It's a common understanding that exercise is beneficial. But maintaining consistency with workouts and a healthy diet can be challenging. This article provides strategies to integrate fitness and healthy eating into your lifestyle for long-term success. Understanding why physical activity is critical for your physical and mental well-being is a good place to start.
The "Why" of Exercise: Benefits for Body and Mind
Ever experience that classic “runner’s high”? It’s not just in your head. Exercising releases hormones called endorphins that promote feelings of euphoria and help you focus. Working out also improves cardiovascular health and sleep quality, both of which improve your energy levels throughout the day and reduce the risk of a variety of other diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and some cancers. Moving your body more is also associated with a reduced risk of depression. And exercise may help people who already have depression.
Finding the Right Workout for You
The key to consistency lies in finding physical activities you genuinely enjoy and look forward to. Just because all your friends love spinning or CrossFit doesn’t mean you do, too.
Consider Your Preferences and Personality
Begin by really thinking about the things you enjoy - nature, group settings, playing sports, quiet time, or being challenged. Then look for activities that meet one or more of your criteria. Consider your personality, too. Do you like competition? Then working out with a friend who challenges you or taking a group fitness class may be helpful. Do you like immediately seeing the results of your efforts? Then workouts associated with an app that tracks your progress, like Strava for running and cycling, may be very motivating.
Choose Activities You're Good At
“We know from motivation research that humans have a desire to be ‘good’ at something,” says Brandonn S. Harris, PhD, program director and professor of sport and exercise psychology at Georgia Southern University School of Health and Kinesiology in Statesboro. “So I’d encourage people to not only seek out things they find pleasurable and enjoyable, but also things that they’re confident doing or would like to become more proficient in.” That doesn’t mean the activity will necessarily be easy for you. Unless it’s an activity recovery day, every workout should push you in terms of endurance or muscle building. But, there’s no need to struggle through a Zumba class if you hate memorizing the combinations.
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On the other hand, if you excelled in sports as a kid, joining an adult basketball or soccer league may be a huge confidence booster (as well as deliver all the health and fitness benefits of a workout). Or if there’s a physical skill you’ve always wanted to be able to do, such as self-defense, you may love suiting up for kickboxing or jiu-jitsu.
Don't Get Pigeonholed into One Type of Workout
It's easy to fall into the hype of trendy diets and workouts, but health isn't one size fits all and what works for one person may not garner the same results for another. In fact, what works for you at one time of your life may not work at another. Clients come to me all the time saying they're busting their butt in the gym for weeks and months, but not seeing any results. If something isn’t working for you, try something new. Think about what your body actually needs. It's okay to make a change if something isn't working for you. After four weeks if you see no changes, switch to a different type of workout. Instead of feeling pigeonholed into a certain workout plan, I encourage everyone to feel empowered to really be the president of their own workouts.
Integrating Exercise into Your Routine
Consistency is built through strategic integration of workouts into your daily life.
Schedule Workouts Like Appointments
Once you have a workout (or even a few) that you want to try, give yourself a slow and steady break-in period. “Don’t start off by trying to make radical changes,” says Dieffenbach. “Schedule a few days a week and put it on your calendar like any other important appointment.” Add your workouts to your calendar just like any other important meeting. When it’s scheduled, it becomes part of your day - not something you try to squeeze in. Even 20 minutes of focused movement can provide benefits.
Giving yourself a workout range for the week can also be helpful. “If you set a goal of working out five days and only go four times, that’s often perceived as a failure,” says Dr. Harris.
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Start Small with "Mini Workouts"
Your normal plan of attack is likely to hit the ground running, scheduling hour-long gym sessions a few days a week. But Mansour says to start small. We’re talking 5-minute workout small. “I tell my weight-loss clients who are not used to working out that they need to start with a mini workout,” says Mansour. It is an immediate way to combat any excuse you may have on why you can’t exercise - after all, who doesn’t have five minutes to spare? “Some people say, ‘I don’t have 30 minutes to work out; I can’t even get to the gym; where do I start?’ Start with a mini workout - literally 5 minutes,” she says.
It could be crunches while you’re watching TV, squats while you fold the laundry or a walk around the block. “It sounds gimmicky but these are the types of movements that you want to start doing so you get that muscle memory,” says Mansour. “In your mind you’re seeing the workout as just five minutes and who knows? You may be inspired to go for five more minutes and that will build and build.” This mental hack is twofold. First, it’s easier to convince yourself to do something for five minutes rather than 30, especially if you’ve been off your workout grind for a while. Beyond that, you are slowly starting to condition your mind to put health front and center and getting your body used to moving, which will help build motivation over time. You don’t need to work out for a full hour to see results. Research shows that splitting your exercise into shorter bursts, like three 10-minute sessions a day, can work just as well as a 30-minute workout. These mini workouts are especially helpful for busy parents or people working from home.
Adopt a ‘Go with the Flow’ Attitude
I have one client who used to get ready for a workout class and if she was five minutes late or got the wrong time for the class, she'd just go home instead of working out in the gym,” says Mansour. “She said she was too embarrassed to interrupt the class and felt defeated, so she went home.” (Going home often meant soothing the defeat with pizza on the couch. See: all or nothing mentality below.) Instead of retreating back home, Mansour says that having more of a “go with the flow” mindset instead of being so rigid and structured will enable you to create a Plan B (and C and D) to fall back on when things don’t go as planned (which, will inevitably happen). In this client’s case, a Plan B meant hopping on a treadmill for the duration of the class on the days when she is a few minutes late.
Many of us have a rigid view of what constitutes exercise, but the truth is that if you can’t make it to the gym, there are countless ways to get that movement in elsewhere in your day. This also means being more flexible in incorporating movement throughout the day. Many of us have a rigid view of what constitutes “exercise,” but the truth is that if you can’t make it to the gym, there are countless ways to get that movement in elsewhere in your day. “If you live in a two story home, go up and down the stairs for 10 minutes; have a separate bag in your car and in your office that includes headphones plus clothes and sneakers so you're prepared; if you walk your dog, commit to walking one block speed walking and then one block regular pace walking to add intervals into your nightly chore; if you're doing laundry, do 10 overhead presses then 10 squats before and after each load,” says Mansour.
Make Skipping a Workout a Conscious Decision
Often, deciding to skip a workout isn't really a decision at all: We sleep late and don't get to the gym or we sit down to rest on the couch when we get home and time gets away from us. Mansour encourages people to make this an active choice that we have control over, versus something happening to us. By making it a conscious decision, you're holding yourself accountable - and making it effort to cancel your workout plans.
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"People say out of sight out of mind - same thing with workout equipment and wardrobe," she says. How do we keep them in sight? Mansour offers up a trick: Put your gym bag and yoga mat on your couch, so that before you sit down to watch TV after work, you have to consciously decide to not exercise, and physically move your workout gear off the couch to sit down. Some other ideas are: sleep in your workout clothes or put them on before you leave the office so that you have to choose to take them off without exercising, or leave your sneakers or gym bag sitting somewhere front and center so you have to make the conscious choice to leave them there. Chances are, when you have to exert extra effort to not exercise, you'll be more likely to follow through with your original plans.
Exercise with a Partner
Exercising with a partner makes it more fun and harder to skip. Whether it’s a friend, family member or co-worker, having someone to check in with boosts accountability. If you have kids, involve them too. Dance together, play a game of tag or go for a family walk. Good company is hard to beat. And research shows that people who exercise with a partner feel motivated to work out harder and achieve their exercise goals. So, ask some friends to meet you for a scenic walk or join a water aerobics class together.
Track Your Progress and Reward Yourself
Tracking your progress can be a powerful way to stay motivated. Whether it’s a smartwatch, app or notebook recording your daily physical activity builds a sense of accomplishment. Seeing progress boosts your confidence and helps you stay on track. Sharing your workouts on social media or with friends can keep you motivated. Positive feedback from others can give you that extra push. Popular apps like MyFitnessPal, Strava and Apple Fitness+ provide guided workouts and personal tracking.
Have you been holding off on treating yourself to something special? Maybe it’s a spa day, a new item of clothing or concert tickets. Try setting a workout milestone, and then reward yourself when you meet it. For example, when you’ve gone for a walk 14 days in a row, book a massage. Have you been meaning to read more books? Catch up on your favorite podcasts? Workouts are great for squeezing in some listening time. Maybe you’ll get in a good laugh or learn something new while you build your new health routine. Use a fitness app, journal, or calendar to record your workouts. Seeing your consistency can help build momentum and be motivating. If you find positive reinforcement helpful, share your progress with friends and family. You can post photos or videos on social media or keep it more private in a small group chat.
Avoid Overexertion and Allow for Rest
Pushing too hard without rest can backfire. Too much physical activity without recovery may lead to fatigue, soreness or injury. Know your limits. If you feel unusually tired, sore or start experiencing frequent illnesses, it may be time to take a break. Talk to your primary care doctor about your goals and any health concerns.
Reduce Goals to Micro-Goals
Setting concrete goals is a great way to get your head back in the game and science shows that doing so does encourage behavior change when it comes to diet and fitness. But setting the right kind of goal is key. One that is too lofty has the potential to have the opposite effect, leaving us discouraged and preventing us from sticking with it. Which is why many health experts encourage us to set “SMART” goals: Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time bound. Mansour zeros in on the “attainable” aspect by encouraging people to make their goals more manageable. This could mean reducing your weight-loss goal, lowering the amount of produce you aim to eat each day or shortening the amount of time you schedule at the gym. It may sound odd to aim to achieve less, but Mansour cites an example of one of her weight-loss clients who found success with this method: “One of my clients had a step tracker and the default setting was 10,000 steps a day. It sounds doable, but this client was consistently falling short, she would barely hit 8,000 most days. So I asked her, ‘Why are you setting this goal at something you’re never achieving and then at the end of the day you feel so bad about yourself?’” says Mansour.
She says the solution is simple: Make it attainable by going micro. “You’re training your brain that you are successful. If I lower her goal to 8,000 steps, she’s constantly hitting that goal, and that makes her feel confident, happy and strong - like she can do it,” she says. Once her client built a momentum of seeing that she could accomplish her goal each day, she steadily increased it and is now at 12,000 steps a day. “It took six weeks, but it’s because of that instant gratification you get from seeing that goal hit by the end of the day; you see that you hit your goal or even surpassed it and that motivates you to keep going,” she adds.
Forget the ‘All or Nothing’ Mentality - Look at Each Day as a Series of Choices
“The all or nothing approach does not serve you,” says Mansour, who says the majority of her clients suffer from this mentality. Either they start a diet or weight-loss program and are totally all in or they are totally off the wagon. “With the holidays coming up, some people say ‘I’m going to start my weight-loss goals in January’ or ‘I’m going to start eating healthy after the holidays’ those are examples of the all or nothing mentality and that is self-sabotage,” she explains.
Diet Tips to Maximize Your Workouts
Knowing when and what to eat can make a difference in your workouts. Eating and exercise go together. When and what you eat can be important to how you feel when you exercise. And it's important to think about what you eat when you exercise, whether you're doing a casual workout or training for a competition.
Pre-Workout Nutrition
If you exercise in the morning, get up early enough to finish breakfast at least one hour before your workout. Studies suggest that eating or drinking carbohydrates before exercise can help you do better during your workout. And the carbohydrates may allow you to work out for a longer time or at a higher intensity. If you plan to exercise within an hour after breakfast, eat a light meal. Or have a sports drink. And remember, if you usually have coffee in the morning, it's probably OK to have a cup before your workout. Be careful not to overdo it when it comes to how much you eat before exercise. Large meals. Small meals or snacks. Eating too much before you exercise can leave you feeling slow-moving. Most people can eat small snacks right before and during exercise. The key is how you feel. Do what works best for you. Snacks eaten soon before exercise probably won't give you added energy if your workout lasts less than 60 minutes. If your workout is longer than 60 minutes, it may help to have a carbohydrate-rich food or drink during the workout.
Post-Workout Nutrition
Eat a meal that has both carbohydrates and protein in it within two hours of your workout if possible. Eating after you work out can help muscles recover and replace their glycogen stores. Think about having a snack if your meal is more than two hours away.
Hydration
Don't forget to drink fluids. Drink about 1/2 to 1 cup (118 to 237 milliliters) of water every 15 to 20 minutes during your workout. Water is generally the best way to replace lost fluids. But if you're exercising for more than 60 minutes, try a sports drink. Sports drinks can help keep your body's electrolyte balance. Remember that the length and intensity of your activity can help you decide how often and what you should eat and drink. For example, you'll need more energy from food to run a marathon than to run or walk a few miles. And try not to add any new products in your diet before a sports event that lasts a long time.
When it comes to eating and exercise, everyone is different. So notice how you feel during your workout and how your overall performance is affected by what you eat. Let your experience guide you on which pre- and post-exercise eating habits work best for you.