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Want to Make Fitness a Lasting Habit? 5 Strategies That Will Help

When it comes to getting fit, sheer willpower is vastly overrated. Instead, try these five tips to make fitness a habit for life.<br>

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Want to Make Fitness a Lasting Habit? 5 Strategies That Will Help

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  1. Want To Make Fitness A Lasting Habit? 5 Strategies That Will Help By The Doctor Weighs In

  2. Introduction • “You’re so disciplined,” said my wife, trying to be encouraging. I surely wasn’t feeling it this day. When it’s time for one of my three weekly strength-training sessions, I’m normally raring to go. But after a jam-packed week and another shutdown of my gym due to the pandemic, all I wanted was to collapse into a chair with a good book. I knew full well that making fitness a habit is the key to getting in shape or staying that way. Still, my willpower was M.I.A.

  3. Strategies To Help You Make Fitness A Habit • What carried me through was a combination of strategies that can apply not only to exercising but also to any kind of endeavor that requires consistent follow-through.

  4. 1. Harness the power of habit • Once established, habits can step in where willpower falters. Habits are powerful because they’re how we structure our lives. And the more we follow them, the stronger and more automatic they become.   • When you’re in the habit of exercising regularly, your brain will give you a small inner hit of satisfaction every time you mentally check that box. It may also feel “wrong” to skip your workout without a good reason.

  5. 2. Reframe the reward • Willpower doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s fueled largely by your motivation—the reason why you want to exercise. Your willpower reflects how dedicated you are in this moment to making it happen. • If your motivation is compelling, your will to follow through will be that much stronger. For most of us, though, vague, long-term benefits like reducing risks of cancer or dementia simply aren’t that inspiring. The line between action (or inaction) and the consequence is blurry. it’s all too easy to think, “it won’t happen to me.”

  6. 3. Expand your exercise options • Exercise isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition.  If you’re having a low-energy day or simply aren’t in the mood, there’s no law that says you have to cling rigidly to your normal routine. • You could, for example, pick an alternative activity. Don’t want to lift weights? Go for a hike or bicycle ride instead. You can pick up your strength training tomorrow. On the other hand, you could do half your normal workout. That could mean doing fewer exercises, or lifting lighter weights, or doing fewer reps. Once you get going and your blood starts pumping, you may find yourself so invigorated that you end up doing your whole workout after all. • Related Content:  Why the TRX System Provides Terrific Workouts for Women and MenWant a Personal Trainer? Questions to Ask Before Hiring One

  7. 4. Do one small thing instead of nothing • We often assume that motivation and willpower are what lead us to action. But it doesn’t always happen that way. Sometimes a little bit of action, no matter how small, can “prime the pump,” spurring us to do more. It’s a virtuous cycle that starts with action, which reminds you of your motivation and boosts your willpower, leading to more action. • If you want to exercise, but your willpower is flagging, do something to get the ball rolling. Change into your workout clothes. Lace-up your sneakers. Pick out an energizing soundtrack. Do stretches.

  8. 5. Use it or lose it • There is one more mental maneuver I use when my exercise habit needs shoring up. It centers on what behavioral economists call “loss aversion.” • By the way, the principle of “use it or lose it” isn’t just for gym rats. It also applies to those who aren’t exercising.  We lose lean muscle mass and function as early as our thirties, particularly, if we’re not doing something to offset it. Further, the process of losing muscle mass only accelerates as we age.

  9. The bottom line on making fitness a lasting habit • To sum it all up: we expect too much of ourselves when we depend on willpower to help us meet fitness goals. Willpower is temporary and ephemeral. Habit is a much more enduring and reliable foundation for an exercise program. But even deeply rooted habits need to be shored up or adapted now and then. That’s when we need to enlist our mental powers.

  10. Get in Touch Get In Touch The Doctor Weighs In Author: James P. Owen Click Here To Read The Full Article: https://thedoctorweighsin.com/make-fitness-a-habit/ Website:https://thedoctorweighsin.com/ Email:info@thedoctorweighsin.com

  11. Thank You

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