Starting a new exercise habit can be so tough. I mean, you KNOW it’s good for you. you WANT to be that person. You might have even gone out and bought new workout gear to get you motivated! But then it doesn’t happen… Or you start off well, but it just doesn’t last.
This is something I coach many people through. It IS tough.
Here are some of my favourite tried & tested tips.
1. Start small. Like, I’m talking 10% of your ideal exercise goal small.
- Ask yourself ‘What is the SMALLEST amount of movement that I could do?’
- Getting out of bed and doing 10 squats?
- Walking to the letterbox and back?
- You want it to be such a tiny amount that it would be RIDICULOUS for you NOT to do it.
- Then, you go ahead and treat it like you’re doing a hardcore 60minute sweaty workout.
- Put your gear on.
- Grab your water bottle.
- Now go and do your tiny thing.
- Don’t forget to give yourself a pat on the back when you’re done.
- Action precedes motivation. Not the other way around.
2. Just start (& put your shoes on)
- Pulling yourself away from all of the other things you could be doing, just to exercise, can feel like a drag. Especially if that thing is sleeping in a warm cosy bed.
- Our brains are VERY good at convincing us that we shouldn’t exercise; that it’s too cold, that we’re not feeling 100%, we’re too tired, this other thing is more important…
- When you find yourself going to down this rabbit hole, try this:
- Just put your shoes on 👟
- When we just commit to getting our workout gear and shoes on, and anchor our thoughts just on this action alone, the rest of the steps often follow (literally and figuratively!)
3. Cue yourself
- We’ve all been there.
- WE start the day or week with such good intentions, but then life gets int he way and derails us.
- We know logically that we have ‘time’ to do the work, but another day passes and we jut haven’t managed to find it.
- When you find yourself here, try this:
- Cue yourself!
- You can try a visual cue, like your yoga mat rolled out, or a post it note on the mirror.
- Or you can cue yourself with an alarm on your phone.
- Get good at the responding to that cue, and the hard work is done!
4. Habit Stacking
- Just waiting for the opportunity to present itself for your to do some exercise – whether that’s strength training, a run or your pelvic floor exercises – is not a great move. There needs to be some conscious planing involved. This is one of my favourite ‘scheduling’ techniques when it comes to helping my physio clients fit their exercises in: Habit Stacking.
- I know you’ve heard this one before. When we hear something a lot, we can start to minimise its value. But honestly, this one can be a game changer.
- To stack your habits, think about your day and pick something that is consistently already a part of your routine. Now try ‘piggybacking’ an exercise habit onto this already consistent habit.
- Here are 5 of my favourites:
- A walk around the block before you check the mail.
- A short 10min circuit while the kettle is boiling in the morning.
- Your pelvic floor exercises before you jump in the shower (or while you’re in the shower if you’re up to doing them in standing!)
- Calf raises or single leg standing while you’re brushing your teeth
- Chin tucks at the traffic lights
- Do you have a favourite habit stack?
5. Treat yourself
- Struggling to kickstart your exercise routine? You need to treat yo self
- This tip is one of the most underestimated of the bunch, in my opinion.
- The habit loop is a psychological framework comprising three components: Cue (trigger), routine (behavior), and reward
- A lot of what I’ve shared already has been around the ‘cue’.
- But what about the reward? I know we’re adults, but that doesn’t mean we’re past a little bribery, am I right?!
- When I ask women what their reward will be, they often say something like “how great I’ll feel for having done the exercise”.
- I do love this, BUT…tbh, It’s just not enough. We need something tangible. Something that we can look forward to.
- I love rewarding myself with things like:
- A coffee with my husband
- Some quiet journalling time
- A yummy lunch
- A shower
- But you get to pick. You can even reward yourself with another task that you really want to get done, and you’re tempted to do before you exercise. But you and I both know that probably won’t happen 😉
- What’s your favourite post-exercise reward?
6. Plan Ahead
- Getting started with exercise and staying consistent can be tough. It can be tempting to just take the days as they come, and wait for the opportunity to arise, but honestly, more most people, this is rarely effective.
- One of the most important things you can do to find time for exercise is actually sit down and find the time! This is why I always suggest my clients: Plan Ahead
- I know it’s boring but, just like meals, planning your workouts ahead of time will increase your chances of success significantly.
- Here are my top tips:
- 💮 Be realistic – feel free to go ahead and schedule all of the exercise you’d LIKE to fit in, but put a little * next to the sessions that are non-negotionables so that you are clear on your bare minimum (50% of your ideal is a good starting point)
- 💮 Actually put them in your schedule -whether you’re a paper or digital gal, actually scheduling your session in like appointments will increase the likelihood of them getting done
- 💮 Share you plan with the people who need to know – your family, your work colleagues – whoever needs to know. Articulating your plan and making your intention to prioritise exercise clear will help you stay on track (and it’s not a bad example to set for those around you too!)
7. Increase your Accountability
- One of the most effective ways to force consistency in exercise, is by increasing your accountability.
- This creates a sense of responsibility and commitment to someone other than yourself. When you know that someone is checking in on your progress or that you’re part of a group with shared goals, it becomes harder to skip workouts or fall off track. The support and encouragement from others can also motivate you to push through challenges, helping you stay focused and maintain a routine even when your personal motivation dips. Ultimately, accountability adds a layer of structure and external motivation that can be crucial for building long-term exercise habits.
- Accountability can look different, depending on who you are and what your’e into.
- It could look like:
- Having a high energy dog to keep you walking, or organising to meet a friend a few times a week for a long walk and talk (🙋🏼♀️ this is my go to)
- Booking an exercise class (with a really harsh cancellation policy 😂)
- Paying someone to train you 1:1 (the most expensive, but hardest to get out of!)
- Finding a community of people with similar goals – this is one of my favourite things about the GLOW10 Tribe. I really can’t get over how effective an online community can be for accountability, when the goals are aligned.
- You get to choose. Start by thinking of the routine you want to implement. Then decide how you can add a little accountability to make it WAY harder to get out of!
- What’s your favourite way to stay accountable with exercise?
8. Track & Celebrate
- We often measure how close we are to our goals by looking forward 👉🏼
- But we really can’t measure progress without looking back at how far we’ve come 👈🏼
- 💮 Tracking your exercise – even the tiny, seemingly insignificant sessions – allows you to see how far you’ve come and can be hugely motivating
- 💮 Recording your efforts can also help with efficiency as you faff around less trying to remember which weight you should be picking up for which exercise
- 🏆 When you do look back – don’t forget to celebrate your progress. We can often just move the goal posts as we get closer, robbing ourselves of the sense of achievement we should be celebrating.
- Track & Celebrate baby. You deserve it!
Give these a go and let me know if it helps 💙