How I Built a Lasting Exercise Habit
By: Scott Mayer
Tags: Life, Fitness, Lifestyle, Health, Motivation

I chase a feeling, not a size or shape

It starts with having the right goals. What do you want to get out of exercise?

In too many instances, people prioritize aesthetics above all else.

“I want to be thinner”

“I want to look better in a bathing suit”

“I want to be more muscular”

“I want heads to turn as I walk by”

And so they grind away, forever in pursuit of their ideal. But they never quite get there, often resulting in them taking extensive time off or quitting all-together.

It’s because they have the wrong goal.

Aesthetics should be a side effect of a larger commitment to health and fitness, not the root motivator. What should motivate you is how exercise makes you feel, because exercise feels good.

It’s this feeling I chase each and every day.

When I’m out running, I’m searching for the “groove”. That place where things are firing on all cylinders, everything is clicking, and movement feels smooth and effortless.

Time flies by. Motivation is high. When I’m done I feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, knowing I just spent time doing something healthy that’s highly productive. It’s an addicting feeling.

Once you get a taste of it, you’ll want it more and more. And so you’ll keep coming back for more and more.

Next time you’re not feeling motivated, exercise by feel instead. Don’t worry about weight or sets or reps or time or distance or anything. Just show up and do whatever the spirit moves you to do.

It’s a lot easier to find the “groove” when you’re not limited by yours (or others’) expectations.

Prioritize completion, not competition

Deep down, humans are hardwired for competition.

According to Psychology Today’s Sander van der Linden:

“There is something inexplicably compelling about the nature of competition. Perhaps that’s because, as some scholars argue, ‘competitiveness’ is a biological trait that co-evolved with the basic need for human survival.”

We compete against others in virtually every aspect of our lives. From how much money we make and what type of car we drive to how much weight we lift and how fast we run.

Some competition is good. Competition fosters ambition, conscientiousness, and tenacity. These are very useful traits for getting ahead in society.

But too much competition is a path to the dark side, as Yoda would say. Too much competition fosters negative traits like obsession, selfishness and dissatisfaction. And ultimately, failure.

For exercisers, this may manifest itself in the form of an injury, a plateau, or total burnout. All of which leads to breaking our exercise routine.

Prioritizing completion takes the pressure off.

Don’t worry about how fast you run, just get your mileage in. Don’t worry about how much weight you lift, just get your exercises in. Don’t worry about how you look compared to the yoga instructor, just get your class in.

Personally, once I started prioritizing completing my runs vs timing my runs, my overall mileage increased, my satisfaction with running increased, and my injury propensity decreased dramatically.

Worry less about what other’s think

I’ve learned to ignore the naysayers.

For whatever reason, it seems like other people take a curiously high, often inappropriate level of interest in my day to day decision-making.

I’m always astounded by how my exercise, diet and daily habits have the ability to influence (and often offend) other people when they have nothing to do with them.

Why do you care how many miles I run?

Why do you care in what order I perform my exercises?

Why do you care if I switch up my diet?

Why do you care what time I go to bed or wake up in the morning?

And any number of other examples.

It’s as if doing what’s best for me is a personal affront to them. A curious phenomenon indeed.

Learn to ignore these people.

I say learn because it won’t happen overnight. It will take practice. It’s not easy to fend off resistance from your workout partner about you changing your routine, or pushback from your buddies about you taking some time away from alcohol.

I’m a huge proponent of exercising alone. I know the science behind increased exercise motivation in a group setting, but I remain steadfast on this one. Exercising alone will help you build confidence in yourself and your plan, because there isn’t anyone else you need to please.

Work group exercise sessions back into your routine in time if that’s what you want to do, after you’ve developed the confidence and assurance in yourself.

Plus, I find it much easier to find the “groove” in a solo setting.

And it’s all about finding the “groove”.

Be strong, be safe, be well.