How long do you think it takes to break a habit and change you routine? A week? Two weeks? Actually, experts say it takes 27 days to break a habit, yes that’s right 27!
It’s unsurprising then I wasn’t able to uphold my one hour a night exercise routine after a mere 7 days, as it isn’t yet a routine. I put the failure down to my social life getting in the way and blamed the lack of weightloss on Tapas Tuesday, Friday curry night and mummy’s yummy Sunday roast, but in truth it was down to bad planning.
When I looked back at week 1 there was one noticeable difference and the key success factor to sticking to my exercise challenge was planning. I’d planed which routines I was going to do each night at the beginning of the week.
Of course planning is a crucial stage in any project, but how can planning help you exercise?
Structure– simply by having plan it gives you a schedule to follow and stick to.
Commitment – writing down what you plan to do establishes your commitment for the week ahead
Variety – repetition can lead to boredom, and more importantly varying your e your routine everyday prevents over working the same muscle group (which I can tell you leads to sore aching muscles!)
Balance– if your social commitments or other activities in your life prevent your work out look for alternatives whether it’s a power walk in your lunch break or hitting the dance floor on a night out! Plus you can schedule your exercise free day for when you have other commitments.
Motivation– when you have completed an exercise routine on your list, tick it off, this will help keep you feeling positive about being on track. Something as small as ticking off something on your to do list can give you a sense of achievement.
