Why do some people have an easy time staying consistent with their health and fitness while others struggle to find a rhythm?
What I have seen more often than not is that it’s either one of two things.
1. They have a set routine
2. They prioritize their health and fitness above most other things
When someone has a set routine they come to the gym at the same times each week, they do the same things before they leave the house, and the same things when they get home.
Their day is predictable and for those people It is easier to stick with their routine than It would be to veer away from It.
Skipping their gym sessions causes unpredictability. All the things they generally do beforehand cue the response of a workout, and then following up the workout with their “reward”.
Now, on the other hand some people prioritize their health and fitness above most things. Whether that is their personal preference or something that is needed (health/doctor’s orders).
The people who prioritize don’t necessarily have the same routine each day. They may workout at different times or on different days but they get It done.
It is their non-negotiable, no matter how unpredictable their day is, their workout will get done.
Neither one of these options is better or worse, they are just things used to create the habit of being consistent with the gym.
Most people don’t just prioritize their health on day 1. After a lot of time doing the same things and seeing results in the right direction we begin to slowly put our health and fitness above other things.
The benefits almost become addicting, making us want to do more of the right things.
In more cases than not, to get to that point we have to create a routine that keeps us coming back for more. That routine is the key to keeping our schedule consistent.
We find things that we can do every time we plan to workout. A trigger of some sort to get ourselves to know it’s time to exercise. I remember in college, I would eat breakfast, write my workout down, then get changed.
I followed this same routine every single day and It kept me as consistent as I’ve ever been. Now if you have ever read a book about habits or studies regarding routines–>most habits have a trigger, the action, and then a reward to follow behind that action.
For me, I would stop and get a drink and a snack on the way home from the gym everyday. It wasn’t anything crazy but I looked forward to It. Without knowing It, I had my habit locked into my day.
Every time I ate breakfast I knew that my next move was to get dressed and head out the door to the gym. There was no second guessing It, It was just something I did.
After every session, I rewarded myself with that snack and drink which I looked forward to every single day. Before long, these things became subconscious, I was moving through the motions day in and day out without interruption.
Take a look at your week, what routines do you have set for yourself?
In good health,
Jeff
