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Creating a Habit of Physical Activity

It’s not easy to change our behaviour - especially if we’re in the habit of doing something so regularly that we don’t even think about it anymore.  For instance, automatically getting into the car to go to the shops or to take the children to school five minutes away.  Its not easy to give up bad habits like smoking or drinking more than the recommended amount of alcohol - even if we don’t smoke ourselves, we know someone who does and has struggled to quit - and they know its bad for their health! 

Conversely, once we establish good habits they become difficult to break too.  Research suggests that it can take anything between 18-245 days to establish a habit[1] however, on average, it takes 12 weeks.  So let’s look at how you can change from being sedentary to becoming more physically active.  There are four stages of habit formation:

behaviour change

Firstly, we must plant the seed and decide what behaviour it is we want to change - New Year is as good a time as any to make a fresh start.  Then building on that thought, we must start to prepare for that behaviour change – you might choose to go to the January sales and buy yourself a new pair of trainers.  Then action needs to take place – take advantage of the  promotional gym memberships throughout January.  And lastly, for the behaviour change to become a habit, you must repeat the activity and create a routine so that it becomes an automatic part of your life.  Don’t worry if you relapse back to old habits of sitting in front of the TV rather than being physically active – it’s a natural part of the change – just start again and don’t give up!

Here are a few tips to support you with your behaviour change to get into the habit of being more physically active:-

  1. Take responsibility for your health – identify your motivations to exercise.  Do you want to feel better, have more energy and be able to do more during your normal day to day activities?
  2. Plan ways to do more physical activity even if it’s just short bursts throughout the day – leave the car at home for short journeys.
  3. Do your research – find out what’s going on within your local community.  Is there an IFI Mark gym close by that you can join?
  4. Choose activities that are fun and easy to get to – if they are convenient you have less of an excuse and you need to make sure that you enjoy it when you’re there!
  5. Get an activity buddy – it’s sometimes hard to stay motivated on your own but if you share your plans or do activities with a friend, you are more likely to stay active.
  6. Make other lifestyle changes to improve your health – eat more healthily, quit smoking and drink less alcohol.  Even small changes will contribute to making a big difference in how you feel.
  7. Set yourself small goals to give yourself a sense of achievement and review them regularly.

We often forget that one of the main barriers to participating in physical activity is the mind and our attitudes, rather than physical capability.  By being physically active frequently, the habit will form and before you know it being physically active will be part of your daily routine.

If you need more support and information - there are a number of resources available to motivate behaviour change and support your shift from a sedentary lifestyle to a physically active one. 

Have a look at these and start your New Year actively:-

 

[1] 2009, University College London psychologist Phillippa Lally