How to Get Into the Habit of Working Out

Did you know that regular exercise can increase your energy, prevent illness, and help you live longer?

Chances are, yes, you know these facts. In fact, you’ve probably been beaten over the head with them. You’re motivated to start exercising, except you don’t know where to begin.

Maybe the thought of changing your lifestyle is overwhelming, or maybe you’ve tried (and failed) to work out regularly in the past.

That’s okay- we’ve all been there! Every single runner, dancer, and weightlifter started from the exact same place you’re in.

Here’s how to make exercise a habit and to incorporate fitness into your daily routine.

1. Define your “why.”

It’s hard to change any behavior without a clear idea of why you want or need to change it.

Everyone has a motivation for working out. Do you want to start exercising so you have more energy to keep up with your kids? Are you trying to lose weight? Or are you simply looking to improve your overall health?

No matter your reason, this will be your primary incentive. Write it down and feel free to refer to it whenever you need an extra boost of motivation!

2. Choose a physical activity that you like

One of the most crucial ways to ensure you’ll want to stick to your workout plan is to pick a type of exercise that you enjoy.

Do you love socializing and feel more motivated around other people? Join a group fitness class. Is the great outdoors your calling? Try jogging, biking, or hiking. Do you love EDM music and crave an intense workout? Try a spin class! If you’re a former athlete or thrive off of competition, join a local sports league.

There isn’t a one size fits all type of exercise. Different people will naturally gravitate to different things depending on their personality. If you choose an activity you look forward to, you’ll be that much more motivated to stick to your exercise routine.

3. Pick a workout schedule that works for you.

Before committing to a workout plan, take an honest look at your weekly schedule. How much free time do you have? How many days per week are you able to exercise?

In addition to determining the frequency of your workouts, take into account when you have the most energy. If you’re a night owl, you’re not going to be successful sticking to schedule that has you heading to the gym at 5 o’clock in the morning. Conversely, if you like going to bed early, you’re not going to feel excited about going for a jog at 8pm.

When creating your workout schedule, beware of these common pitfalls:

Don’t do too much at once.

While it might be tempting to jump right in and work out 7 days per week, make a commitment that you’re able to stick to.

A good rule of thumb when beginning is to calculate how many days you are able to work out and subtract 1. Once you find yourself making all of your workouts for a month, add that extra day back in.

Choose a workout plan aimed towards your level of experience.

When I first started bodybuilding, I chose a workout plan designed for elite weightlifters. To no one’s surprise but my own, the plan was too hard for me to follow. Sore and frustrated, I could barely stand after my first leg day and had to give up and start over after only two workouts.

When exercising regularly for the first time (or the first time in a long while), start easy and work your way up. You’ll see much better results in the long run!

4. Set a SMART goal.

A clear, well-written goal is the first step to building a regular habit.

The best way to create a fitness goal is to use the SMART goal framework. “SMART” is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Based.

Here are a few examples of SMART goals that apply to health and exercise:

I want to have more energy to play with my children, so I’m going to start running again. Because I haven’t ran since college, I’m going to get back into it while following a Couch to 5K program. The program starts me off running 3 times per week; I plan on running each morning after I drop my kids off at school. I will monitor my progress using this free Couch to 5K app. After 8 weeks, I will be able to finish a 5K without stopping.

I want to get stronger. To accomplish that goal, I will go to the gym and lift weights three times per week for one hour per day after I get off of work. By the end of the year, I want to be able to deadlift 200 pounds. I plan on measuring my progress every month by calculating my one rep max during each of my workouts.

These are fantastic examples of goals that fit the SMART framework. They are specific, realistic, and provide a way to track progress with a firm end date. Both of these individuals are well on track to achieve their desired results.

Here is an example of another exercise goal that does not fit the SMART framework:

I’ve decided to lose some weight. I don’t really know how much I want or need to lose, but I want to look hot like I did during my senior year of high school. To lose weight, I’m going to eat less during the week and complete online yoga classes whenever I get the chance.

The person who wrote this goal does not have a specific idea of what they want to accomplish, nor do they have a well-defined action plan or a realistic end date. Therefore, it’s unlikely that they will be successful in achieving their goal.

Once you define why you want something, what you want to accomplish, and develop a roadmap to monitor your progress along the way, you’ll be unstoppable!

5. Show up.

Habits develop through repetition.

Think about some other habits that you may already have incorporated into your daily routine, like showering or brushing your teeth. Once you started doing those tasks regularly (most likely when you were a child), they became a natural part of your daily life. However, it probably took a few months of regular reminders from Mom before those habits became intuitive actions.

During the beginning of your workout routine, set daily reminders on your phone to ensure you don’t forget your new goal. If you’re less technologically inclined, you could also write post-it notes reminding yourself to exercise and leave them in strategic places to help you remember.

Another great way to help make the habit development process more seamless is to make it as easy as possible to complete a workout. If you’re aiming to go for regular runs in the morning, set aside a running outfit and sneakers by your bedroom door the night before. You can also pre-pack a gym bag and leave it in your car to make the transition between work and gym smooth and hassle-free.

6. Keep track of your progress.

How can you know that you’re successfully building a habit if you don’t track your results?

In November 2017, I learned that I was medically obese. Because I had some medical issues that put me at higher risk for a whole host of other problems, I decided to lose weight and set a goal to compete in a bodybuilding competition one year later in November 2018.

A couple months into my weight loss journey, I was frustrated with my perceived lack of progress. Even though I was getting stronger every day and slowly starting to lose weight, I didn’t see much of a physical change in my appearance. To combat this, I started to take daily progress pictures.

While I didn’t see much of a change each day when I looked into the mirror, I could see a huge difference even when I compared progress photos taken every couple of weeks.

Whenever I felt down about my lack of progress, I started to refer to those progress photos to remind me of how far I had come.

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If you’re beginning a fitness routine mainly for health, wellness, or strength benefits as opposed to weight loss, try an alternative method of keeping track of your progress. Many people log their runs or workouts using various apps or workout trackers. You can also keep a workout journal or build a workout log in your Notes app.

7. Ask your family and friends to hold you accountable.

Once you commit to a workout routine, tell your friends and family! Not only will your network cheer you on, they’ll help hold you accountable to your new goal.

If you don’t feel comfortable enlisting the help of your social circle, try joining a subreddit like r/fitness, r/weightroom, or another online forum dedicated to the physical activity of your choice. Sometimes it’s easier to open up to supportive strangers! Plus, you can always ask the forums for helpful tips and tricks to help you improve.

8. Master self-discipline.

Let’s be honest- there will be days when you don’t want to continue with your new fitness routine. Don’t worry; that’s totally normal.

If you hit a dip in motivation, don’t be discouraged. It’s natural for your motivation levels to ebb and flow. If you rely solely on motivation to help you stick to your routine, you’re not going to be successful. Instead, you need to develop self-discipline.

A key component to self-discipline is being able to master procrastination and distraction. If you find yourself missing workouts, ask yourself this question: what is keeping you from completing your goal?

Sometimes life will throw curveballs that prevent you from hitting your health and fitness goals. Maybe you catch a bad cold and miss a week of workouts while recovering. Perhaps a last-minute work emergency captures your attention for a few days, and you forget to complete your morning workout.

Understandably, you can’t control emergencies. Don’t let setbacks discourage you. While consistency is key to developing good habits, give yourself some leniency when you need it. Jump back on your workout plan and keep going.

However, be honest with yourself- are you missing workouts because of procrastination or because you’re making excuses? If that’s the case, go back to Step 1 and revisit your “why.” Remember what motivated you to begin exercising in the first place. If that reason is still important to you, stop procrastinating and start making choices that align with your priorities.