to your Plan. This is something I experienced on numerous occasions. The days you don’t feel like exercising, are often your best days. Maybe it’s the mind-body connection: the body says no, but the mind says go. Thus the body eventually says go too. I don’t know.

Whatever it is, when it’s the day to train, it’s the day to train. Make no excuses, go the gym. If you don’t feel 100% healthy, still go the gym, but train at a lower intensity. The fact that you’ve been there, is more important than the quality of your training. And as I wrote above, sometimes it can turn out into one of your most productive workouts.

The more you exercise, the more you build the habit. Stick to your plan.

6. Train With Someone Who Has The Exercise Habit. If you’re training partner quits, you’ll probably end up quitting too. But if your training partner hangs on, you’ll take it as a challenge.

Next time you go the gym, look around you. Look at the people who exercise. Find someone who is serious with his training. Take the initiative: ask him if you can train with him. If you choose the right person, he’ll accept your request. Most people know that getting into exercising is not easy, they know because they’ve been there.

A good training partner will motivate you & help you achieve your goal. If not, keep on looking.

7. Be confident. You can achieve whatever you want, if you believe that you can do it. Having a clear goal and a plan will already arm you with self-confidence.

Know that it will take 30 days to build the exercise habit. During the first 30 days you’ll need to push yourself to the gym. After 30 days it will become easier: the habits starts to take over, pushing you the gym.

Write this next to your goal and deadline: “If they can do it, I can do it”

ZenHealth.com

Dan T.
on 10/13/08 1:28 am - Logan, UT

RNY on 10/27/08

Thanks for the tips. I know that they work too. I HATE exercising, mostly because it usually triggers my asthma pretty quick. However in high school i was introduced to power lifting. I got in the HABIT my junior yr lifting weights 5 days a week for 45 mins and setting goals every 6 weeks. In my senior yr I wanted to take the class twice a day. The school wouldn't let me so I signed up to be a classroom aid to the Coach and was able to lift 1.5 hours a day and then went out for track throwing shot put and discus and lifting even more during track season - the results I had even being overweight at 315 were immense! It was intoxicating. It my my goal to get back into that habit as soon as I am release by my surgeon.

I bookmarked the stronglift.com web site so that I can read up on proper lift techniques and get a good resfresher as it has been 17 years.

Thanks!

Seht
on 10/13/08 9:30 am

RNY on 01/22/08

I was just talking with my wife about this last night. The fact that I have managed to buy a gym membership and actually maintain my attendance for almost 2 years now is one of the things I am most proud of when it comes to my weight loss. I have dedicated myself to going, I get up early every day before work, and I feel good when I do.

Previously the gym would have just been a place for me to waste money every month. Now it's a place where I am getting healthy, stronger, faster. I actually like going to the gym. I still hate running, but I do it, because it has become habit and I want to get better at it. I see running as a barrier for me, and I am not going to lose to it. So I keep doing it. I guess it comes from the years of high school being the fat kid and having to run laps. I'm not sure I will ever come to like it, but I damn sure won't let it beat me down like it did in school.

Scott