How to maintain the habit of exercising

I have been asked a lot about how to maintain a regular exercise routine. The benefits of exercise and sports are common knowledge, but not everyone can keep a consistent habit of working out for months, weeks or years.

I understand this challenge very well because it took me a lot of time to create my work-out routine and stick to it. I’d be excited to work out for 1-2 weeks and then stop, usually out of really trivial excuses as my mood swing, weather or a busy schedule. 

To maintain a regular exercise regime, here are some of my top tips!

1. Set clear goals

It is difficult to maintain a long-term exercise routine if you just say to yourself ” Okay, I will try to run 4 days a week”  or “Let’s exercise for 30 minutes this week.” Instead, I find it more effective when , quantifiable goals are set before I start working out. For example: I want to lose 5kg in 4 weeks. Or: I want to walk 10,000 steps a day. Depending on your physical needs, goals can vary. But you should have a specific goal and a plan to achieve it so that you feel more motivated to pursue it!

2. Track your workout progress

We can easily give up exercising or playing sports when we cannot see the results. So I turned to technology to keep me motivated. I discovered some helpful apps when it comes to exercising. For example, Samsung Health allows you to use Samsung devices to track your heart rate, walking steps, or the calories you have burned daily. For those of you who run or cycle, the Strava app is designed as a mini social network where you can see how much your friends are working out and send “kudos” when they achieve some milestones. Getting “likes” from friends is an excellent way to keep up my fitness routine every day!

3. Set a regular workout schedule

Since using 25Fit’s home workout service, I can’t be lazy anymore! The coaches kept sending messages to remind me, “I’m about to come over to your house. Be ready!” so where else can you hide? Exercising on a fixed schedule will also give us a greater sense of discipline. Every week, I have 2 training days with 25Fit; therefore I will make sure other working or meeting schedules not to overlap with this training schedule. As a result, I never miss any training for the last year!

4. Find a fitness activity you enjoy

Not everyone likes weight training, just as not everyone likes running to stay in shape. If you think these exercises stress you out, I suggest you change it! I have shared some tips on exercising when you cannot go to the gym in a previous article. In addition, whenever I get bored of practicing a certain sport, I will switch to other ones, as long as my body has some kind of movement. Try speed-walking, skipping rope, dancing, swimming…. until you find the one you like.

5. Create a comfortable environment to exercise

Every time I work out at home, I will wear pretty gym clothes and turn on my favorite exercising tunes to create the right mood. When doing yoga, I would light some scented candles and play relaxing music to create inner peace. Having a stress-free space for your exercise routine is something people tend to forget, but is very essential in shaping good habits. The next time you try my HIIT/Cardio exercises, remember to wear nice clothes, open up the windows and have FUN!

Do you have any other tips to keep a regular exercising routine? Comment to let me know!