Frequently Asked Questions About Building a Workout Habit
It’s natural to have questions when starting a new journey. Here are answers to some of the most common queries about creating a consistent workout routine.
How long does it really take to form a workout habit?
You may have heard the popular myth that it takes 21 days to form a habit. While a nice, simple number, research shows it’s more complicated than that. A landmark study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology found that the time it took for a new habit to feel automatic ranged from 18 to 254 days. The average was 66 days. The key takeaway is that there is no magic number. It depends on the person, the complexity of the habit, and the consistency of the practice. Instead of focusing on a deadline, focus on the process. Concentrate on showing up each day and performing your Minimum Viable Action. The feeling of automaticity will develop over time. Be patient with yourself; you are rewiring your brain for long-term success.
What should I do on days I travel or feel sick?
This is where the concepts of MVA and “never miss twice” are essential. Life is not perfectly predictable. On days when your normal routine is impossible, the goal is to keep the thread of the habit alive. If you’re sick, perhaps your MVA is simply doing a few gentle stretches in bed. If you’re in a hotel room, your MVA could be 10 bodyweight squats before you head out for the day. The point isn’t the intensity of the workout; it’s the act of maintaining your identity as “someone who moves every day.” By scaling down your habit to fit the circumstances, you avoid breaking the chain completely and make it infinitely easier to ramp back up when your normal routine resumes.
I’m being consistent, but I’ve hit a plateau. What now?
A plateau can be physical (you’re not seeing changes in strength or endurance) or mental (you’re feeling bored). First, celebrate your consistency! You’ve successfully built the habit, which is the hardest part. Now you can start to gently introduce variation. This doesn’t mean you need to overhaul your entire routine. Small tweaks can make a big difference. If you’ve been doing bodyweight squats, try holding a heavy book for added resistance. If you walk for 15 minutes every day, try incorporating a few one-minute intervals of faster walking. If you’re bored, try a new yoga video online or a different walking route. The foundation of your workout habit is solid; now you have the freedom to play and explore on top of it.
Can I try to build multiple fitness habits at once?
It is highly recommended to start with one, and only one, new habit at a time. As we’ve discussed, willpower is limited. Trying to build a running habit, a meditation habit, and a healthy eating habit all at once will likely deplete your mental resources and lead to none of them sticking. Pick the single most important habit that will have the biggest positive impact on your life right now. Focus all your energy on making that one habit automatic using the system of MVA, friction reduction, and environmental cues. Once that first habit is so ingrained that you do it without thinking, you can then apply the same system to build the next one.
What if I just don’t feel motivated to work out?
This is the most important question of all. The secret is that motivation is not a prerequisite for action; it is often the result of action. You are waiting for a feeling that may never come. Successful people don’t wait until they feel motivated. They rely on their system. They have a cue that triggers the action, and they’ve made the action so small (MVA) that it’s easy to start. Almost invariably, once you begin the physical movement, the motivation and positive feelings follow. Don’t wait to feel good to start. Start, and you will feel good. This is the fundamental shift from a willpower-based approach to a system-based one.
