How to Make Fitness a Habit
What do you do every day without even thinking about it. You might have to actually pause for a moment to recall precisely because you don’t think about it! Those actions and activities are so deeply ingrained into your routine and muscle memory that it simply wouldn’t occur to you NOT to do them - brushing your teeth, making a pot of coffee/tea in the morning, pulling up your favorite news site when you sit down at your desk, etc.
Consistent Fitness is a Habit
Just like those things we do without even considering otherwise, fitness can be developed into such a habit as well. It takes effort and time, but you can build a habit of fitness so solid that showing up at the gym is just automatic.
To build a habit, you want to make it easy and make it rewarding from the very start. We know that results like building muscle, losing weight, etc will take some time, but for the purpose of habit building, we need to be rewarded in some way right from the get-go. That reward can be super simple and small, but it needs to be something.
Making a Fitness Routine Easy
Ok, so we make it easy. Find a time of day that works for you every day. Is it first thing in the morning? Is it over your lunch hour? Is it immediately after work before you get home and onto the couch? Figure out the best time of day for you to get the workout in and then scan for any obstacles that need to be removed. If your plan is to workout at 5:30am, what do you need to do the night before to ensure that you get out the door on time?
Set out your gym clothes or pack your gym bag the night before
Prep the morning coffee and put it on a timer so it’s ready to go when you get up
Get to bed early so you get enough sleep
Set an alarm (or two)
Making a Fitness Routine Rewarding
And then we make it rewarding right out of the gate. Now when I say the reward can be super simple and small, I mean it. But that doesn’t mean it’s not effective. If you want to spend money on this reward, you can, but you absolutely don’t have to.
Looking forward to that first cup of coffee after a morning workout
Cranking your favorite band in the car on the way home from the gym
Literally high-fiving yourself!
Find a yummy protein powder to enjoy post workout
Building a fitness routine into a habit does take time, but it’s time well spent. One day you’ll head to the gym without even thinking about it because it’s just what you do! But to get started and make it stick, make it easy and make it immediately rewarding.
