4 Ways to Make Exercise a Habit That Lasts

Exercise is critical for a healthy lifestyle, but it can be hard to establish an exercise routine. There are ways to make exercise a part of your everyday life, though, and help you keep fit. Don’t let yourself get bored doing the same thing day after day. Try these tips!

1. Exercise with Friends

Committing to exercise with another person is one of the best ways to make exercise a habit that lasts. By doing this, you’ve made more than just a commitment to exercise – you’ve made a plan with someone else who you don’t want to let down. Set goals with your exercise buddies and work together to meet them.

Don’t let a broken social engagement derail your exercise agenda, though. Make sure your meet-ups don’t decline and taper off. Committing to your health is the most important thing you can do – and it’s great when friends can do it together!

2. Keep Track of Your Activity

Logging your activity is a great way to make exercise a habit. By writing down what you do each day, you keep yourself accountable and can see if you are back sliding. Keep a thorough tabulation – how far you walked, how many minutes, how much you weighed, etc.

One fun suggestion is to set a big goal – choose a place you would like to run “to” and calculate how many daily runs it will take to get there. Celebrate when you reach your “destination.” Set small landmarks along the way so that you don’t get discouraged. It’s important to exercise every day, and keeping track of your progress can help you feel more committed.

3. Change Your Diet and Exercise at the Same Time

Studies have shown that you get the best results – and have the easiest time maintaining them as a habit – if you change your diet and exercise at the same time. In fact, changing your diet before you change your exercise routine may actually make it harder to get into the groove.

When you change both your diet and exercise, you really feel like you are making a significant lifestyle change. It may seem like a challenge to maintain both, but you’ll see rewards faster and that return will reinforce the changes in both your diet and exercise. Changing your diet and exercise can help create a whole new you!

4. Mix It Up – Try Different Kinds of Exercise

Doing different kinds of exercise can help you make working out a habit. It’s easy to get bored of doing the same kinds of exercise day after day. Try out exercise classes in your neighborhood or take your bike out of the garage.

Integrate activities you like into your exercise – listen to your favorite music while running, or watch TV while on a stationary bike.

Adding some variety in your workout routine can make it into something you look forward to instead of something you dread.

Now that you know how to keep exercising exciting, grab a friend and try something new!

sources: