3 Simple Ways to Make Exercise a Habit

A lot of people want to build an exercise habit that sticks. (A 2012 survey analyzed the top ten habits of thousands of people and found that exercise was number one by a long shot. [1])

Of course, wanting to make exercise a habit and actually doing it are two different things. Changing your behavior is difficult. Living a new type of lifestyle is hard. This is especially true when you throw in very personal feelings about body image and self-worth.

But there are some strategies that can make it easier to stick with an exercise habit.

I have been using the three strategies below to build my personal exercise routine, which I have stuck to for two years without skipping a workout. While I don’t claim to have all the answers, I’m happy to share what I’ve learned so far and how I have successfully made exercise a habit that am I excited to do each week.

Here are 3 simple ways to make exercise a habit.

1. Develop a ritual to make starting easier.

Habits are behaviors that you repeat over and over again, which means they are also behaviors that you start over and over again. In other words, if you don’t consistently get started, then you won’t have a habit. In many ways, building new habits is simply an exercise in getting started time after time.

This means that if you can find a way to make getting started easier, then you can find a way to make building a habit easier. This is why rituals and routines are so important. If you can develop a ritual that makes starting your workout mindless and automatic, then it will be much easier to follow through. [2]

Twyla Tharp’s hailing the cab ritual is a good example. You can start building your own ritual by stacking your exercise habit on top of a current habit or by setting a schedule for yourself. For example, you could set your intention to exercise by filling out this sentence:

During the next week, I will exercise on [DAY] at [TIME OF DAY] at/in [PLACE].

One research study showed that people who filled out this sentence above were 2 to 3 times more likely to exercise over the long run. This is a psychology concept called implementation intentions and there are hundreds of studies to back it up.

2. Start with an exercise that is ridiculously small.

The best way to make exercise a habit is to start with an exercise that is so easy that you can do it even when you are running low on willpower and motivation. In the words of Leo Babauta, start with something that is so easy you can’t say no.

Here’s one strategy that you can use in the beginning: The 2-Minute Rule.

It’s very simple: focus on finding a way to get started in just 2 minutes rather than worrying about your entire workout.

Struggling to find motivation to go for a run? Just fill up your water bottle and put on your running shoes. That’s all you have to do to consider today’s workout a success. Often, this little 2 minute start will be enough to get your motivation flowing and help you finish the task.

3. Focus on the habit first and the results later.

The typical approach to diet and exercise is to focus on results first. Most people start with some type of goal. “I want to lose 20 pounds in the next 4 months.” Or, “I want to squat 50 pounds more six months from now.”

I think this is the wrong approach. It’s better to focus on the system rather than the goal.

What matters most in the beginning is establishing a new normal and building a new routine that you will stick to; not the results that you get. In other words, in the first 6 months it is more important to not miss workouts than it is to make progress. Once you become the type of person who doesn’t miss workouts, then you can worry about making progress and improving.

One way to do this is to set an upper limit on your behavior.

One member of our community, Mitch, set a rule for himself where he couldn’t stay in the gym for more than 5 minutes at the beginning. He had to go everyday, but he wasn’t allowed to stay for 6 minutes. He was focused on building the habit of not missing workouts. After doing that for a month or two, he had established a routine of going to the gym and he started to focus on doing more difficult workouts. Today, Mitch is over 100 pounds lighter. (Which, to be fair, is not just the result of exercise, but also diet and lifestyle changes.)

Once you build the habit of exercise, you can find thousands of ways to improve. Without the habit, every strategy is useless. Build the habit first, worry about the results later.

The Strength Training and Exercise Habits Workshop

On Tuesday, September 23, 2014 at 3PM Eastern Time (New York City time zone), I am running a workshop on how to build the habit of exercise and master the fundamentals of strength training.

Here’s what we’ll cover in this workshop…

How to make exercise a habit that you’ll actually stick with for good.
How to build muscle and gain lean mass.
How to structure your workouts for long–term success.
How to decide what type of exercises you should do.
How to exercise when you don’t feel motivated or lack willpower.
How to start working out (even if you don’t know what to do).
How to have more energy before and after your workouts.
How to determine which workouts will give you the body you want.
How to prevent injury and keep your muscles and joints feeling healthy.
How to relieve muscle soreness in the simplest, most effective way.

…and a whole lot more. I can’t wait to share the fundamentals of building muscle, gaining strength, and losing fat with you in this workshop.

Here’s what the event will look like…

Event Details: What Will You Get?

Here’s what your workshop will include:

Full Strength Training Workshop: 1 hour live event on September 23, 2013 at 3PM Eastern
Live Question and Answer session: 30 minutes after the workshop
Full video and audio recording (emailed to you after the event)
Text transcripts of all video and audio files (to read whenever you wish)
Slide presentation downloads (get every slide that I present throughout the workshop)
Plus, over 10 additional resources (books, exercises, free courses, and more)

Ready to join? Sign up and claim your spot in the Habits Workshop class below.

Register Today
Live on September 23, 2014 at 3PM Eastern Time

Full access to the Strength Training Workshop. This 1 hour workshop is filled with practical, down-to-earth ideas for building muscle, burning fat, and making exercise a habit that you’ll stick to for life.

Live Question and Answer session. For 30 minutes after the workshop, you’ll have the opportunity to ask whatever is on your mind (any question goes!) and I’ll answer them right on the spot. This question and answer session will help you go beyond the theory and talk about what it takes to make exercise habits stick in the real world.

Free video and audio downloads. Can’t attend live? No problem. The entire workshop will be available for you to download and view on any device at any time you choose.

Free text transcripts of all video and audio files. Both the Strength Training Workshop and the question and answer session are fully transcribed for you to download and read in .PDF format. Of course, if you’d like to listen and follow along by reading the text transcription, you can do that too.

Free downloads of the slide presentations. Over 80 slides, charts, and graphs covering the science of habit formation and strength training will be available for you after watching the event. You’ll have access to every slide taught throughout the workshop as a .PDF download.

Plus, over 10 additional resources (books, exercises, free courses, and more). You’ll get a reading list of the best books on strength training, plus access to some of the top resources on building habits for free.

Attend this workshop for only $29
Click “Buy Now” to claim your spot!

Buy Now


Testimonials

Still not convinced? Read what other people are saying about my work. (These are all unsolicited testimonials that come from real readers and customers.)

Feedback on the Habits Workshop: LOVED IT! Totally worth the time and money. You did a bang-up job. Thanks!

—Debbie O. from Boston, MA

Your habits workshop changed my life completely, James. My core habit was changing my eating habits and everything else followed when I have changed that. Thank you for the techniques and your consistent work on habits. I am a big fan.

—Deniz T. from Ankara, Turkey

Our net profit has doubled in the last year since I started reading your articles. I give all my staff a paid half hour off twice a week to read your work. Thank you!

—Paul D. from Auckland, New Zealand

Your articles are by far the best I’ve found on the internet. I’ve actually unsubscribed from most others now (some can be very repetitive), but I really enjoy your varied subjects. Keep up the good work.

—Martin H. from Bristol, United Kingdom

Thanks to your motivating newsletters I started doing 1 pushup/day two months ago, added 1 more each week and now I can do 10/day! (Even better, my 8-year-old daughter has been doing them with me!)

—Kimberly D.

As a small business owner I like to know when I hit the mark (which is less often than I’d like). You hit it out on a regular basis. Kudos. As a single mom with 2 kids, 2 dogs, and 43 employees I always appreciate some James Clear and a glass of vino after a long day. Keep up the great work.

—Carrie K. from Dallas, Texas

I just want you to know, James, that you have inspired and encouraged me to think about my habits and training in a completely different way (a much better way!). Thank you for reminding me that 1 percent can make a difference!

—Holly S. from Salt Lake City, Utah

I’ve been online since 1995. With thousands of newsletters available, I only subscribe to one. Yours. That’s how much I enjoy your topics and writing style. You definitely add value with each email that comes my way. Keep up the great work.

—Thales P. from Nicosia, Cyprus

Thanks for your writing and your ideas. There’s a ton of self–help stuff out there and not much of it is as clear and actionable as yours.

—Jennifer M. from Oregon

Knowing you really has changed my life!

—Mirabai G. from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Like what they have to say?

Click here to buy the Strength Training Workshop right now.

I’ll see you at the event!

Sources

Top Ten Habits by Lift.
Developing ways to make starting easier is especially important because once you start a task, it is often much easier to finish it. Objects in motion tend to stay in motion.

Thanks to my dad for raising me in a house that valued exercise and helped make it a habit for me from the beginning.