How to Make Fitness a Daily Habit

Some people have discovered how to make fitness a daily habit. Have you? Or do you struggle to fit in regular movement and exercise? The truth is that anyone can (and should) work towards moving their body daily. Here’s why, and how to make it happen for you. 

A Hard Truth About Habits

Habits are things that you do regularly without even thinking. Some are so automatic that you may not even consider them a habit, but you sure notice if you miss out on it. I’m talking about things like brushing your teeth before you go to bed, your regular shower routine, or going to bed at a certain time each night. 

These are all things we were taught from a young age, and we do them each day without a thought. If you forget to brush your teeth however, I bet you notice! If you push yourself past your bedtime, you are tired and lack concentration the next day. Yes, sleep and good oral hygiene are necessary for good health… but so is exercise. 

Your Body Wants to Move

You may also point out that your body tells you that you need to sleep so it’s not a real habit, but your body tells you it needs to move, too. Think about how you feel after a long road trip, sitting at your desk all day, or standing all day. I know my back and neck hurt after staying in one position for too long. 

Your daily aches and pains are another way that your body tells you it craves movement. That kinked neck after “sleeping weird” or back spasm after “lifting something wrong” tell you that something was already out of whack. The sudden injury was escalated by sleeping or reaching wrong, but it’s almost certain that a lack of exercise or varied movement over months and years created the opportunity for the injury. 

Even if you do exercise regularly, your body needs variety. If you only run, you’re missing out on mobility and flexibility. If you only do tennis, is one side of your body weaker than the other? Imbalances between one side of your body and the other is a huge reason we feel pain. I remember that after years of carrying my babies on one side more than the other, I had numbness across my shoulders and one hip was out of alignment causing low back pain. Not fun.

Daily Fitness Without Overwhelm

I realize that being told that you should do some kind of cardio four times a week, strength train three times a week, and do Pilates three or four times can be completely overwhelming. I mean, who is going to walk the dog and make dinner? And that’s a lot to ask of a body that’s used to sitting at a desk all day long. 

The key to learning how to make fitness a daily habit is to start small. 

I’d guess that doing five minutes of exercise every day is possible for most people. It probably sounds ridiculously easy. If you have zero fitness background, this may be the place you start; set an alarm every day for the same time and do five minutes of stretching. Then build up from there! 

For others, doing thirty minutes of exercise three times a week may be their starting point. When you’re building a new habit, you need to make it so easy at first that even on your busiest or most tired day you will still do it. As you keep succeeding I bet you’ll start to add on more. 

Here are some other tips to help make (and keep) your fitness habit: 

1. Change how you talk about fitness. Stop saying you need to “fit in” or “make time” for exercise. These words make it seem like fitness is not a priority, and that it’s difficult to do. When you shift your thoughts, you change your results. Here are more tips to “find time” to exercise. 
2. Plan ahead. Make it easy and non-negotiable to do exercise by making a plan. Set an alarm, lay out your clothes the night before, sign up for a class or make plans with a friend, and write it on the calendar. 
3. Think about how exercise makes you feel. Be conscious about how you feel after you’ve worked out. Think about or write down how your body and mind feel. Are you achy and tired? Energetic? Do you sleep better? I know that exercise makes me feel less anxious or stressed, and I like to feel strong. Also note if your nagging pains begin to dissipate. 

Starting Small is Better Than Nothing at All

When you first start to make fitness a daily habit, I’d rather you start with something easy that you can succeed at rather than over-committing and burning out after a few days. I know many marathoners that started out with just walking or running a few kilometers. They thought it would be an easy, inexpensive way to get some fresh air, up their heart rate, and burn some calories. Little by little, they increased their distance and speed. The next thing they know, they are committing to running 42.2kms, something they said they would never do. 

Finally, Add Variety

Once you get into the habit of daily movement, remember to do a variety of exercises. It’s important to do mobility, flexibility, and strength training along with cardio to be able to keep your body moving well. It’s this combination that will have you doing the things you love for a long time, and without pain or overuse injuries.