We know that exercise has mental, physical, and health benefits. When you exercise, you can uplift your mood, reduce your risk of illness, and get better sleep. It may even help you live longer.
Yet, if exercise isn’t already a part of your routine, it can be difficult to start fitting extra physical activity into your life. And after you do start – how will you be able to sustain the exercise in a way that will create lasting results?
Consider these benefits of exercise, as well as tips to create a sustainable fitness routine.
Benefits of Exercising:
- Helps to prevent weight gain or maintain weight loss
- Helps to prevent health issues including high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, and anxiety
- Improves your mood
- Helps to manage blood sugar and insulin
- Boosts energy
- Improves your sleep
Use these tips to exercise consistently and create lasting results:
1. Start with 10 minutes or less.
When you start with something new like exercise, you want to make it as easy as possible to get started. Limiting your first sessions to five to ten minutes will help you start showing up so that you can transition into the routine of exercising.
2. Make it easy so it works for you.
Having it planned beforehand will reduce putting up any excuses to start. This way, when it comes time to exercise, you’re already on the path of least resistance.
- Set a specific time and place to exercise.
- Put your workout clothes in a specific, open place.
- Prepare your food, shoes, and hydration the night before.
3. Link the exercise with something you already need to do.
You can also combine exercise with a task you already do throughout your day.
- Walk or ride a bike to work.
- Jog to your errands (I wouldn’t recommend quick running for beginners).
- Listen to an audiobook or podcast while you exercise.
- Exercise while watching your favorite television show.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
4. Announce your goal to someone who’s already into fitness to hold you accountable.
While you may feel motivated to tell your friends or family that you’re about to start your fitness journey, you have higher chances of actually sticking to it when you tell someone whose level of expertise on the matter is higher than yours, so their expectations of your progress can inspire you to take action.
5. Don’t think of it as something you have to do, but rather something you want to do.
When you look at exercise as something you have to do, you rob yourself of enjoying the process. Find the activity that will keep you coming for more, whether that’s HIIT, pilates, functional training, or something else.
6. Choose consistency over intensity.
What will happen when you are stressed, ill, or injured? To avoid burning out and losing your motivation to exercise, choose to be consistent with your exercise instead of sticking to a rigid “all or nothing” plan. If cardio or strength training seem too hard to do today, you can try yoga or a stretching session instead.
7. Accept progress over perfection.
Your fitness journey will not be linear. If you focus on trying to be perfect, you run the risk of feeling like you are not progressing at all. If you feel like you’re not progressing, you may find it hard to stay motivated. Realize that any progress is good!
8. Track numbers and progression.
Studies show that writing goals, measuring progress, and establishing rewards lead to success. When you keep track of your progression, you can identify what you would like to improve or focus on.
- Plus, you can see the progress you’ve made over a given time, which can motivate you to keep going!
- You can use an app or notebook to track your numbers and progression. If you track your weight, remember numbers on the scale can and will fluctuate from day to day, and that’s perfectly normal. So don’t punish yourself if you see a higher number than the day before; real, long-lasting results take time.
9. Think about the benefits.
Permanent change comes from reminding yourself of the benefits associated with achieving your goals.
- What benefits will you reap by achieving your fitness goals? Maybe you will get more energy, lose weight, or feel more confident.
- Remind yourself why you wanted to start exercising in the first place.
10. Reward yourself.
A reward will help train your brain to look forward to exercising and help you achieve your goal. Watch the movie you’ve been wanting to watch for a while, get yourself new clothes, play a video game, go on a date, you name it. What matters is knowing you earned it.
Exercise can greatly benefit your life. Don’t be afraid to start small as you begin working exercise into your daily life.
