Many fitness experts say that getting into shape is about reframing the idea of exercise to get into a growth mindset and reap the physical and mental health benefits. It could also be argued that getting in shape is about committing to exercise, making it a healthy habit.
There is indeed a strong connection between the mental blocks or inhibitions that get a person motivated to make exercise a habit, but there are a lot of lifestyle mechanisms that can be set up to make exercise appealing and accessible on a daily.
Deciding to find the time to stay in shape is the first step to creating a new habit, next comes finding the right kind of exercise, the time and eliminating excuses like not having enough time or feeling tired.
Making exercise a habit is also a play on creating a healthy relationship with exercise, why are you doing it? And what kind of exercise are you doing? Your free time is to be enjoyed, make sure that exercise is adding value and positivity to your health goals.
Eliminate The Mental Blocks
Ultimately when the moment comes to do exercise today or not, it is the mental block that bars you from putting on your leggings and running shoes. When this happens, identify why you are telling yourself not to work out today.
Is it because there is too much work? Not enough time? Do you feel tired? These are of course respectable answers, but if this is how you feel every day then it becomes an issue of self-accountability.
Having too much work can make it hard to make mental time for yourself, but in reality, even taking 30 minutes to get some steps in or do a quick online workout will help you come back to work feeling more focused. The same goes for not having enough time, there are too many quick HIIT workouts that can be done from anywhere, even deskercise, to say there isn't time every day.
Making exercise a habit is about consistency, even just moving your body for an extra 10 to 15 minutes will help you build the habit on days when time is short. You may feel surprised how exercise ends up energizing you when you are feeling tired, a quick workout can bring back focus and concentration and feedback into the energy look to help you sleep better alone with staying hydrated.
Break down the mental block, it is up to you to choose your health for an extra 15 minutes to an hour a day.
Get Prepared
Instead of relying on the urge or whim to do exercise, plan it out to a T. Expecting the will to move your body to come is a passive way of making a habit, be active instead of deciding to make exercise a part of your day.
Decide what time of the day will work best, what kind of exercise works for that moment and your energy levels. Some days that might be taking a walking lunch and ending with some deskercise while getting back to work. Other days that might mean hitting the gym in the afternoon, or a jog in the morning.
Have your exercise bag, with shoes, clothes, bands, or mats and of course a water bottle for staying hydrated in an accessible place to you. For folks who drive to work, keep it in the car. If your office has a gym, then leave your gym bag near your desk to create the habit.
If you have to, schedule in exercise to your daily a d weekly calendar, no matter how much or little amount of time you can afford to dedicate, at the very least add it to your to-do list.
Find The Right Exercise & Time
Circling back to planning exercise, a very important part is deciding what exercise to do and when opposed to going in blindly.
Making time for exercise no matter if it is an intense cardio workout, a low impact workout or hitting the indoor bike for an extra 20 minutes does not matter. To make it a habit it must be accessible to you.
If you know you have a busy day on Thursdays, let yourself do some active recovery and go for a walk instead of putting pressure on your schedule to go hard. Find the times in your day that exercise helps you the most whether that be waking up in the morning, energizing mid-day or blowing off some steam at the end of the day.
The most important aspect of making exercise a habit is enjoying it. Find the form of physical exercise that makes you feel happy whether it be toning with yoga, swimming, dancing, a team sport or hitting the gym. Making the time to move your body each day is the goal, no matter what form it takes.
