Time to Make Exercise a Habit

Creating new habits can be challenging, especially when incorporating exercise into your routine.

For years, people believed that practicing an action for 21 days would establish it as a habit. However, this popular claim lacks scientific evidence.

A study indicates that working out four times a week for six weeks is the minimum requirement to develop an exercise habit.

How Long Does It Take to Form a Habit?

There isn’t a universal timeframe for forming habits, as it depends on the behavior you're trying to adopt.

Matthew Sacco, PhD, a sports medicine psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic, explains that simpler habits are usually quicker to establish.

For example, cultivating the habit of handwashing can take as little as 18 days.

Exercise, on the other hand, is more complex since it's time-consuming and often requires a fixed schedule, such as mornings or evenings.

Sacco says it may take over six months to truly embed exercise as a regular habit.

That said, becoming a consistent gym-goer doesn't necessarily require half a year. A 2015 study revealed that exercising four times a week for a minimum of six weeks could lay the foundation for an exercise habit.

Why Is It Harder to Build an Exercise Habit?

One challenge is that many people start exercising with ambitious goals, such as losing weight or building muscle. These results often take weeks or months to appear, which can be demotivating.

“It’s easy to lose motivation when progress doesn’t happen as quickly as expected,” explains Kelyssa Hall, CSCS, CEAS, an exercise physiologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

Additionally, neglecting rest between workouts can hinder progress. “Recovery and rest are just as crucial as exercise,” Hall emphasizes.

Overtraining or skipping recovery increases the risk of injuries, potentially sidelining your fitness goals.

4 Tips to Make Exercise a Habit

Unrealistic long-term goals are often the reason people abandon their exercise routines. Here are four practical tips to help you stick to your new schedule:

1. Start Small and Block Your Calendar

Begin with manageable workouts and build over time. “Plan exercise into your schedule every other day, even if it’s just 10 minutes, and treat it as a non-negotiable commitment,” advises Hall. Think of it like any other important appointment.

2. Keep It Simple

At first, avoid overly complex workout routines. “People tend to stick with programs that are straightforward and easy to follow," Hall says. Simplicity can lead to better adherence.

3. Reassess After Two Weeks

Try reaching your initial goal over two weeks, suggests Sacco. If it feels overwhelming, continue with smaller changes until it becomes manageable.

You can then gradually increase the intensity or duration of your workouts.

4. Focus on the Process, Not the Outcome

If your goal is to change your appearance, try not to obsess over the end result. Constantly thinking about your desired outcome may lead to early frustration.

Instead, shift your focus to small victories. Celebrate improvements like finding it easier to climb stairs or feeling more flexible in daily activities.

Final Thoughts

Forming an exercise habit takes time and persistence, but it’s entirely achievable with patience and the right approach. Start small, stay consistent, and celebrate progress along the way.

Source: verywellhealth

The opinions shared in the GymNation blog articles are solely those of the respective authors and may not represent the perspectives of GymNation or any member of the GymNation team.