Creating the habit of exercise?
EvgeniZyntx
Posts: 24,208 Member
Motivation and consistency are struggles I see constantly - and the success of MFP is really the number of days of logging (and hopefully paying attention to calories, etc. that go along with it).
So I have a question: How do you create the habit of exercise?
Personally, I have good periods and others that are weak. I may go for months at a time and follow a steady plan and then poof, I fall off and struggle to return to it.
I'm reading a book - called The Power of Habits that touches on a few points that might make sense. I'm sharing them here as they might feed the conversation. This book suggests that we can build habits by setting up a feedback loop of cue/routine/rewards.
The simple cue might be: gym clothes are ready, a scheduled exercise time, lacing up your sneakers before breakfast...
And whatever your routine might then be, it is followed by a reward: perhaps it is the enjoyment of being outside, the endorphins, or "rush", the sense of accomplishment. But without some sense of success or feeling of good, we won't just stick to things long term. tracking performance, the miles out, steps, getting cheered all seem to help. This type of self-reward seems, according to the research cited, to make the physical activity become a habit.
Apparently, in many ways, we are like monkeys reaching out for that reward.
So what are your cues and rewards?
My cues: sports bag, exercise stuff (oh, the stuff I own from bikes, to climbing gear, to that little fitbit dongle). my daughters - we do things together, friends, mfp...
My rewards: I track miles, lifts and steps. I keep my eyes on the prize of participating in sporting events. I get to eat more. I love feeling better, stronger, etc.
Do you actively try to make the cues and rewards more apparent and relevant?
So I have a question: How do you create the habit of exercise?
Personally, I have good periods and others that are weak. I may go for months at a time and follow a steady plan and then poof, I fall off and struggle to return to it.
I'm reading a book - called The Power of Habits that touches on a few points that might make sense. I'm sharing them here as they might feed the conversation. This book suggests that we can build habits by setting up a feedback loop of cue/routine/rewards.
The simple cue might be: gym clothes are ready, a scheduled exercise time, lacing up your sneakers before breakfast...
And whatever your routine might then be, it is followed by a reward: perhaps it is the enjoyment of being outside, the endorphins, or "rush", the sense of accomplishment. But without some sense of success or feeling of good, we won't just stick to things long term. tracking performance, the miles out, steps, getting cheered all seem to help. This type of self-reward seems, according to the research cited, to make the physical activity become a habit.
Apparently, in many ways, we are like monkeys reaching out for that reward.
So what are your cues and rewards?
My cues: sports bag, exercise stuff (oh, the stuff I own from bikes, to climbing gear, to that little fitbit dongle). my daughters - we do things together, friends, mfp...
My rewards: I track miles, lifts and steps. I keep my eyes on the prize of participating in sporting events. I get to eat more. I love feeling better, stronger, etc.
Do you actively try to make the cues and rewards more apparent and relevant?
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Replies
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How to create the habit of exercise? Cues and rewards?
I don't know about any of that. I just go workout. I'm not trying to oversimplify it....okay, maybe I am. Okay, what I mean to say is that I'm not trying to be a *kitten* about it, but creating habits and rewards and cues are foreign concepts to me. Cuz I just go workout.
I don't think about rewards when I go to work, or when I pick my daughter up from school, or when I shower before going out in public. I just do it. I imagine that eventually repeated behaviors become habits, but forming the habit was an outcome, not a goal. Over time exercise becomes a thing I miss when I don't/can't do it, and a thing I just do when I don't want to do it, but forming that connection to it was a byproduct of....just doing it.0 -
I just do what I enjoy. Easier to stick to something when you actually like doing it.0
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Maybe I'm lucky but I've always actively enjoyed sport, exercise and training. So there is a reward in just doing something I like.
Opportunity to fit training/exercise into my lifestyle is therefore the biggest factor for me. Now the children are grown up (in years anyway..) I get more time to myself. Also having a gym at work means I can take most of my lunchbreaks as gym breaks and so don't have to give up my evenings. The work gym is very much a habit and the cue is simply 2 o'clock is when the gym is quiet.
A lot of the rewards are intangible - a feeling of wellbeing, enjoying feeling fit & strong, being able to play sport with or against my son despite being an age when (apparently) I should consider "being sensible".
I've always been very competitive and self-competitive so rewards also come from tracking improvements from weights lifted, miles cycled, VO2 max scores etc. There's also an element of proving people wrong - 5 years past the expected date of needing knee replacement, avoiding back surgery that was "inevitable" as examples.
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I've gone through periods in the past where the habit simply wasn't there. Once I started competing in powerlifting, it's easy. Once I get my work schedule since it can vary, I just simply decide where in each day my training sessions are going to fit.
Are there days when the last thing I want to do is train? Absolutely! But I like the consequences of missing a training session far less then an extra day of rest. I have performance goals that I am going to hit this year, and making the choice not to train only hurts me in the long run0 -
@davpul That's the thing - you've probably internalized them for a while now because - just going to work out has become such a habit for you. Just is. Congrats.
The thing is, for many people it isn't a habit and modifying existing habits can be done over time, consciously.
The question is that how does that repeat behavior become habit - and can you help drive that in a systemic manner.
As an aside - consider that the word "reward" might be the wrong word but more of a positive feedback - you probably get a positive feedback from picking up your daughter (and a negative if you miss it) and showering. But it becomes something you do - you don't need to think "gee, I'll shower this week."0 -
Exercise never used to be a habit for me - until I found something I loved and a community where I felt welcomed. Maybe that's my cue and reward all at the same time?
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Motivation is fleeting. Habit is what keeps me going. I run because that's what I do and I know at times I like it less but the knowledge of the good runs pushes me on. My cues are just my shoes and an eager Labrador that wants to go running. My rewards are just the Joy of running and the seeing beautiful areas of my county by foot that others rarely do0
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Exercise never used to be a habit for me - until I found something I loved and a community where I felt welcomed. Maybe that's my cue and reward all at the same time?
I certainly feel a community can help drive the behavior - I got back into biking when I found a group of people to do regular rides with. And we had beer after every ride. There was a lot of incentive not to miss the Sunday morning rides.
Is crossfit the community that you are talking about?
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I make it a part of my routine. I'm a creature of habit, and I like repetitive schedules for weekdays... It helps me remember where and when I need to be. So, I make the exercise part of that routine. If I don't exercise, something feels off.0
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As for rewards... It's more the threat of how I will feel if I stop.0
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I don't know if it's a reward but now that I think I'm kinda rewarding myself ....
it's the time I have earned in the day to be for myself 100% , no family, no colleagues, no friends, no work - just me.
When I run, I run solo 9 out of 10 times.
When I'm at gym I do my thing and leave.
P.S. Don't get me wrong I'm social butterfly but outside of this workout time.
EDTA : Very unique post. Your post made me think I had never thought about. Nice.0 -
EvgeniZyntx wrote: »Exercise never used to be a habit for me - until I found something I loved and a community where I felt welcomed. Maybe that's my cue and reward all at the same time?
I certainly feel a community can help drive the behavior - I got back into biking when I found a group of people to do regular rides with. And we had beer after every ride. There was a lot of incentive not to miss the Sunday morning rides.
Is crossfit the community that you are talking about?
Yep, exactly. I started CrossFit when I moved here and I didn't know anyone. Now I have a great group of friends and I work out in the morning so I get to start my day off right with a lot of laughs and support.0 -
The two things that come to mind are making the exercise as convenient as possible and making the exercise as rewarding or enjoyable as possible.
For the enjoyment factor I attempt to foster this in clients by helping them become good at certain movements and getting them on a structured program that gets them stronger and we track that metric so that they can see the improvement taking place (weight on the bar goes up --> client feels empowered --> client wants to keep improving).
I think you're asking the right question. Also in for discussion because this is a great topic that extends beyond exercise compliance as well.0 -
I go because I truly enjoy it. If that weren't the case then I'd need some kind of external motivator.0
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Enjoyment is a reward.
Now here is, what the author argues, that we actually (over time as a learned response) crave the reward. We need to feel that enjoyment, feeling of wellness, alone time or sense of community.
And this drives habit.
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The two things that come to mind are making the exercise as convenient as possible and making the exercise as rewarding or enjoyable as possible.
For the enjoyment factor I attempt to foster this in clients by helping them become good at certain movements and getting them on a structured program that gets them stronger and we track that metric so that they can see the improvement taking place (weight on the bar goes up --> client feels empowered --> client wants to keep improving).
I think you're asking the right question. Also in for discussion because this is a great topic that extends beyond exercise compliance as well.
It does - the underlying question is really about behavior change - if you notice - the people answering this thread are already all partakers of exercise and have a habit. Underneath all the "how did this come about?" is "how can this be actively applied to modify how we behave in other areas?"
For example - here is a simplistic one - I keep chocolate in the cupboard - I love it and can easily eat all of it, but I now practice moderation - I was very much before: open cupboard: see the chocolate (cue) eat the chocolate (routine) mouthgasm (reward). I broke that by simply moving the chocolate to a less travelled cupboard. Other people might be more radical in how they break habit (tossing out food, etc...)
Understanding how habit functions and if it can be manipulated as we want is a an interesting area of discussion.
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Three years ago I lost 45 lbs and was going to the gym 6 days a week. I had a goal and was working towards it. Then life intervened it got harder for me to keep up with it all. Unfortunately for me gym time was cut due to a work IT conversion. I noticed right away when my good habits that I had worked so hard to establish were quickly replaced by long hours and quick meals. I was amazed at how quick the good habits were hard to adhere to. I gained weight felt my energy sputter. I regretted it, beat myself up about it. I personally felt that I failed while I poured all I had into work. Work was successful however, now I am starting over again of the people I see here, if you find the balance to everything that is what makes all the difference. There has to be balance in ones life it's something I constantly work at and for those who have it I salute you, and hope you will throw me a rope! Ha0
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I don't need cues or rewards beyond the immediate improvement to mood I already feel (quite strongly) from exercise. That would be enough in the absence of any change to my physique.
What helps me the most is increasing convenience and removing barriers, specifically and most importantly, reducing distance to the gym. I'll go to pretty much any kind of gym so long as it's no more than an eight minute walk from my home.
When I first started exercising, I used a rule of thumb - "You have to do 30 minutes of some kind of exercise every day." I allowed walking to count. Complying led to more compliance as I saw that I was able to stick to it (so it meant a kind of achievement, an easy win for self-esteem).0 -
Oh - also, stress relief is another reward.0
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Three years ago I lost 45 lbs and was going to the gym 6 days a week. I had a goal and was working towards it. Then life intervened it got harder for me to keep up with it all. Unfortunately for me gym time was cut due to a work IT conversion. I noticed right away when my good habits that I had worked so hard to establish were quickly replaced by long hours and quick meals. I was amazed at how quick the good habits were hard to adhere to. I gained weight felt my energy sputter. I regretted it, beat myself up about it. I personally felt that I failed while I poured all I had into work. Work was successful however, now I am starting over again of the people I see here, if you find the balance to everything that is what makes all the difference. There has to be balance in ones life it's something I constantly work at and for those who have it I salute you, and hope you will throw me a rope! Ha
It is likely that bad habits - things we automatically fall into the practice of doing but are not productive to health or well-being - are always there - they are easy to fall back into because they have their own reward set (quick meals are tasty and leave time..., etc.)
If, in fact, once ingrained as practices we don't really lose them we somehow need to manage them or block them? I'm not sure about the how. But certainly it's important to be able to recognize when we fall back down into poor habits.0 -
You know how they talk about how some people are genetically more trainable -- how some people make aerobic gains more easily than others? I think I am one of those people. For people like me, the rewards come more easily. I don't need so many cues to get out the door and/or so much motivation to stay disciplined. The pleasure comes easily.
Because it comes easy to me, I enjoy it. And as most have said, enjoyment is the key. You will stay with something -- and the habit will develop -- if you enjoy it. For some people, finding what they enjoy will come easier. I can lace up my shoes and start jogging, and I enjoy it. For someone with a different makeup, there may be more discomfort involved in that and they are going to have a harder time finding what they enjoy.
But they can, obviously. Maybe they just need to start, and stay with, an easier program for longer -- until it becomes easier and the habit gets established.0 -
EvgeniZyntx wrote: »The two things that come to mind are making the exercise as convenient as possible and making the exercise as rewarding or enjoyable as possible.
For the enjoyment factor I attempt to foster this in clients by helping them become good at certain movements and getting them on a structured program that gets them stronger and we track that metric so that they can see the improvement taking place (weight on the bar goes up --> client feels empowered --> client wants to keep improving).
I think you're asking the right question. Also in for discussion because this is a great topic that extends beyond exercise compliance as well.
It does - the underlying question is really about behavior change - if you notice - the people answering this thread are already all partakers of exercise and have a habit. Underneath all the "how did this come about?" is "how can this be actively applied to modify how we behave in other areas?"
For example - here is a simplistic one - I keep chocolate in the cupboard - I love it and can easily eat all of it, but I now practice moderation - I was very much before: open cupboard: see the chocolate (cue) eat the chocolate (routine) mouthgasm (reward). I broke that by simply moving the chocolate to a less travelled cupboard. Other people might be more radical in how they break habit (tossing out food, etc...)
Understanding how habit functions and if it can be manipulated as we want is a an interesting area of discussion.
I think tweaks like this, that set the stage for action by reducing the energy required to either start a desirable activity or inhibit an undesirable one, are great. Willpower is overrated.0 -
You know how they talk about how some people are genetically more trainable -- how some people make aerobic gains more easily than others? I think I am one of those people. For people like me, the rewards come more easily. I don't need so many cues to get out the door and/or so much motivation to stay disciplined. The pleasure comes easily.
Because it comes easy to me, I enjoy it. And as most have said, enjoyment is the key. You will stay with something -- and the habit will develop -- if you enjoy it. For some people, finding what they enjoy will come easier. I can lace up my shoes and start jogging, and I enjoy it. For someone with a different makeup, there may be more discomfort involved in that and they are going to have a harder time finding what they enjoy.
But they can, obviously. Maybe they just need to start, and stay with, an easier program for longer -- until it becomes easier and the habit gets established.
Sometimes you gotta fake it until you start making it.
And the rewards start later. I might not be the biggest fan of running but I can certainly reward myself by counting the km's. I'll get there again - I hope.
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AllonsYtotheTardis wrote: »I make it a part of my routine. I'm a creature of habit, and I like repetitive schedules for weekdays... It helps me remember where and when I need to be. So, I make the exercise part of that routine. If I don't exercise, something feels off.
Yep, that's me. I go every weekday because if I skip a day, it's too easy to skip the next day. Not every workout is full effort on those days when I would have rather stayed in bed. But the routine of going every weekday is just that - my routine. And I work better in a routine.0 -
I too believe that if you find something that you enjoy, you will continue to do it. I love lifting weights and look forward to going to the gym. I do have times when I don't want to go/feel tired/lazy etc. but I make myself. I remind myself that I will feel great afterwards.0
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So, I might be sort of like you. I really don't enjoy exercise, though there are some kinds that I hate less than others, and a workout or the feeling of accomplishment can be pretty satisfying. But once I get out of the habit, even for a short time, it's very hard to get back into it. So I tend to be "all or nothing" at the gym, like a year or two of working out 4x/week, followed by a year or two of letting my membership lapse. I'm lucky that my gym has 3 month subscriptions with no initiation fee or automatic rollover!
My husband is a creature of habit. When he wanted to start running, he blocked out the time on his calendar like any other appointment, Three years later, he still goes 3x / week. He also got a personal trainer, so his appointments really are set in stone.
I'm the opposite. I'm spontaneous, and I don't like doing the same thing all the time. So developing 'habits' is harder for me, and maybe not even desireable. For me the "habit" is: log your food, log your exercise, and burn more than you eat. If that's the goal, going to the gym or going for a walk is a side effect.
I do put my gym clothes on in the morning if I think I'm going to work out.
I bought an exercise bike and put it smack in the middle of the living room. I now have a habit of biking each evening for at least an hour while I watch TV
I have certain TV shows I ONLY watch on the elliptical or bike. I always have a binge-watching series (whatever Im enjoying the most on netflix) which is reserved for the gym.
I got a fitbit, and befriended a few people at work. We set each other daily challenges (not every day, but sometimes). I am VERY competitive, so on those days I have to make time for exercise or be humiliated
There's been a few times the challenge was enough to get me moving on what otherwise would have been a low-movement day.
I also have a few "rewards" (yes, I'm like a trained seal). the biggest one for me is logging my exercise minutes on MFP. I like when it goes up on my feed and I get those "likes" from my MFP friends. I love seeing what everyone else is doing and it feels like we're all in it together,
I don't know what will happen when the next "life event" gets in the way - someone gets sick, someone dies, work gets harder, childcare changes. These are the events that have historically disrupted my ability to exercise. Hopefully I'll be able to keep it a priority, but the truth is sometimes other stuff will get in the way, because I just don't love exercise the way some people do. I understand that for some people exercise relieves stress or adds energy or improves their mood. For me, it's one more thing on the tasklist, and it makes me feel more tired/less energetic afterwards, not more, so if I'm already running on empty, it will probably have to go.
I'm trying to redefine myself as an athletic person, which may also make a difference. Ask me in two years 0 -
Just look in the mirror. That's about it. If you absolutely love what you see, get your *kitten* to the gym or out on a run to keep yourself looking that good. If you're like the rest of us though, and see some room for improvement... get your *kitten* to the gym or out on a run to get yourself looking good. You don't have to love liftimg, or running, or cycling... like every Nike commercial ever... JUST DO IT!!! You just need to accept the fact that it's a nessasary evil to get yourself looking and feeling the way you want, so either enjoy it or suffer through it, whatever gets it done, then reap the benefits.0
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My least favorite piece of advice on threads like this is always "find something you enjoy". I've been going to the gym or running, on and off, for 30 YEARS. I still don't like the activity, I only like the results. The only way I get through it is by turning off my brain and numbing the pain with music or movies. In the days before phones, I'd sometimes get to the gym and discover I forgot my ipod. I'd turn around and go home because that is simply not happening.
The only athletic activities I truly love are ones that are expensive and require exotic locales, like skiing, sailing, kayaking, and snorkelling. Not exactly the backbone of a fitness routine for a busy working mom, lol. I don't like biking outside. I hate hiking with a passion. Swimming laps is boring because no music. Walking is tedious and doesn't burn enough calories per hour to be worthwhile. I don't like sunburn or bugs. And I'd rather take a hockey puck to the teeth than join a sports team of any kind. So the gym is the least objectionable of all the possible activities. And I still don't like it.
For some of us exercise will always be like going to work - something you do because you have to. And that's OK, as long as you do it. How do you motivate yourself to go to work? Although actually, that's not a fair metaphor because 9 times out of 10 I'd rather be at work than at the gym.0 -
My least favorite piece of advice on threads like this is always "find something you enjoy". I've been going to the gym or running, on and off, for 30 YEARS. I still don't like the activity, I only like the results. The only way I get through it is by turning off my brain and numbing the pain with music or movies. In the days before phones, I'd sometimes get to the gym and discover I forgot my ipod. I'd turn around and go home because that is simply not happening.
The only athletic activities I truly love are ones that are expensive and require exotic locales, like skiing, sailing, kayaking, and snorkelling. Not exactly the backbone of a fitness routine for a busy working mom, lol. I don't like biking outside. I hate hiking with a passion. Swimming laps is boring because no music. Walking is tedious and doesn't burn enough calories per hour to be worthwhile. I don't like sunburn or bugs. And I'd rather take a hockey puck to the teeth than join a sports team of any kind. So the gym is the least objectionable of all the possible activities. And I still don't like it.
For some of us exercise will always be like going to work - something you do because you have to. And that's OK, as long as you do it. How do you motivate yourself to go to work? Although actually, that's not a fair metaphor because 9 times out of 10 I'd rather be at work than at the gym.
I am leaning towards this. I do two workouts. One I found I enjoy, the other not so much. My reward is progress ans success. You could also make goal.
If I work out X amount of days for x amount of time. I'll treat myself to y.
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