Firstly, starting with a workout is a tough task many people struggle with. The result: major procrastination for exercising and getting fit. When getting started with physical activity can be a tough battle to fight, making working out a habit, something innate to your lifestyle, is out of the question. However, once that happens, you’ll not fail to work out, just like you don’t miss out on food and sleep. And there are several health benefits you’ll reap. Although tough, there are ways to make physical activity a habit. Let us go through them one by one.
Benefits Of Exercising
Here are the health benefits of exercising daily, as per the US National Library of Medicine:
- Helps you lose and keep off weight. Remember, obesity serves as a magnet for multiple diseases.
- Makes your heart strong and lowers your risk of a host of cardiovascular diseases.
- Helps your body better manage the blood glucose level and insulin, thus cutting down your risk of type-2 diabetes.
- Makes your bones and muscles strong.
- Improves your mood and overall mental health. It is because when you exercise, your body releases endorphins, the mood-uplifting chemicals.
- Help you sleep better.
- May increase your longevity.
How To Make Exercising A Habit
Here are the 5 ways to make working out a habit:
1. Pick The Right Workout
You go to the gym for a couple of days. It doesn’t feel natural to you, and you don’t enjoy the process. You give up and no longer go back to your gym wear. It’s not the gym that is your fault, but that you haven’t found the right workout for you yet, something that suits your personality. Hence, if you are competitive, you can opt for sports; if you like everything serene, go for Yoga. Choose what feels right for your body, and you are good to go.
2. Start Small
You figure out Yoga is the thing for you. But, instead of pushing yourself for all those difficult poses on the first go, start with something small. A 5-10 minutes session to open up your body might be helpful. Doing mini-workouts has another benefit – it leaves little room for excuses. Hence, you are more likely to stick with it.
3. Set Realistic
You know your goals can be a hindrance between you and your fitness. It’s when you do not set realistic goals. You cannot shed 20 kilograms in a month in a healthy way. Similarly, you will not get the desired body in a couple of weeks. Hence, set realistic goals, something that you can accomplish. It’ll help you to not lose steam and steer ahead towards your fitness goal.
4. Don’t Just Focus On Weight
Many people work out to lose weight. However, it takes a long time to shed that flab. Hence, when you don’t see a significant shift on those scales, it can mess up your drive. Hence, weight should not be the only parameter you should weigh your fitness against. Focus on other aspects as well. Your muscle gain, better mental health are some of the other parameters you can pay attention to.
5. It’s OK To Lose Yourself
Not working out when you are sick, or swamped up with work, or have a family function to attend is understandable. Do not feel guilty for it. Instead, try to make up with five minutes of a gym daily or incorporate exercise in your daily routine in some other way.
So, as you saw making exercising a habit is tough. However, there are some easy ways you can do it. You just need some time, patience, and consistency and you are good to go.
