6 reasons why you do not exercise, and how to fix them

Last week I published a survey on the habits and lifestyle. Many of you responded, and responded to the questionnaire. Thanks a lot! (By the way, the survey still going, I invite you to participate.)

From this study (do not pretend to be scientific), I learned many interesting things. For example, as we ourselves explain why do sports less often than you would like. Below I have listed the most popular reasons that indicated participants and participants in the study, explaining why the sport does not become a habit for them. And also give their comments to each of the responses.

Reason 1. "I do not find a suitable time to his daily routine"

Finding the Right Trigger (time-place-situation) for a new habit - it does not always easy. If the ideal is not possible to come up with the trigger, begin to experiment for the sport. For example, try to do the warm-up (if your target habit) at different moments of the day: in the morning immediately after tualeta; before breakfast until boiling kettle; at lunchtime, before going into the dining room; in the evening, you came home and changed into a home, and so on.

Often, successful solutions, to which we can not think of, are themselves, when we start something to try.

Also think about how you can naturally enter a few small habits in different sports moments of the day (for example, in the morning before work one stop to walk, ride a rest transport; before dinner to make an easy workout at work; climb to the apartment with no elevator, if a high floor). Three little habits often manage to enter in order better than one big one.

Reason 2. "There is not enough motivation / willpower / lazy"

Bet on willpower and motivation - this is a losing strategy, when we talk about the formation of good habits. No matter how strong was not your motivation from time to time it will be in conflict with your short-term desires.

Strength of will - is also vacillates on it affects your mood, mood, fatigue, actions of others. To compensate for the volatility of willpower and motivation, it makes sense to purposefully (ie relying on the evidence of psychology and neuroscience) form in their good habits.

Reason 3. "Late I wake up and do not have time in the morning workout"

Here I want to warn against the following events: "Ah, to have time to play sports, I have to get up early, so tomorrow I start to get up early and to engage in physical activity! Problem solved! "With high probability not happen neither the one nor the other (no sports, no early lifting).

early lifting - is a set of habits, which, in my opinion, it is necessary to study separately. First it is necessary to deal with the regime of the day, and then work on the habit of exercise in the hours freed, these different projects on time.

Reason 4. "Boring / does not satisfy him / hard"

Here I see two options:

1. Put on an experiment and try many different sports activities in search of the one that will bring pleasure.
2. Purposefully form the habit perform some simple basic workout. When the task is in the habit state (behavior "on autopilot", with a low degree of awareness) your relation to the process already plays an insignificant role. That is, you are no longer so important, like the process or not, you are involved in it "without regaining consciousness" (such as brushing your teeth in the morning).

Reason 5. "I have no time for sports"

When you answer, so I think it means that physical activity - it's not a priority for you now. If so, you should be honest myself to admit it already and stop berating yourself for a sedentary lifestyle, having agreed with him: "I understand, what I lose, not playing sports, but consciously choose the more important things for me now. " If sport still a high priority, but time really not, see point 1.

Reason 6. "I have a disordered life / inconvenient schedule / travel a lot"

Anything can happen, but even in the most disordered chart is usually a constant - daily activities related to basic needs (hygiene, eating, and so on). These needs and related habits can be used as triggers for a new sports habits (researcher from Stanford University B. J.. Fogg calls it "supertriggerami").

see also

• Why traveling useful habits disappear →
• To change your life, change your habits →
• How long should I work out in a week to be healthy →