Everyone knows regular exercise and physical movement is vitally important for overall health and well-being, in a variety of different ways. From improving your mental health, to your physical health.
However, everyone goes through struggles to maintain their fitness routines from time to time. And by fitness routine, that can be anything from running a marathon, to simply getting up and moving your body. Whether it’s life getting in the way, not having the motivation to keep going, or an injury. Switch up your mindset when it comes to exercise and do what’s right for you – and what’s achievable for you right now.
Getting a fitness habit to stick, without it feeling overwhelming can be hard. Here are a few tips to hep you make a fitness habit stick more long-term…
Know Your Limits
Knowing your limits when it comes to fitness and exercise is the best place to start. Especially if you want it to stick long-term. Everyone’s limits will be completely different so focus on what YOU can do.
Also, remember exercise doesn’t mean you have to be running for miles, or weight lifting in the gym 5 times a week. For some, it might simply be walking around the garden once or twice a day with or without walking aids.
Find out what your limit is and try to add in a little extra every time you do it. A few extra steps, swimming a little faster, running for a little longer…etc.
Have A Goal In Mind
If you have a goal to work for, it makes it so much easier to aim for. Being able to tick off the days as you get closer to reaching it.
One of the best ways of getting self-motivated to be consistent with a fitness habit, would be to focus on a specific event. A race perhaps. Or even being able to walk your daughter down the aisle at her wedding without the need for mobility aids.
We all have particular landmark events and situations that stand out to us and naturally, we want to be able to rise to the occasion for these events in our lives. It also helps when aiming for something like this.
When you’re consistent with exercise, it will start to feel easier over time as you get more used to it. Also as it’s become part of your routine. If you can fit it into your daily lifestyle without really noticing it then that’s what’ll make it last. Like brushing your teeth, or having a wash. Not things you probably enjoy but you do it out of habit – and wanting to be clean!
Find A Form Of Exercise You Enjoy
All too often, people get into the habit of viewing exercise as some kind of gruelling form of self-punishment that they have to suffer through for the sake of their health.
But while exercise can be exhausting, and you might not always be in the mood to get moving, there are all sorts of forms of exercise and physical movement out there – and some of them are bound to be more enjoyable for you than others.
In order to get a fitness habit to stick, find an activity you actually enjoy. There are so many different things to choose from. If you don’t enjoy sitting on an exercise bike, then don’t! However, if you love dancing then do that as your exercise.
Although ladies, doing your pelvic floor exercises will massively help with your dancing here too! Dancing is as much “cardio” as jogging is. Don’t force yourself to sit on an exercise bike, or go for a run if you hate that form of exercise.
Use A Habit Tracker
Whenever you are trying to establish any habit – and a fitness habit is certainly no exception here – using a tracker and trying your best to create a decent habit streak can be a very powerful and rewarding approach.
At the same time, start your habit small so that you are not disheartened or put off at an early stage, but can rather get that habit properly entrenched before making it more difficult.
Whatever your reason to get fit, or to exercise more, we hope these tips will help you make your fitness habits stick.
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