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okie2729
okie2729 Posts: 5 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Walking on the treadmill.. how long to make it a daily habit?

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  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    One day. Followed by another. Then another. And another. And so on.
  • orionaimee
    orionaimee Posts: 89 Member
    "According to a recent study, a daily action like eating fruit at lunch or running for fifteen minutes took an average of sixty-six days to become as much of a habit as it would ever become." Full article here https://psychologytoday.com/blog/the-happiness-project/200910/stop-expecting-change-your-habit-in-21-days
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    While it's probably a good idea to give it at least a month or so to see if it catches your fancy, if you don't start getting something out of it by then that makes you want to keep doing it, then there's no reason to think that you're ever going to hit that point. I tried a number of times to make using a stationary bike a habit and it never stuck because I simply didn't like doing it or feel like I was getting anything out of it to counter my distaste for the activity. What I finally realized is that "willpower" comes down to 1) making the activity enjoyable/rewarding, and 2) making it as easy as possible to actually do the activity. Pick a number - 66 days sounds as good as anything - and if it hasn't grabbed you by then, or if you get the sense that it's never going to, try something else. The exercise you do is always going to be better than the one you think you should do but don't. Good luck!
  • LaurenD63
    LaurenD63 Posts: 57 Member
    Do what you find enjoyable and productive. There's plenty of other exercises beyond the treadmill. Right now at my size the treadmill is challenging but still productive so I'm starting at just 15 minutes 3 days a week. Eventually I'll bump it up to 20 minutes and so on. It becomes a habit the more you do it.
  • rachellep103
    rachellep103 Posts: 19 Member
    I walk 10 miles a day, 5 days a week on my treadmill. But I enjoy it. It's my quiet time. I watch Netflix or movies. And I have a goal this year to walk from Kings Landing to the Wall. (GoT reference)
    If you don't like it, it will never become a "habit" because you'll resent the time spent.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    okie2729 wrote: »
    Walking on the treadmill.. how long to make it a daily habit?

    It takes about 5 seconds to make the decision that you are going to do it every day. :+1:

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