7 Simple Ways to Make Exercise a Habit

Written by Claire Troy. 

Exercise is an essential part of our lives. It helps you lose weight, maintain your health, prevent disease, fight stress and improve self-confidence.

Sounds pretty incredible, right?

We all know exercise is good for us, but it’s not always easy to make it a part of our daily routine. The key to exercising regularly is to make it a habit where you are no longer thinking about having to do it. You just automatically do it.

Let’s take a look at few tips and tricks that you can use to start making exercise a daily habit:

1. Exercise at the same time each day
By exercising at the same time each day, you allow exercise to become a part of your lifestyle, as well as something permanent in your day. If you don’t exercise at your appointed time, then you may have feelings of guilt, which will help you to get back on track. One of the best times to exercise is in the mornings before work, because you will be beginning your day with an energetic workout, that will help you feel awake and ready to take on the day.

2. Always have your gear ready
The fewer obstacles there are in creating your daily exercise habit, the more chance you have of success. If you have to spend an extra 15 minutes getting ready for the gym, then you might decide to just give it a miss. Instead, have your gear ready the night before, so that you are ready to take off without delay.

3. Write it in your diary
When a task is written down in your diary, you are more likely to complete it. Put exercise on your daily to-do-list and as you go through your day just keep ticking the boxes. Exercise will then feel like just another item on your daily to-do-list that you must tick off.

4. Mix it up and keep it interesting
Not enjoying exercise is one of the leading causes of quitting. Make sure that you keep mixing up your daily workouts so that each day is enjoyable and exciting. Mix hiking, swimming, cycling, climbing, weightlifting, dancing and walking into your daily exercise routines so that you stay motivated.

5. Join a sporting team or club
A great way to make daily exercise a habit is by joining a sports team or sports club. You wouldn't want to let your team down!

6. Have a reliable exercise buddy
A reliable workout buddy is not only a fun way to exercise, but they also help you to feel accountable. You wouldn't want to let your exercise buddy down by skipping a workout, and you wouldn't want your exercise buddy to have a poor workout because you are not there to push them. Together you can motivate each other to exercise daily and train hard. If you cannot find an exercise buddy, then a personal trainer can also encourage you to workout daily.

7. Don't skip a day
Consistency is key to forming habits. So be consistent and don’t skip a day of training. Of course, take rest days but if you have scheduled exercise into your day, then make sure you complete it. With each week it will become easier and easier until exercise is a habit rather than a forced activity.

This post was written by Claire Troy. Claire is a health coach and freelance writer from Melbourne, Australia. She has been working in the health and fitness industry for over 5 years, providing support and advice to those in need.