Over the last 3 weeks, I’ve shared a lot of tips that I’ve found to be really effective in supporting regular exercise programs and in helping countless people I know achieve their fitness and weight loss goals. Just to recap all the things we’ve chatted about as , here’s a list of…
The BEST TIPS AND TRICKS for BUILDING The EXERCISE HABIT… and STICKING TO IT!
- Start small – you don’t have to go for an hour 4 times a week for your exercise to count. Begin with 10 minutes a day, and progress when you’re ready
- Progress comes later. Starting off with too much too soon can be the demise of many well-intentioned plans.
- Don’t forget your NEAT calories! All the things you can do on a daily basis to keep active really do add up!
- Just get out the door. Lacing up your shoes is all it takes to get started!
- Don’t skip a day – especially when you’re on a roll! Use that momentum to your advantage and keep going!!
- Allow an “active rest” day (with a quick walk, a different type of activity than what you’re used to, or stretch session) rather than a completely skipped day.
- Start your day with exercise – before anything can get in the way. If that doesn’t work for you, find a time of day that DOES, and be consistent with that.
- Reward yourself. Also, think about how your regular exercise actually IS a reward!
- Look at the positive cues that support your exercise habit and identify the negative ones that sabotage you. Supporting the positive and fixing the negative equals success.
- Have a goal in mind. Whether it’s really specific or rather simple, keep a goal as a motivator that sparks your fire.
- Know how to self-motivate. Be as good at talking yourself INTO your workouts as you used to be at talking yourself OUT of them!
- Focus on fitness – not on weight
- Don’t let yourself get bored!! Mix it up!
Has there been something on this list that really resonated with you? Over the course of the challenge, what personal tips and tricks have you uncovered? Have you been able to get 10 minutes of exercise every day of the challenge??
Post your comments, inspirations, obstacles and insights for all of us to learn from! That’s what I’ve tried to do with the last 20 days of the blog… whether it’s been posting a workout for you or sharing the tips that I’ve found helpful, it’s all about supporting each other and learning how to make it all work in the end!!
My biggest motto from this would be at least “do SOMETHING active today…big or small. If I do just one little thing, it helps me do a little bit more.
The thought of “an hour a day, everyday” was always off putting, but breaking it down into smaller chunks really helps…10 minutes here, 10 minutes there, that is do-able.
And mixing it up…I really do need to change it up to keep myself interested. I’ve got some of the workouts printed out, and my next thing will be to print out each exercise on a sheet of paper…then have three piles (upper + lower + core) then I’ll always be able to play a little exercise roulette when I pick one from a pile!