I don’t currently have a regular exercise routine, but I’d like to…someday

That’s great!  You’ve started thinking about adopting a regular exercise routine, which means you’re beginning to think of the benefits exercise might bring to your life!  Here are the 3 tips for you:

Get specific on what you’re hoping to gain
There’s a reason (or maybe several reasons!) you’re considering making exercise a habit.  What are those reasons?  Take a moment to answer the following questions to help you get really clear on this.  You can either jot down your answers, or talk them out with a friend or family member:  

What is the driving force behind the desire to change now?  Why now?

Picture yourself living your healthiest life.  In that picture, what types of exercise are you doing?  How are you feeling in your body?

If you’ve exercised in the past, what have been your best experiences to date with exercise, times you felt fully alive and engaged?

Getting clear on the reason you want to start exercising (or start again) helps you begin to get a picture in your head of what you’re aiming for, as well as start tapping into your internal motivation.  You’re much more likely to stick with goals set not from external motivation (I SHOULD do this), but rather, internal motivation (I WANT to do this).  

Consider what you bring to the table
Think for a moment about your strengths.  This can be a tough one, but I don’t want you to be modest here.  We all have strengths that we bring to the table, things that come more naturally to us or skills we’ve honed over time.  If it helps, think through strengths you exhibit in other areas of your life besides your health…what strengths shine in your work?  Your home life?  What strengths would your closest friends and family say you have?  Recognizing 1) that you DO have strengths and 2) what those strengths are can help you start to creatively leverage those when you begin to implement an exercise routine.  

For example, if one of your strengths is organization, it may be hard to spot initially how this would support a new exercise habit.  But actually, it’s an amazing strength to leverage for this!  You can much more easily see how to put exercise into your schedule, and how to organize your days so that you have time to exercise.

Assemble your squad
Yep-that’s right!  Even though creating an exercise routine that becomes a consistent habit is ultimately up to you, having a squad or team of folks in your corner can only help you.  

Think about it as the people along a marathon race course, cheering you on with handmade signs they made especially for you, or standing at fueling stations to hand out water or Gatorade.  Those marathon runners, though they’ve put in the time and effort, have not gotten to the finish line on their own, and the sooner you invite people into your desire to start an exercise routine, the better!  So start thinking about who would support you…family members, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and ask them to come alongside you as you begin to figure this out.  

For your next step, check out our IGTV for an IG Live about the Stages of Change, and assume that with exercise, you’re in the “Contemplation” phase.  This video will give you tips on how to progress through the stages of change and begin setting goals at the right time to ensure you the most success!  As always, feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions!