Even though I try to refrain from extremities in all areas of my life, I must say, my relationship with exercise moves from one end of the intensity scale to the other. In other words, I can be the laziest person ever, not doing anything for weeks and months, and then suddenly I’m going to the most hardcore boot camp style classes.
This has been going on for the better part of the last decade, so by now, I have a pretty good understanding of the stages of my exercise habit building process, as well as the critical points where it can all go down the drain if I’m not careful.
Building good habits is not easy, unfortunately (it’s the cruel joke of life that bad habits come a lot easier). But I firmly believe that if we’re very intentional and approach it with a big dose of self-awareness, it can be done.
For me, an important part of this is to have a concrete and precise understanding of the habit-building process. When it comes to exercise, this is how it usually goes:
(I also think it can be applied to most cases of habit building. The details may vary, but the building blocks remain the same)
+ Finding the motivation
After a long period of basically not doing anything exercise-related, a tiny thought begins to form that I should get back into it. It’s the first step when you realize you actually want to change something. At this stage, I suggest starting to write down the reasons behind that wish to change – it can become very useful in times you lose your motivation and begin to question why you even started it in the first place. For me, it’s a wish to become healthier, to treat my body better, to look more toned, and also a realization that I need to care for my body now in order to avoid problems later.
+ Making the first step
The first step is almost always the hardest. At this point, do not think about the future, or the many hundreds or thousands of more steps you have to make – just focus on one step at a time.
+ Getting into it
The next couple of sessions are not that difficult. I realize I like the feeling of exercising; I even welcome the first muscle pains as they are physical reminders of my work.
+ The first risk stage
For me, it comes after around 2-3 weeks. When the immediate results disappear, when the habit is still not very established, this is when I start to negotiate with myself.
I don’t have the time now.
I’ll go tomorrow.
I can miss one session.
This is the critical point when self-awareness becomes essential for success. Once I start to be brutally honest with myself and admit that I’m just trying to find the easy way out and what I list as arguments are in fact lies, I can start resisting them. And now I also know that if I pass this stage, it becomes easier.
One thing that really helps me at this stage is to treat exercise (or whatever habit you’re trying to build) as non-negotiable. I put it into my calendar, I organize my meetings or social plans around it, I buy multi-sessions cards, and I enlist my fiancé to come with me and be a support system.
+ Enjoying it
If I’ve passed the first risk stage, the real fun begins. After around 2 months, I start to see the results. It also starts to become a normal part of my life. I don’t have to pay extra attention to it, because it’s a given part of my schedule, just like work or grocery shopping. This is when the activity starts to become a habit.
+ The second risk stage
At this point, my motivation is internal and not external, which is a good thing. I go because I want to, not because I feel I have to. But we can never get too comfortable with good habits because they are still fragile. In my case, all it takes is an external event that is out of my control and I can fall off the track.
In the past, I stopped exercising when I moved back from the US, when I spent a lot of time traveling because of work, and when I had a minor injury. I know now that these are risks because even a couple of weeks can personally put me back at square one when I have to restart the whole process. But these will happen at one point or another, so now I want to be prepared. If there’s a vacation or if I’m traveling, I’ll schedule a session in advance. I revisit my motivation list, I ask friends to help.
Whatever it takes to hold onto that momentum, try to do it.
I’m curious, how do you build your exercise habit? Is it something that comes naturally or does it take an effort?
