fitness, working out, exercise, habits Exercise doesn’t have to be lonely, image: Unsplash
We all know that moving in our daily lives is vital for our health, but the truth is that many of us do not know how we can include more exercise in our routine without making a big sacrifice regarding our daily activities or hobbies.
Let's be honest: most of us find it difficult to move, especially if we have a job that does not require any type of physical effort other than maintaining good posture in the chair and typing for hours. Therefore, we will be losing many of the benefits that exercise can bring us: improve our mood, release stress, increase our energy and even sleep better.
We all make it a point to exercise, especially when months of new beginnings arrive, like January or September. But it's hard for all of us, even when we're used to doing it.
There are certain tricks that can help us include more exercise in our routine almost without realizing it, because we will be enjoying it.
This is no secret to anyone. Creating a daily habit is essential to be consistent, but how can we do it?
The most effective method is the signal, routine and reward; and can be applied to any area of our life. If, for example, we want to go to the gym every morning before going to work, the signal will be the alarm ringing.
The action we want to reinforce will be get up and dress in sports clothes, because it will prevent us from falling asleep and will make us go to the gym (which will be the routine).
Once the exercise is finished, there must be a reward that motivates us to carry out this process again, such as, for example, having a coffee, or buy something at the end of the week or invest in sports equipment.
We simply have to experiment and test which signals and rewards work best for us to establish that routine forever.
You don't have to go to the gym every day, or walk 10,000 steps (a figure that, by the way, is a myth). Moving at least 30 minutes a day will be enough. The United States Department of Health and Human Services establishes that the minimum weekly exercise time should be 150 minutes, when it comes to moderate aerobic exercise; which translates into just over 20 minutes a day.
They also recommend working on the strength of the main muscle groups at least twice a week. But we don't have to start doing everything in the same week. We can start with 30 minutes of the activity we like the most twice a week, and then increase the frequency.
Although it sounds confusing, it is simply about grouping this new behaviour with a habit that we already do daily. For example, if we have the habit of listening to a podcast every day, we can start doing it while we go for a run or a walk. Or, if we like listening to music, we can do it by dancing.
It can be things as simple as stretching a little while the coffee brews. It is about associating one habit with another so that our body knows when it is time to carry out both.
Even if we have a job that forces us to be sedentary, we can take our lunch break to go to the gym, or just to go for a walk or run errands. A trick from Spotify's CEO was to hold two-person meetings on a walk instead of in the office.
Now, walking pads or folding treadmills have also become fashionable, which People who work from home use it to be able to do it on foot. Sometimes, it is as simple as doing some stretches from time to time to avoid bad posture and pain.
It's probably the most important thing: finding something we're passionate about so we're motivated to keep doing it. There are many people who do not like to spend hours running or in the gym, but they can find other types of exercises that they can try, such as swimming, cycling , yoga, pilates… The options are endless. You just have to get out of your comfort zone and try new things.
Instead of spending our time on the couch watching television or any movie or series, we can do it while doing sports, like walking or running on the treadmill, or on the stationary bike. Being entertained will make us forget what the exercise is costing us and, furthermore, by making it more enjoyable, it will mean that we can practice it for longer.
Exercising doesn't have to be lonely. In fact, having a partner to train with can make us more motivated and feel more committed to our routine. If we don't have any friends who want to join us, we can look for group classes. We will put more effort into training, but we will also be meeting people.
Including more exercise in our routine does not have to be excessively complicated. By following these tips, we can surely achieve it.
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