Three Ways to Exercise Every Week

If you’re new to exercise, you might find it to be an uphill battle to keep up with your program. You may hear people say, “exercise is so fun!” and all you can think about is, “Ugh, I hate it! When will I get there?” Here are three things to work on.

Be consistent. 

Consistency is key when it comes to making a habit stick. Many people think they have to exercise for a specific amount of time to make it count and if they don’t have one hour in their day to commit to exercise, they simply don’t do it. It’s so easy to fall into this mindset trap. When you’re looking to form a stable exercise habit, you have to expect off days will happen. But, how do you handle those off days? Change your mindset. If you don’t have one hour to exercise, make time for 15 minutes of movement. This can be walking, stretching, ½ of a workout video, anything! Something is always better than nothing. When you set the bar to simple stay active, you’ll find yourself consistently exercising every single week.

Be accountable. 

Being accountable can truly help you form the habit of exercising weekly. Accountability can be formed by building relationships with others or using tracking devices to keep you aware how often you’re moving. To start feeling accountable, you can even begin by telling a co-worker or family member that you’ve joined a fitness facility. They most likely will ask you how it’s going! If you enjoy being accountable to yourself, tracking devices like a fitbit, pedometer or online tools like myfitnesspal.com can help you manage how often you’re exercising. Find what works the best for you.

Find something you actually enjoy doing. 

Always remember that there are so many ways to exercise! If you don’t love exercising on a treadmill, don’t force yourself to do it. If exercise feels like a chore, you know you haven’t found something you enjoy yet. Plus, it will be a mental fight every day to do it. Experiment with all of the options. Try a class, ask a fitness professional for advice, try a new machine, or think of what you enjoyed as a kid. When you find something you truly enjoy doing, you are more likely to do it.