We all know how important exercise is for physical and mental health. But when it comes to making exercise a part of our routine and going to the gym regularly, we all fail.
It’s almost as if we know how important it is, but we can’t muster up the courage and determination to stick to this and make it a habit. So what is it that’s stopping us and how can we combat that? This post discusses some hands-on tips you can apply right away to make a habit out of going regularly to the gym and maintaining your health. As we all know, the more consistent an action is, the more likely it is to be a habit. And here’s how you can be consistent with your habit of going to the gym.
1. Set a time
Decide whether you want to go to the gym in the morning or afternoon, and based on your preference, decide a time. Stick to it without fail every day.
If you don’t set a time, you’re more likely to give up and keep postponing. But when you have a fixed time for going to the gym, it keeps coming up at you like a reminder for your accountability.
2. Set a reminder
The next step to setting a fixed time is to set yourself a reminder. You can do it in two ways:
- Either set a reminder on your phone in the form of a blaring alarm tone.
- Or you can tie your habit of going to the gym with another habit you perform regularly. This could be making tea for yourself in the morning or taking the dog for a run.
- When you tie two habits together, your brain is triggered that it needs to start the latter habit immediately.
- So, the next time you take your dog for a run, your brain and body will scream at you for going to the gym. It will be very hard to say no to a call like that.
3. Start small
This is true for any habit you’re trying to build. If you try to do a lot of work at once, you’ll feel tired and demotivated. But if you break your goal down into small countable steps, it will keep you motivated for a longer time.
Try and break it down to the most minute of details — like wearing your gym clothes, putting on your gym shoes, turning on your gym music, walking down the road to the gym, etc.
4. Enjoy the process
Don’t be fixated on the results. Think of yourself undergoing a transformation and enjoy the process. The pain is the price you pay for a healthier and happier lifestyle.
5. Control your diet
Only working out doesn’t give you the perfect body (and the enthusiasm to keep pushing yourself to turn up at the gym day after day), you need to watch what you eat too.
So, stop eating those potato wedges, drinking those sugary shakes, and filling your stomach with unhealthy, processed, and fatty food. Switch to a healthy, home-cooked diet. If you travel frequently, find healthy places to order from and build a morning routine of 15–20 mins of HIIT workout.
6. Make your convenience a priority
The easier it is to slip into “workout mode,” the more conveniently the new habit fits into your routine.
Don’t make it harder on yourself by choosing a gym that’s far away from your home. Pick something that’s within walking distance, so you don’t have to convince yourself hard to get there.
Better still, start with home workouts. These literally take the least effort as all you have to do is roll your Yoga mat on the floor and start exercising. For many home workouts, you don’t even need to change clothes.
7. Get an accountability partner
When you’re starting a new habit, it becomes much easier if you have someone to keep you accountable. This can be a friend with whom you’ve started the habit together or a certified coach who can help you identify your excuses and make sure you don’t give up on yourself.
You can find yourself a certified coach from this directory of accountability coaches.