19th August 2022
When you start creating a new exercise routine, it can be scary but also exciting. You’re full of enthusiasm and telling yourself, “This is it, this is the new me.”
However, while it’s fantastic to feel so motivated to begin with, maintaining this motivation can be difficult. Don’t worry, there are lots of ways to keep going with your exercise journey.
Here at MoreLife, we’re all about helping people make real changes that will last for the long term. We know exercise is important for our health, but we also understand that it can be really difficult to start and also keep going!
We want to help you discover the joy of movement and help you create a foundation for healthy habits which you can continue to build on.
We’ve got advice from our expert team to help you stay motivated with your exercise routine – from where to begin, to how to keep going, we’ve got you covered.
Where to Start
If you’re completely new to the world of exercise, it can be very overwhelming to know where to begin. When starting out with physical activity, you can’t get any better than walking. We’ve written before about the surprising health benefits of walking. It’s a particularly good place to start your fitness journey as it’s free, accessible and helps get you in the mindset of making physical activity part of your day. You can also mix up your pace, route, and how long you’re walking.
Setting Goals
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, we love SMART goals:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-based
SMART goals can help you make real progress with your health journey. They should be challenging, but still achievable. We’ve found that lots of our clients get the biggest satisfaction from achieving a goal they set, which initially they found really difficult. Progress takes time so be patient with yourself and remember to celebrate each goal you achieve, no matter how small you think it is. It’s still a great accomplishment.
Make it Easy as Possible
Changing your habits and getting into a new routine can be difficult. At MoreLife, we often talk about “friction” and habit building. This means when creating a new habit for yourself, you want to make it the easiest option possible. For instance, setting your walking shoes by the door and giving yourself enough time in the day to go out for your walk. Equally, if you’re trying to break an old habit, you need to make it more difficult to do.
Have a Plan
You can help make your new habits easier by scheduling them into your routine. The more structure you have to your physical activity, the more likely you are to stick to it. Your plan and your SMART goals can go hand in hand. They’ll each focus on what kind of exercise you’ll be doing, how long for, and where you’ll fit it into your weekly schedule. Of course, life doesn’t always go to plan! So remember to be flexible and be kind to yourself, you’re trying your best.
Mix Things Up
It’s fantastic that you’ve found an exercise you enjoy and have started doing regularly. This is an amazing, and important step in your healthy lifestyle journey. However, it’s understandable if you start to get a bit bored. It’s like when you find a new favourite song. You’ll want to listen to it over and over again, but eventually, you’ll want to start mixing things up again. The same goes for your exercise routine.
Of course, you can still keep doing the physical activity that you’re comfortable with. However, don’t be afraid to mix things up. You could take the exercise you’re already doing and try a higher-intensity version. You can also change your environment or the kind of exercise you do. A bonus of mixing up your exercise routine is that you’ll be working on different parts of your body and fitness.
Make it Social
If you find yourself feeling less motivated, why not make your exercise routine more social? You can include other people in your physical activity. This could be going on bike rides with your kids, trying out a new exercise class with your friends, or going on a walk with your partner. You are far more likely to stick to new behaviours if you’ve got other people involved.
It’s a win-win for both of you, you can motivate each other and it gives you a chance to spend more time with that person. Your whole routine doesn’t have to revolve around other people, but they can give you a helping hand when you need that extra push to keep going.