5 Tips for Staying Consistent With Exercise

Many of us start a new year with good intentions of bettering our lives in one way or another. One of those ways is often exercise and improving our health. The first few days or weeks usually go well. Then life gets in the way. We start back and work, our to-do list grows. We get tired. School and sports commitments for children add more to our already busy schedules, and so on.

The key to success with most things in life is consistency. But being consistent isn’t always easy.

During school, I was very athletic. I stopped exercising in my late teens and early-twenties. I felt sluggish and gained weight. Tired of how I was feeling, I started at a gym exercising every morning. There were days where I felt like staying in bed - especially during winter. But I pushed through as I felt better physically, mentally and emotionaly. I’ve kept up the morning exercise in one way or another ever since. It feel that it has helped me stay strong over time.

Here are five tips for staying consistent with exercise:

1. Clarify your why
   We all know that exercise is good for our health, but your personal why will keep you consistent.

   Think about what being healthy means to you. Maybe it’s because when you feel fit, you feel more confident within - which carries into the other areas of your life. Perhaps you have active young children, so you want to be a good role model. Maybe you have older family members who are struggling, so you see the importance of staying strong as you reach those years.

   Reflecting on our why will inspire us to keep going when our mind is talking us out of exercise.

2. Find movement you enjoy
   The chance of staying consistent doing exercise you don’t enjoy is low. Running might sound great, but when you don’t enjoy it then it's hard to keep going.

   There are so many ways to move our bodies. There is bound to be one that you enjoy. Cycling or a spin class at the gym, boxing or swimming, yoga or pilates, walking in nature, dancing or tai chi. The list is long. It might take time to try a few you are curious about to see which one you can consistently keep going with over time.

   I alternate with a run and strength workout. I love the feeling of starting the day early as the sun is rising. Enjoying these activities as the day begins has helped me stay consistent.

3. Make it easy to start moving

   The easier it is for you to get dressed and into your workout, the less excuses you have to skip it. If you plan to exercise early, gather your workout clothes and shoes by your bed. When the alarm goes off in the morning and it's tempting to stay in bed, remind yourself of your why.

   If you plan on exercising during your lunch break at work, pack your bag with your workout gear and lunch the night before. If you are exericising in the evening, meal prep a bit on Sunday to allow more time for your nightly workouts and try to avoid distractions to reduce the chance of working back in the evening.

4. Gradually build

   It’s tempting to go full force right from the start. If you haven’t exercised in a while, it might be a bit much for your body, leaving you in pain and unable to move well for days.

   Gradually build, adding an extra exercise or 5 minutes longer with each workout. Spend a little time warming up beforehand to avoid injury.

5. Reflect on your progress

   Reflecting on progress is good to help you see how your fitness and health have improved your life. It will remind you of the benefits and your why for moving.

   Notice how your body is feeling within. Are you feeling stronger and more toned? Has your endurance improved? Do you have more energy throughout the day? Are you feeling calmer and less reactive with others?  

   Weekly reflection and even taking notes in a journal will help you see how beneficial consistent movement is. While change might be slow, it helps you see that you are improving and encourage you to keep going.

Over time, exercise will become a part of your daily routine. Like brushing your teeth or hair - it will become an activity you do without much thought. Those moments of talking yourself out of it will reduce.

The form of exercise that you do may need to change as you age. That is normal and important to accept and embrace. The important thing is finding a movement that works for you and your lifestyle - that you can keep doing consistently until your body needs a change.