We are all aware of how vital it is to stay active and incorporate movement into our daily lives in order to maintain our overall health and wellbeing.
But fitting enough movement into our lives can be really challenging. As a mum, juggling work, running a business, parenting, family time, playing taxi, housekeeping, cooking and all of the other responsibilities that come along with it, I know all too well that finding time in the day to exercise can feel overwhelming!
But getting more movement into your day doesn't have to be difficult, finding a way that works for you by creating movement habits means that you can get into a regular routine that you are able to maintain and easily fit into your life!
"Too often, we convince ourselves that massive success requires massive action." James Clear, Atomic Habits
For anyone who hasn't read the amazing book 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear, this is one of my all time favourite books! It's packed full of great tips and advice for creating and building lifelong habits that are in line with your values and goals. If you're anything like me, you will have had those moments when you decide, 'Right, this is the year I'm going to get fit!' and in order to do that I've got to spend an hour at the gym everyday, run four times a week and pack in some fitness classes at the weekends! 🤪 I can't tell you how many times I have started this, with the very best of intentions, but ultimately after a few weeks, I've ground to a halt. For some people, this approach might work, and all power to you if it does! After reading Atomic Habits, I realised that the reason I had tried and failed so many times was not because I lacked willpower (ok, maybe a little bit because of that 😂), but because I had set unrealistic expectations, I'd gone from zero to 100 in the space of a week, I hadn't started small and put the groundwork in to build habits that I could actually stick to.
The 4 laws of behaviour change
In his book, James Clear sets out four simple rules for how we can set the foundations for new habits that we can build upon and stick with. I'm going to show you how to use these four laws to create your new movement habits, with some ideas to get you started!
Law 1 - Make it obvious
This is all about creating cues that trigger your brain to initiate the desired behaviour. Like when we hear that familiar ice cream van tune, we automatically crave an ice cream and feel the desire to run for the ice cream van and get that delicious reward! This is a powerful cue that starts off the habit loop, you can create cues like this in your environment for movement and exercise too!
Write out an implementation intention: Research shows that if we physically write out a statement of our intention to do a particular thing, at a particular time, at a particular location, we are much more likely to actually do it. Simply fill out the following statement...
I will (chosen movement/exercise)... at (time)...in(location).
e.g. I will go running at 6:30am in the local park.
Choose a realistic time when you are most likely to be able to implement your intention. Put your implementation intention up somewhere that you will see it every day as a reminder, you can also set additional reminders on your phone.
Habit stacking: this involves linking your new movement habit with something that you already naturally do on a daily basis.
"The key is to tie your desired behaviour into something you already do each day." James Clear
This could be that after your morning cup of tea, you go to the gym, or even while you're waiting for the kettle to boil, you do your rehab exercises. After you have eaten your lunch, you go for a walk. After you have got the children to bed, you do some yoga.
The behaviour that you already do becomes the cue for your new habit.
Leave cues around the house that will
remind you of your movement intention.
If you plan on going for a run in the morning, leave your running shoes by the front door and your running clothes next to your bed. If you want to do some Pilates, leave your mat in an obvious place. If you intend to go to the gym, leave your gym bag and gym pass out where you will see them. Design your environment.
Law 2 - Make it attractive
For a habit to form, it needs to be attractive to us, if it feels like it's just a chore or it doesn't align with who we want to be, there will be too much friction surrounding the new behaviour and it won't be sustainable over time. This is why I would always suggest finding a type of movement or exercise that you actually enjoy doing, automatically if we are getting enjoyment and fun from what we are doing, we get that dopamine hit which is crucial in building new habits. This is why movement and exercise with friends or in a group can also be really beneficial, as we are also experiencing the joy of social connection.
"You are more likely to find a behaviour attractive if you get to do one or more of your favourite things at the same time." James Clear
Temptation bundling: This is simply doing something that you enjoy whilst exercising, which will always make it more attractive! This could be watching your favourite TV program, listening to music or a podcast that you love, being outside in nature or working out with friends.
Surround yourself with people for whom movement and exercise is already a big part of their lives. We often imitate the behaviours of the people that we are close to, our larger social setting and the people with power and influence whom we may read about or follow. Joining a fitness class, gym, dance studio, or walking group can be a great way to find like-minded people who motivate you to keep going. Find influencers who inspire you to move more... follow them on social media, read their books & blog posts.
Law 3 - Make it easy
" Create an environment where doing the right thing is as easy as possible." James Clear
As humans we tend to like things that require as little effort as possible, this can make adding more movement and exercise into our lives a little challenging as it generally requires a fair amount of physical effort! When building a new habit, making it easy to do is key to begin with, once the foundations of the new habit are laid down, you can begin to build upon it and make it more challenging.
Firstly, choose a time, amount of time and a place to carry out your movement that easily fits into your life and that you will be able to maintain going forwards. Starting off with as little as 5 minutes of movement is a great way to get into the habit of moving more, a habit which can you can later build upon and who doesn't have a spare 5 minutes? If you are going somewhere to exercise, like a gym or fitness class, choose somewhere that is convenient, close to home or work, or on your journey to and from work, so that little effort it required to get there.
Prime your environment to make movement and exercise as easy as possible. If you are working out at home, leave any equipment that you need in an easily accessible place. Get your workout gear ready, if you're planning on going to the gym on your way home from work, get your gym bag packed and put it in your car the night before. The key to any new habit is to reduce the friction with doing the behaviour, so create an environment that reduces the possibility of finding any excuses not to do it.
When you are first beginning a new movement or exercise program, start at your current fitness level, don't push yourself too hard, too soon. I have had great experience of this recently with getting into a regular running routine. I've been using the couch to 5k app, which starts you off with a very manageable run-walk program and gradually builds up over a period of 9 weeks. Starting off with a fairly easy and manageable routine gives you the confidence to keep going and it's amazing how quickly your fitness and stamina build!
Law 4 - Make it satisfying
"What is rewarded is repeated. What is punished is avoided." James Clear
Our brain forms habits, good or bad, for one simple reason, to get the immediate reward. When it comes to movement and exercise, this can be a bit of a challenge, for some, they may get that immediate dopamine rush that can come from exercise, but often the reward that we are searching for is the long-term one of better health and fitness and eventually as we start to notice the intrinsic rewards like increased energy, body confidence, strength, mobility and reduced stress, this will be all the reward that we need. But to begin with we need to create an immediate reward that reinforces our new movement habit.
Immediate rewards should reflect the person that you are working towards becoming. If you are moving more to improve your health, rewarding yourself with a slice of cake after a workout is not going to align with your goals. Instead choose something that further reinforces your new habit of taking care of yourself, this might be a nice bubble bath, a healthy delicious smoothie, or a yummy protein filled meal. You might transfer a small amount of money into a savings account after you exercise each time to save for a monthly massage or a new pair of trainers, just the act of transferring the money gives instant satisfaction!
Make a habit tracker. There is nothing more satisfying than checking something off of a to-do-list! Mark out your movement days and times on a calendar and when you've completed your exercise for the day, put a great big tick through it. You get the immediate satisfaction of ticking it off, plus over time you can visually see the progress you are making with your new habit and how far you have come!
I hope this given you some simple ideas for getting started with building more movement habits into your life. More movement is always good, it doesn't have to mean a taxing hour in the gym, finding movement that you enjoy and that fits into your life, lets new exercise habits become a sustainable part of your daily routine.
Comments