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Exercising regularly is surely one of the most commonly made New Year\u2019s resolutions. And surely one of the most commonly broken. Gyms around the world fill up with freshly-minted members in January . . . who are almost all gone by February.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve resolved and failed, and resolved and failed to start working out consistently, you know it can be a really discouraging cycle. Cementing the exercise habit can seem like an impossible task.<\/p>\n
But it truly doesn\u2019t have to be, as long you take the right approach. Below we share 10 key tactics that will help you make exercise an unbreakable habit.<\/p>\n
I’ve been barbell training for the past two years, and during that time I’ve missed just a handful of workouts, and only when stricken with an extreme illness (I still work out if I’m just a little sick<\/a>). I’ve trained on Thanksgiving. I\u2019ve trained on Christmas. I\u2019ve trained on vacation. But I don\u2019t have this streak going because I’m super dedicated and disciplined and force myself to work out even when I don’t want to.<\/p>\n I merely enjoy barbell training. A lot! I don\u2019t work out so regularly because I\u2019m a hard-as-nails badass, but because I want<\/em> to. Because I like it.<\/p>\n When it comes to exercise, people tend to think that for it to work, it has to be unpleasant. They think exercise is like eating Brussels sprouts; you may not like the taste, but you\u2019ve got to get \u2018em down because they\u2019re good for you. Yet while these folks can flog themselves to exercise for a few weeks or even a few months out of a sense of dour obedience, they’re ultimately kicking against the pricks. Eventually, their dislike for their chosen regimen overpowers their will, and they stop working out altogether.<\/p>\n It\u2019s true that to be effective all exercise will involve some discomfort<\/a>. And it\u2019s true that certain kinds of exercise are more or less effective than others. But all exercise is good for you, any exercise is better than none, and if you choose the right form of it — the form that\u2019s right for you — it can in fact hurt so good and be a source of great pleasure.<\/p>\n Lots of people will say you should do CrossFit; that you should run; that you should do barbell training. These people mean well. They likely enjoy those activities and have gotten results from them and want you to experience the same benefit. But if you don’t like what they think you “should” be doing, you’re not going to do it.<\/p>\n Instead of should-ing on yourself<\/a> by exercising the way some person or some magazine told you to, find something that you <\/em>enjoy doing. This will take some time and experimentation. If you don\u2019t like road running, try trail running<\/a>. If you don\u2019t like running at all, try rucking<\/a>. If you don\u2019t like lifting weights, try a bodyweight program<\/a>. If you don\u2019t like working out by yourself, try joining a CrossFit class, or a martial arts school, or a team sport.<\/p>\n I spent nearly ten years begrudgingly doing cardio-heavy and CrossFit-like workout programs before I discovered my love for barbell training. I recently found that I also enjoy rucking and MovNat<\/a> as well, so that’s part of my exercise routine, too. Exercise is now something I look forward to — it in fact feels like one of the best parts of my life; consequently, it would take more discipline for me not<\/em> to do a workout than to do one!<\/p>\n Bottom line: if you want to make exercise a habit, start off by picking an activity you enjoy. If you do that, you’ll be 90% there to becoming a man who exercises religiously.<\/p>\n Besides picking an activity that they don’t enjoy doing, the other thing that keeps people from regularly exercising is not setting aside time for it on their calendar. For these folks, exercise is one of those things that they’ll get to . . . if they have time for it. But, of course, they never do, because something else always comes up.<\/p>\n If you want time to exercise, you have to make<\/em> time for it. And the best way to do that is to schedule your workouts on your calendar and treat them like doctor’s appointments. Just as you’d tell someone you were busy if they wanted to do something at the same time you were scheduled to see a doc, you’re going to inform people you’re busy when they ask you to do something during your workout \u201cappointment.\u201d<\/p>\n At what time should you schedule your workout \u201cappointments\u201d? That\u2019s up to you.<\/p>\n Many people find that it\u2019s best to exercise first thing in the morning; that way, when they get tired and stressed, or \u201curgent\u201d to-do\u2019s pile-up as the day goes on, their workout doesn\u2019t end up getting pushed off the schedule. When you put the big rocks in first, all the small rocks can fit too<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, that\u2019s not an inviolable rule for everyone. Everybody\u2019s got different work\/life schedules and different rhythms to their daily energy and motivation. Maybe you\u2019ll love working out at lunchtime or at night. You\u2019ll never know unless you try. Experiment with different options and see what works best for you.<\/p>\n#2: Put your training schedule on your calendar.<\/h3>\n
#3: Experiment to find the workout time that\u2019s best for you.<\/h3>\n
#4: Remove obstacles with a pre-workout checklist.<\/h3>\n