Don’t Break the Habit-The easiest way to keep things going is simply not to stop. Avoid long breaks in exercising or rebuilding the habit will take some effort.
Commit for 30 Days-Make a commitment to go every day (even just for 20 minss) for one month.
Make it Fun-If you don’t enjoy yourself at the gym, it is going to be hard to keep it a habit.
Schedule During Quiet Hours-Don’t put exercise time in a place where it will easily be pushed aside by something more important.
Get a Buddy-Grab a friend to join you. Having a social aspect to exercising can boost your commitment to the exercise habit.
Mark Your Calendar- Put an X on the days you have gone to the gym, that way you can see when the last time you went was.
Enjoyment Before Effort- After you finish any work out, ask yourself what parts you enjoyed & what parts you did not. By focusing on how you can make workouts more enjoyable, you can make sure you want to keep going to the gym.
Create a Ritual-Your workout routine should become so ingrained that it becomes a ritual. If your workout times are completely random, it will be harder to benefit from the momentum of a ritual.
Stress Relief-Exercise can be a great way to relieve stress, releasing endorphin which will improve your mood.
Measure Fitness-vWeight isn’t always the best number to track. Increase in muscle can offset decreases in fat so the scale doesn’t change even if your body is.
Habits First, Equipment Later- Fancy equipment doesn’t create a habit for exercise. Some people believe that buying a $1000 machine will make up for their inactivity. It won’t. Start building the exercise habit first, only afterwards should you worry about having a personal gym.
Isolate Your Weakness- If falling off the exercise wagon is a common occurrence for you, find out why. Do you not enjoy exercising? Is it a lack of time? Is it feeling self-conscious at the gym? Is it a lack of fitness know-how? As soon as you can isolate your weakness, you can make steps to improve the situation.
Start Small-Trying to run 15 miles your first workout isn’t a good way to build a habit. Work below your capacity for the first few weeks to build the habit. Otherwise you might scare yourself off after a brutal workout.
Go for Yourself, Not to Impress-Going to the gym with the only goal of looking great is like starting a business with only the goal to make money. The effort can’t justify the results. But if you go to the gym to push yourself, gain energy & have a good time, then you can keep going even when results are slow.
*Info from lifehack
