How to Make Exercise a Habit That Sticks

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You know you need to exercise daily, but you just can’t find the time and motivation to work out. You want to lose weight, feel better, and have more energy but you just can’t seem to make exercise a habit that sticks.

I used to dread going to the gym. In college, I attempted to balance my unhealthy, late-night habits by pounding out 30-45 minutes on the elliptical as hard as I could a few times a week. I hated it and (no surprise) had a hard time sticking with it.

Today, I never miss a scheduled workout. Exercise has become my “me time” my stress reliever and it makes me feel GOOD! What’s my secret? I motivate myself with love instead of hate. Stick with me here.

Stop treating yourself like garbage

Back in college, I hated my body and suffered from low self-confidence. I ate poorly and drank too much. I worked out because I was afraid of gaining weight.

To motivate ourselves, a friend and I recorded a nasty alarm tone message on each other’s phones. It was something along the lines of — “Get out of bed fat ass! Your thighs are crying from rubbing together!” At the time, we laughed about it, but now I realize it’s not okay to talk to yourself that way! Talking down to yourself is NOT the way to find the motivation to work out.

Does your self-talk sound like my college alarm tone? Seriously. Did you catch yourself naked in the mirror this morning and say something you would never utter out loud to another human being? Are you guilty of pinching your fat or examining your cellulite, chastising yourself for “letting yourself go”? Cut it out, girl!

Our bodies have done and can do incredible things. Your body has carried you through life, endured hardships and trauma, and protected you from harm. As women, our bodies can create life! So let’s be grateful for our bodies and all they have done for us rather than beating ourselves up. Kay?

Starting today, I want you to stop treating yourself like garbage and instead, talk to yourself like you would a friend. If I recorded a gym reminder for today it’d be like “Hey girl, you look fabulous today! Go move your body because it feels good and it’s good for you. You will never regret a workout, and you will feel better when it’s done. You got this!” THIS is how to talk to yourself if you want to get motivated to work out and finally stick to it.

Make Exercise a Habit Not a Chore

By the time I graduated college, I had put on about 20 pounds. Although I hated it, I continued to slog away on cardio machines at the gym, not seeing results. I was eating poorly and couldn’t stay motivated to exercise.

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The problem was, my workouts felt like a chore. It wasn’t until I found Tone It Up workouts that I was able to create an exercise habit that sticks for me. I loved the high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts because I could do them at home in 20-30 minutes. From that moment on, I said goodbye to the elliptical and hello to home workouts. I also learned I need variety in my workouts to stay interested.

You need to find a way to move your body that feels good and makes you want to do it. If you love to dance, Zumba is perfect for you. Are you competitive by nature? Try a sports league. Have you always wanted to run a marathon? Sign up and get training! Find what works for YOU. Don’t force yourself to go to hot yoga, just because your friend Karen loves it. There are so many different ways to move your body, find something that makes you feel good!

Invest in Yourself

To make working out a habit, you will need to invest time and maybe even some money to better yourself. There are tons of free workouts online, but you may find that a gym membership or a trainer or paid program is the best way to motivate yourself. For the longest time, I refused to spend money on fitness. Why are we so hesitant to spend money on things that will benefit us, but we don’t bat an eyelash at our Starbucks addiction or the Amazon packages that magically appear on our doorstep every day? Find room in your budget and your schedule to invest in yourself and your health will pay for itself in dividends. 

If you’re like many women, you are already telling yourself that the reason you haven’t made exercise a habit is because you don’t have time. Your list of excuses is a mile long. You just have too much responsibility! As women, we put SO much freaking pressure on ourselves to “do it all,” but we neglect to take care of ourselves. If it helps you to focus on someone else, think of it as setting a good example for your family.

You may need to have a conversation with your spouse or kids in order to make the time for yourself. Talk to them about why this is important to you and tell them exactly what you plan to do and the changes you plan to make to your schedule, so they can prepare for it. It may mean dinner gets on the table later, or someone else needs to help out. Maybe you’ll even inspire your husband to join you! Many couples with kids alternate their gym time so that one parent can watch the kids while the other gets a workout in.

How to Find the Time

To find the time to workout you need to make a commitment. Examine your current schedule and find a few one hour blocks that you can explore Try morning, afternoon and evening and see what works best for you.

If your daily schedule truly is packed, I am going to say something that won’t shock you – wake up earlier! Get to bed on time and get your ass out of bed in the morning. It will suck for a few days until your body adjusts, but you WILL adjust. Start small and work your way up until you have enough time to squeeze in a quick workout. I find the promise of coffee to be extremely motivating to get out of bed!

When I started Tone It Up, I was strictly an evening workout person. I needed coffee and food to function in the morning. I told myself I couldn’t work out in the morning, so I didn’t. But as my responsibilities at work and grad school increased, it became harder for me to make exercise a habit. 

So, I learned how to be a morning person. I set my alarm for 30 minutes earlier, and then an hour and then 2 hours, until I was regularly getting up at 5:30 AM. Now, I love quiet mornings all to myself. I realized working out in the morning set me up for a much healthier, productive day because I had already done something good for myself.

Make Exercise a Habit

Now it’s up to you. Start by trying 3-5 new workouts you have never done before and journal about your experience. Rate each workout on a scale of 1-5 for fun, difficulty, and your motivation to do it again. Not sure where to start? Ask a friend what workouts they do and join them for an upcoming class! Already have a gym membership you don’t use? Sign up for a personal training consultation. Many specialty gyms and studios will also offer a free trial class – try something that sounds interesting, and take a friend if you don’t want to go alone! Here are a few options to consider at all different price points and skill levels. 

Classes to Try

• Kickboxing
• Zumba
• Orange Theory
• Barre
• Yoga – there any many different types of yoga to explore!
• Check out the class schedule at your local gym, too!

Home Workout Options

• The Fitness Marshall – pop/hip-hop dance workouts, free on YouTube 
• Tone It Up App – HIIT, Yoga, Barre, Kickboxing, Strength Training and more (Free 7 day trial, followed by subscription)
• Lauren Gleisberg – variety of workout plans for the gym or at home
• Beach Body On Demand – Sign up online or ask a friend who’s a coach if you can try a few of their workouts.
• Yoga with Adrienne – all different types of yoga in the comfort of home
• Blogilates – pilates and bootcamp workouts at home

Let me know what your favorite workouts are and your tips for staying motivated in the comments below!

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