How—and why!—to create an exercise routine that lasts
When people see how I eat now, it’s hard for them to believe I used to be addicted to cheeseburgers and drink six Diet Cokes a day.
I didn’t get here by changing my diet all at once.
I decided to change something else first: I committed to exercising regularly. I figured if I exercised, I could eat whatever I wanted. If I worked out, it would all balance out, right?
Flawed as this thinking was, it was a crucial first step toward getting healthier.
What I wildly underestimated was the impact exercise would have on my mental health.
Exercise and mental health
I used to see physical and mental health as completely separate things.
But as I started to exercise more and more, I was amazed to see how much my feelings of anxiety and depression diminished. The more I moved my body, the more at peace I felt.
This is why I tell my clients that exercising is one of the most powerful things they can do to feel better—even when they’re in the depths of depression.
At the same time, I know it can be challenging to get moving when you’re feeling down. With this in mind, here are some tips to help you create—and stick with!—an exercise routine that works for you:
1. Keep things fun and interesting.
Find a form of exercise that you actually enjoy. If you hate cardio, but you love a long walk, do that. If yoga isn’t your thing, but you love to dance, great!
If you choose things that feel fun, it’s much easier to get motivated to exercise. In other words, the more fun you have, the more you’ll want to keep doing it.
If you hate exercise in general, ask yourself what you can do to bring some fun into your routine. Maybe it’s taking a goofy selfie every time you start or finish a workout. Maybe it’s wearing an outfit that makes you feel good, or that has a funky print on it. (I have this pair of tiger-striped leggings that I put on whenever I really want to push myself.)
If you start to get bored with your workouts, it’s time to mix things up. Try a different class. Exercise outside for a change. Make a new playlist that inspires you to move.
2. Take baby steps toward your exercise goals.
Once you commit to an exercise routine, it can be tempting to set the bar high. (“I’m going to exercise 5 days a week!”) It can also be tempting to set a vague goal, like telling yourself you’re going to “exercise more.”
The problem with both these approaches is that they set you up to fail. Telling yourself you’re going to do something and then not doing it feeds negative thought patterns and drains your motivation.
Instead, if you want to develop a consistent exercise routine, start with baby steps that feel easy and attainable. If you’re not currently exercising, for example, a baby step could be a five-minute walk or a short yoga video.
Every time you follow through on a baby step, you create a positive momentum loop that makes it easier to keep moving. Once your baby steps start to feel too easy, you can build on them and set bigger goals.
3. Experiment with accountability.
Writing down your goals and putting them on your calendar increases the likelihood that you’ll stick to them.
If you feel it’s easier to stick to your goals with some outside support, try asking a friend to check in with you about your exercise goals each week. Or even better: invite them to work out with you! (This is another way to make it fun.)
4. Celebrate!
Sometimes it’s so easy to focus on what you’re not doing that you forget to notice the progress you’re making.
But when it comes to exercise—or any goal you’re trying to achieve—celebrating your successes is a game-changer. No matter how small those successes seem.
What can celebrating look like? Maybe it’s a boogie in the parking lot after you finish a yoga class. Maybe it’s bragging to your friend that you just took a walk despite the crappy week you’re having. Maybe it’s treating yourself to a green juice. Maybe it’s literally patting yourself on the back (something I like to do is I tell myself, "Great job, Jesse!")
At first, it might feel silly or even ridiculous to celebrate something like taking a five-minute walk. But when you make it a point to celebrate your wins—however you choose to celebrate them—you interrupt the negative thought patterns that might discourage you from exercising. You also feed your motivation to keep going for the long haul.
As I tell my clients, it’s not about the size of the step you take. It’s about learning to acknowledge yourself for taking the step in the first place.
5. Be kind to yourself
If you fall off the exercise wagon, be kind to yourself. It happens to all of us at one time or another.
Rather than expecting yourself to stay committed 100% of the time, the key is to recommit as quickly as you can.
Instead of beating yourself up for not having done the thing, ask yourself what would make it easier to do the thing.
And then begin again.
Do you want to learn more about how your body impacts your emotions? In my book, Life Launch, I write more about the body-mind connection and how to integrate exercise into your mental health toolkit. Download a sample chapter here.