After years of delusion, I came to the realization that the only relationship worth having with exercise is turning it into a consistent ever-present part of your life. Otherwise, it makes no sense.
Being on and off is not only ineffective, but it also adds unnecessary stress to the body.
So the question is not only how to start exercising, but also how to make it a life-long habit.
And as always I investigated the topic and researched for you. And hopefully, these 13 ideas will give you the motivation to work out and stick with it! Let’s get to it!
How to exercise and make it your life-long habit?
1. From now on you will be realistic about your expectations
If exercising is not natural to you but you finally got inspired with a major goal in mind, there is a big possibility that you will achieve it. But can you keep the result?
As soon as you reach your final numbers, you will be faced with a harsh reality – you must continue to maintain the result.
No matter how much you want to look a certain way (and let’s be honest, most of the time it is all about the look) if consistent exercising is not part of your life, you will NEVER be able to sustain these parameters.
So what do you think you can maintain? How much effort REALISTICALLY can you put into exercising in order to make it your lifelong friend?
2. You will start with small steps
Start slow, even ridiculously slow – is the most valuable advice you can give to someone who never exercises. So, please, leave your Napoleon’s plans behind and be realistic.
When your body is not used to exercising there is a higher chance you do more harm than good.
Not only it’s very easy to injure an unprepared body, but starting to work out aggressively will lead to sooner burnout.
You don’t have to attack exercising. Remember, we are trying to keep it, so don’t scare it away with your violent enthusiasm.
3. From now on you are saying goodbye to all-or-nothing mentality
It is a now well-known fact that the “all-or-nothing” attitude is a direct way to failure. “If you can’t do it 100 percent why ever start at all.”
If we assume that you are a human, not a machine, how long do you think you can last with such an approach to exercising?
Let’s say you can’t make it to the regular one-hour workout today because of an unexpected meeting. Does it mean you have to ditch it completely?
How about instead, you choose to do at least something. 20 minutes of cardio on a treadmill is better than nothing, do you agree?
It is all about the numerous small decisions you make every day. It is the mindset of not starting over tomorrow or on Monday, but seeing what can you do today at this particular moment.
4. Exercise can and will become enjoyable for you
For most people exercising is associated with something unpleasant. But it doesn’t have to be like that.
If you suffer during your workouts or you don’t enjoy them – you are choosing the wrong type of exercise.
Look at the children and notice how they take pure enjoyment in running, playing games and staying active. They don’t seem to have problems with that. So why do we?
In order to motivate yourself to workout you should find something that you like.
When adopting a workout to your personal interests ask yourself a few questions:
- Do I prefer to exercise inside or outside?
- Do I like to exercise at home by myself or be surrounded by others?
- How far am I willing to travel for my workouts?
- Do I like group classes?
Think outside of the box and find things that can be enjoyable and fun for you.
Which one do you think you would enjoy?
- Walking/hiking
- Jogging (outside or treadmill)
- Biking (alone or with a group)
- Doing swimming laps in the pool (ocean, lake, etc)
- Games (football, soccer, tennis, etc)
- Group classes (yoga, pilates, cycling, etc)
- Weight lifting
- Short (up to 30 mins) daily workouts from YouTube
- Short cardio workouts using a staircase
- Outside workout (park, beach)
- Dancing (zumba, latin, hip hop)
- Rollerblading, skateboarding
- Skiing, snowboarding
- Kayaking, paddle-boarding
5. Choosing shorter but more frequent workouts is now your new strategy
In order to exercise correctly you should choose regularity over intensity. Shorter but more frequent workouts are proven to be more efficient and more lasting. It is also easier psychologically to agree on a shorter session.
My workouts do not exceed 20-30 minutes which makes it easier for me to do them more frequently. Negotiating with myself these types of short but frequent workouts made it possible for me to finally implement physical exercise in my life on a regular basis and start to exercise daily.
6. Overexercising is the wrong way to go and you know it
In order to exercise correctly you should choose regularity over intensity. Shorter but more frequent workouts are proven to be more efficient and more lasting. It is also easier psychologically to agree on a shorter session.
I remember once going to a very intense group class. Because of the instructor and peer pressure, I pushed myself beyond my limits.
Yes, at the end of the class, I was satisfied and very proud of myself. But when the same class came up in my schedule the next week, it brought up painful memories. There was no chance I come back to repeat that.
7. You are choosing to be more flexible - good for you
Very often you find recommendations to schedule your workouts ahead of time and stick with them. Although it can help some people, for the vast majority it doesn’t work.
I find that when exercising schedule is too rigid, there are more chances to drop out completely.
How about instead, you try to go with the flow and make it intuitive?
When you are more flexible it means that
- You don’t have to skip the whole day just because you missed a certain window
- You can adjust your workout session depending on the structure of each day
- You listen to your body and you are more in tune with its needs for physical movement.
8. You can't compare yourself with others anymore, because you are unique
If you want physical activity to be your good friend for many many years, you have to learn how to forgive yourself for your weaknesses.
As counter-intuitive as it sounds, accepting yourself for who you are is the most direct path to your personal growth and improvement.
As much as you admire some fitness influencers, their perseverance and diligence, you must admit that you are a different person who doesn’t possess the same qualities they do. And that’s ok. Because they are not you either.
Once you learn who you are and what are your limits, you will clearly know WHAT, HOW, and WHEN will work for you. Then finding the best way to take care of your body will be easy.
9. It will stop being complicated for you
Making a strategic plan, searching for a series of workout routines, scouting for a perfect set of gear, following fitness bloggers and influencers – is just a game of procrastination that only builds unnecessary tension around something that is very accessible and easy.
Exercising is simple, and you don’t need anyone or anything to start TODAY. Just do what feels good for your body, what you know you can enjoy and that can last you a long time
10. You know that engaging plus one can help
For many people, a good way to start working out is to find a company. Make it more interesting by bringing someone else on board with you, and committing to the one-day-a-week deal.
Choose a day and time and turn it into a ritual for two of you. It can be a Tuesday night cycling class or Sunday morning yoga followed by brunch. Put it in the schedule and make it a priority.
11. You are smart enough to trick yourself
Almost all the time the hardest part of the workout is making yourself go there. Pushing can only create more resistance. But tricking yourself into the gym can work.
Very often all you need in order to get motivated to workout is to gently talk yourself into it.
When I find myself resistant to exercise I take the next approach.
I tell myself that today I am only going to walk on a treadmill for 5 minutes (better something than nothing). And I give myself honest permission to leave at any time.
Of course, most of the time I find enough energy to stay for the whole duration of my workout. And I do have sometimes moments when I leave after 5 minutes, but it happens rarely.
12. You will now start counting the benefits
Exercise to lose weight is only one of the numerous motivations we can name. We must admit – staying physically active does magic not only to our appearance but also to our health and our mood.
Keeping in mind the countless benefits of exercising can and will motivate you.
One of the biggest motivations for me is how I feel after. Prone to anxieties and panic attacks, I almost forgot about them when I started working out consistently.
That being said, regular exercise:
-makes you feel great,
-improves your mood,
-helps with anxieties,
-balances your hormones,
-makes you stronger,
-energizes you,
-improves focus and concentration,
-keeps you healthy and prevents diseases,
-and much more.
13. You know that there is nothing to overthink here
The less you think about your workouts, the better. Stop planning how long you are going to exercise, what kinda workout you are going to do, or how intense it will be – just get out the door. Once you are out – your workout is happening.
Giving excessive attention to exercising in your life is absolutely unnecessary. Unless you are a fitness model or a coach there is no reason to make such a big deal of it.
From now on it is just a mundane part of your life that helps you to stay healthy and fit. That’s all.
