We all know that exercise is good for us, but too many of us find it hard to keep up a regular exercise routine.
The good news is that there are plenty of ways to make exercise a habit. Try these five tips to get in the habit of working out.
- Make it convenient. You’re much more likely to stick with your workout plan if you can do it without having to change clothes or drive anywhere. If possible, try exercising at home, even if it’s just once or twice a week. If you don’t have space for a treadmill or elliptical machine, try going for walks during your lunch break or taking advantage of local parks and walking trails. Or use some free weights, resistance bands and an exercise ball at home — these items take up little space and can be used for a variety of different exercises.
- Set reminders ahead of time. You might think you’ll remember to go for a walk after dinner or take out the trash on Thursday night — but that’s often not the case when you’re busy doing other things around the house or running errands during the work day. Set reminders on your phone or computer calendar so they’ll pop up at the right time.
- Exercise with someone else who shares your commitment to fitness — this makes it easier to stick with your exercise plan because you have someone depending on you who will hold you accountable if you don’t show up for your workout session together!
- If possible, make your workouts fun by varying them frequently and adding some variety into the mix — this helps keep things interesting and helps prevent boredom from setting in over time (which can be a big barrier to sticking with an exercise routine!).
- Start small. Instead of going for a run every day, try walking every day for two weeks, then increase your distance by 10 percent each week until you’re running 20 minutes per day without feeling fatigued.
