When it comes to exercise I hear people say all the time that they just can’t seem to make it a habit. But why is it that some people can while others “can’t”? I wasn’t always a regular exerciser but I became one. And I think the key to sticking with it is to learn how to actually enjoy exercise.
I’ve always been a physically active person but when I was younger I didn’t have a structured exercise program. I just did what I thought was fun when I wanted to do it. The only real regular exercise I did was walking. But it wasn’t until my mid-30’s that I realized that wasn’t enough for several reasons.
Isn’t that how it usually goes? As we age, things change and we need to adjust!
Maybe you’re nothing like me and have never really been a physically active person. That means you have no experience to draw from if you want to start exercising. So I’d like to share the strategies I’ve learned to enjoy exercise so you can make it a habit for yourself too. Here’s my list of tips:
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- First, educate yourself on why it’s important & prioritize it
- Then find some forms (plural) of exercise you actually enjoy
- Invest in the right equipment
- Engineer your environment to add to the enjoyment of exercise
- Make it social so it’s a hobby you can share with friends
- Schedule it just like any other priority so it gets done
- Start slow and work your way up. Don’t jump in head first!
1) Do we really need to exercise?
I’m not exactly sure what people would say if I asked them this question. But the fact is that most people are NOT exercising regularly so they must not think it’s that necessary. However, the correct answer to this question is YES! We do actually need to exercise our bodies or we will pay a price.
I think the statistics on weight in this country show that we need it more than we think. Over 73% of Americans are now overweight or obese with the larger percentage (42+%) being obese. And that’s a risk factor for all the major diseases we get and die from. So we are paying the price!
Here’s a short list of the benefits of physical activity as reported by the CDC:
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- Improved cognition (thinking), reduced anxiety and depression
- A stronger heart, lower blood pressure, improved cholesterol levels
- Better insulin sensitivity for blood glucose control
- Lowered risk of certain cancers for sure (but maybe all)
- More strength for quality of life and independence
- Slows bone loss lowering the risk of osteoporosis
- Helps with arthritis of the joints
One of the best strategies I have for motivating myself to exercise is to read about its many benefits. That constant education keeps it at the forefront of my mind. It also makes me appreciate my efforts when I’m done and I think it can do the same for you.
One of my favorite books on exercise is called “Younger Next Year for Women” by Crowley & Lodge. They have a version for men too! Really, I can’t recommend it enough! It gives specific scientific data on how and why exercise is important and what happens to your body when you don’t.
After reading this book it’ll be much harder to come up with excuses not to exercise! When you really understand why you must exercise, making it a priority becomes much easier.
2) Find forms of exercise you can enjoy
If you want to enjoy exercise and stick with it for life then you need to find activities you actually like. I can’t stress this enough. I walked when I was younger because it was cheap, easy and convenient. And I loved being outside. But then I got bursitis in my hip and had to give it up.
That was when I decided to go back to my old childhood love of bike riding. I had a cheap Huffy bike that I bought years earlier from Target and it still worked just fine. So think about your personality and consider things you loved doing when you were young. You might actually still enjoy them today!
If you’re not sure what interests you then keep trying new things until you find something you do like, or at least don’t hate! Over time and with practice you might learn to love a new activity because you get better at it. It also gets easier the longer you practice and that makes it more enjoyable too.
But please take this advice! Don’t buy an expensive machine or equipment until you’ve tried it out to make sure you don’t hate it! It’s not worth the money if you’re not motivated to use it.
Once I started biking my husband decided to join me. Since then we’ve become avid bikers and take trips all over the state and country to find new and interesting trails. So now it’s a hobby we both enjoy and we get lots of exercise doing it! If you find something you enjoy it will feel more like a hobby than a chore.
In the winter I have an elliptical machine that feels a lot like riding my bike. I experimented with different machines before I bought one to make sure it was the best choice. Most people need a different winter exercise plan for the change of seasons so plan ahead for this.
3) Get the right equipment so you can enjoy the exercise
What do I mean by this? Well, if you’re going to be riding a bike then invest in a good bike that works for your interests. My husband and I eventually got Trek DS (dual sport) bikes so we could ride on pavement, small gravel, or dirt paths. The tires are more versatile so we’re not so limited on where we can ride.
It’s no different than if you took up running as a form of exercise. You would need the right shoes and comfortable clothing to be prepared. If you decide a form of martial arts might be fun then you’ll probably need a different type of shoe and boxing gloves.
For me and my husband, biking became more fun once we got odometers, phone holders, bags to hold all of our extra stuff, and really good padded shorts! Don’t be that person trying to work out in flat shoes because you’re the only one that’s going to regret it!
The right equipment makes all the difference in whether or not you enjoy the exercise. So be sure to spend a little time researching and invest in the right gear. You’ll also learn as you go which is part of what makes starting something new fun.
4) Engineer your environment for success
This just means that you can construct your environment to be more conducive to the exercise you plan to engage in. Cities do this by building bike or walking trails, parks, or other recreational areas. Physiopedia writes that “The environment is integral to encouraging physical activity”.
So if you plan to work out at home then make that space really inviting and attractive. Make sure you have a music player and a tv to watch. Trust me, you’ll want it! I also think mirrors are essential to see that you have proper form while you’re working out. Read my blog “Essentials for an inspiring home gym” to get more ideas on this.
Everything you do contributes to you enjoying exercise more, or less, depending on your choices. If you stick a treadmill in a dingy basement, you’ll never want to go there and exercise. If you go to a gym to exercise then make sure you like the atmosphere and have entertainment while you work out.
The idea is to make it the best experience possible so you’ll want to exercise.
5) Make your exercise a social affair
Some people (like me) prefer to exercise alone. But that doesn’t work as well for everyone. My husband is one of those people. He needs his exercise to be fun and social to keep him motivated so he joined a gym. You need to know what type you are.
One study showed that when people worked out with a group of friends 95% of them stuck with the program until the end and 66% of them maintained their full weight loss. The group that worked out alone had only a 76% completion rate with just 24% maintaining their weight loss.
This is the power of social support. It makes exercise more fun, gives you more accountability to show up, and motivates you to work harder. Anything that helps you to enjoy exercise more and stick with it is a good thing.
Besides all that, we’ve always been told we should hang out with people we want to be like. So if you’re more of a social butterfly then consider joining a gym with group classes. Hopefully, it’ll become your new hobby with your new (supportive) friends just like it did for my husband!
6) Schedule your exercise into your day
There’s no way around this one but you have to schedule your exercise until it becomes a habit. No this isn’t fun, but habits start with schedules so this is necessary. After a while, it will just be another routine part of your day that you don’t miss because you’re so used to it.
You’ll be in the maintenance mode and more likely to stick to it once you’ve been exercising for 6 months or more. So make that your first goal.
7) Start slow and work your way up
This goes against what most people choose to do but it’s extremely important. You have to start slow and ease into exercise rather than jumping in headfirst. Most people want quick results so they go full throttle and just burn themselves out quickly. Baby steps are the key to success.
You want to learn how to enjoy exercise so don’t overdo it in the beginning. The point of exercising is to stick with it forever so you get all the long-term health benefits. If you only want results you can see and don’t care about the long-term effects then you’ll fail. And that’s what happens to most people.
Even with my biking, I started out doing just 5-8 miles at a time which was enjoyable. But as I kept training I would push myself to go longer and harder. Once you get better at what you’re doing you start to appreciate the challenge of it instead of dreading it. Now an 8-mile ride is hardly worth getting dressed for!
You’re in this for the long haul so work on just enjoying it to start.
My final thoughts
My point here is that if you want exercise to become a long-lasting habit then you need to find activities you can enjoy. This isn’t always easy to figure out. You might have to experiment for quite a while but if you don’t give up you will be successful.
Most people give up on exercise too soon because they’re really only chasing those quick results. You need to be chasing fun! You need to take a chance on something new and get yourself temporarily out of your comfort zone.
After my husband joined his gym he ended up becoming an instructor! Neither of us would’ve ever predicted that but it’s kept him even more motivated to exercise. And he’s made a lot of new friends with the experience. Did you know that people who are more social tend to live longer?
As I stated earlier exercise isn’t just good for your body, it’s also good for your mind. But if you want even more of a mental health boost then try to find activities you can engage in outdoors whenever possible. We already spend enough time indoors anyway.
I could go on and on about finding more ways to enjoy exercise but you have to get out there and figure it out for yourself. So start with these tips and get the ball rolling. A year from now your life could look very different!
If you’re a woman over 40 and live in my area then I would love to help you figure out how to enjoy exercise more with my personal training. Just fill out the form below to contact me by email. Or check out all of my services here.