Without even realizing it, we form habits all the time. Maybe you take the same route to work each morning, or you go to bed around the same time each night. Perhaps you’ve made a habit out of a certain kind of activity, like watching movies on the weekend or jumping on your phone when you get bored. As humans, we are naturally creatures of habit — which means you can use this to your advantage!
To reach long-lasting success on the journey toward improved weight and health, exercise is an important habit to develop. But don’t worry, you’ve got this! Exercise is essential to maintaining optimal health because it releases endorphins, builds energy, burns excess calories and boosts our body’s natural processes – like metabolism, for example. So, if you’re committed to the weight management journey, exercise needs to be a part of your lifestyle!
Make Exercise a Habit with these Tips:
- First, make the decision to commit to exercise – Your mind has to determine the importance of exercise before you can begin practicing it!
- Find what motivates you – Discovering your motivation will encourage you to set long-term exercise goals that will be difficult to break.
- Create a list of detailed goals – Your goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Be fair to your body, to your mind and to your schedule , but also believe in your capabilities! Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself and test your limits. Just be sure to set goals that are healthy and possible to reach – even if it takes time.
- Develop a plan – A well-thought-out plan is more likely to keep you on track than one that is general and unspecific. Determine how often you want to exercise and what type of exercise you want to do. Then, consider the frequency at which you want to exercise and for how long, what time, etc.
- Start with something easy – Turning exercise into a habit might take a while, so consider starting with a simple routine such as walking. Any movement is better than none! You might even try buying a pedometer to track your distance, which might help motovate you. Just begin with what you can do, and then go from there.
Want more advice for turning exercise into a healthy habit? You can read the full article from Your Weight Matters Magazine by CLICKING HERE.
