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Precursor

Today’s mental health memo is: 15-year-old me inhaling bags of chips and never moving from her bed would be gagged at 22-year- old me exercising every day.

Exercising has amazing benefits for not just your physical health, but your mental health too. We all know that. Yet, it can be SO hard to actually commit to exercising consistently.

Busy schedules, lack of motivation, too many responsibilities, and being stuck in old unhealthy habits can all play a massive role in how capable we are to fully commit.

That is why I wanted to share with you my top tips for how to make exercise a habit as a person that has struggled with weight, exercise, and healthy eating from a young age.

**This post contains affiliate links which means I get a very small commission from every sale made at no extra cost to you. However, this does not compromise my integrity and I genuinely only recommend things I believe in and/or use myself. All the money goes back into my blog and channel so if you do use the links, thank you for supporting me :)**

The benefits of exercise

I think we’re all relatively versed in how vital exercise is for our well-being, but in case you wanted even more reasons to commit to exercising, here are just some of the benefits of exercising:

• Exercise can help control weight (please note: controlling weight is important so that you do not reach unhealthy weight levels which impact your physical health. I don’t condone fat-shaming or diet culture that implies you need to LOOK a certain way. I’m talking about the physical benefits here of exercise, not aesthetics)
• Exercise can help protect and prevent many illnesses such as diabetes, heart diseases, mental illnesses, arthritis and much more
• It improves energy levels
• Exercise promotes sleep
• It increases your chances of living longer
• Exercise helps alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns
• Exercise has been found to improve sexual health
• It supports brain health
• Exercise strengthens your bones and muscles

And believe it or not, there is still more research coming out with additional benefits to exercise outside of this list! So yeah, looks like exercise is pretty important.

My history of poor health and weight struggles

I think it’s important to start by speaking to my history with exercise because I find that many people who do these types of posts are personal trainers, fitness enthusiasts, and super active folks (nothing against that at ALL).

But as a person who is NOT those things, I get why it can be SO hard to actually get the willpower to start exercising. For many people, it’s not just physically difficult or unpleasant but it’s straight-up TORTURE.

I get you, I’ve been there.

As a kid, I actually liked playing sports a lot. I’d do dancing, soccer, basketball, and I’d swim at the community center. But the older I got, the more I started to hate exercise.

I think there were a few reasons for that.

The first is that I was just a lot more tired physically and emotionally from life’s responsibilities as I got older than when I was a kid.

It’s easy to play soccer every week when you don’t have a part-time job, full-time school, caregiving responsibilities, and social stressors.

I also started binging a lot during my teen years as a way to cope, and in a way, I started to identify with that. My friends would always call me a foodie and I’d be proud when I’d say “I just eat whatever I want and I don’t really care about consequences”.

This combination of lack of exercise and overeating caused me to gain a lot of weight. And I know this might seem a little counter-intuitive, but I was actually very confident and happy with myself at that time.

However, by the end of high school, I had faced a big stressor that caused me to lose 40 pounds in 2 months. YEP. 40 pounds in 2 months.

It came about because I was so upset and stressed I just didn’t have an appetite. I didn’t force it or actively try to lose the weight, it just happened.

I also simultaneously started working at the YMCA as a camp counselor. Playing with the kids and also utilizing the YMCA gym classes reminded me why I loved movement so much as a kid.

I just felt happier, calmer, more energetic, I slept better, I felt more motivated in life, and I was stronger both physically and mentally.

Since then, I started to really rekindle my relationship with exercise.

I started swimming at my university, doing gym classes, practicing yoga, and utilizing at-home workouts and it has been essential to my well-being for the past 4 years.

While I did have on-off moments with exercise, I always came back to it and have now consistently done movement almost every single day for over a year.

I only took days off when I was injured or felt really unwell.

The tips I’m about to share with you are exactly how I managed to go from refusing to so much as walk 10 minutes to doing strength training, HIITs, and sports all the time.

How to Make Exercise a Habit Tips:

1. Know your “why”

You may have heard of this before, or you may have not. Regardless, it’s really important.

To stick to a goal (especially a long-term one), you need to know your “why”.

Ask yourself: why do I want to start exercising on a daily basis?

Is it because you’re currently living an unhealthy lifestyle and you want to change that?

Are you at risk for certain health conditions and want to protect yourself as much as possible from them?

Is there a certain amount you want to be able to lift?

Have you always wanted to attend a certain marathon but you didn’t have the endurance for it?

Is there an aesthetic you’re trying to achieve? (If the aesthetic is actually obtainable and you can do this in a healthy manner then it’s still a valid why!)

Do you want to play with your kids but realize you’re constantly out of breath and can’t keep up?

Is it because you’re already living a relatively healthy lifestyle and want to continue it or expand on it?

Are you experiencing mental health conditions and are trying to improve symptoms holistically?

Is there a workout that kicked your butt and you want to be able to successfully finish the whole thing?

Regardless of your “why”, identify it and engrave it in your head.

When things start to get difficult and you want to give back, go back to your “why”. Use it as an anchor to ground you when you want to let go and stop.

If you’re just exercising for no reason, it’ll be really easy to give up and stop since there’s no actual “why” to your exercising.

I have two “whys”!

My first “why” is that I have chronic mental and physical illnesses and being at my peak health (through exercise, good eating, self-care, mindfulness), I’m able to alleviate my symptoms as much as I can.

My second “why” is I really just want to see how far I can push myself. Through my years of exercising, I’ve improved so much in many aspects and I’m genuinely curious and excited to find out just how far I can go (safely, of course).

So what’s your “why”? Let me know in the comments below!

2. Know your “how”

Once you know why you’re exercising, it’s important to create a plan for how exactly you’re going to follow through.

It’s vital that while you’re figuring out your “why” and “how” you’re as specific as possible. Being meticulously organized makes it easier for you to actually see your goal through because you have a plan for what it means to do your goal, and to be succeeding in it.

Let me explain what I mean.

If my why is “I just want to exercise more”, and my how is “whenever I have time”, how likely do you think it is that I’m actually going to see this through?

What if I never have time because I don’t specifically schedule a time for exercise? And if I do end up exercising and it starts getting difficult, why would I keep going if my “why” is weak and unspecific?

Alternatively, if my why is “I want to exercise so that I can lose 10 pounds which will help me get down to a healthier cholesterol level” and my how is “I’m going to do a 30-minute dance cardio every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 6 pm after work”, my capacity to succeed just shot through the roof.

I have a clear why (10 pounds so I can get down to a healthier cholesterol level), and my how is incredibly precise (30 minutes, x3 a week, 6 pm after work, cardio).

By being meticulous and specific, it becomes clearer when you ARE achieving your goal, and also when you’re NOT.

With the first example, how would I know if I’m actually practicing my new habit? I can’t know because I’ve made no measures by which to identify that.

With the second example, if I start doing 10-minute exercises once a week instead of the 30 minutes 3 times a week, it’s obvious I’m not on the right track.

I know this may sound a bit overwhelming and confusing, which is why I made a free fillable PDF guide for you so that you can figure out your why, your how, and create a schedule for yourself super easily!

Download it below

3. Do an exercise you actually enjoy

Here is something I learned the hard way. If you hate a certain exercise DON’T DO IT.

By forcing yourself to do exercises you don’t like, you’re making the experience a lot more miserable than it needs to be which will make it unlikely that you continue to exercise.

Who would want to continue doing something that feels like torture?

So experiment with all sorts of exercises and see what it is that you ACTUALLY ENJOY. If you like what you’re doing, you’ll want to do it again and again!

When I first started working out, I kept trying to love HIIT workouts because they were so popular at the time (they still are honestly).

But because of my Panic Disorder, these types of intense exercises often made me have panic attacks which made working out HORRIBLE. So I realized I needed to do stuff I actually enjoyed if I intended to make exercise a daily habit.

In my case, I decided to opt for dancing, swimming, yoga, muscle training, walking, and all sorts of other fun types of movement!

Interestingly enough, as I’ve gotten stronger and gained more endurance, I’ve actually started to enjoy HIIT workouts now so I do them from time to time! But a few years ago, they were definitely not an option for me.

So listen to your desires and your body, and find something you LOVE doing.

4. Follow a program

You know when you go on Youtube and type “30-minute cardio workout” and like 3 million options come up?

And then you start clicking through a bunch of them to figure out which you should do and you’re not sure because some look better than others but then one has this thing that the others don’t but this one has better music but this one’s instructor is more fun?

And then 30 minutes later you’re still scrolling just trying to figure out what workout to do? Yeah, that’s me in a nutshell.

It is VERY easy to get lost in the world of fitness because of how much we have available to us, which is why I highly recommend following a program.

It eliminates the stress, confusion, decision fatigue, and headache that comes along with figuring out what you need to do because all you have to do is pick the program, and then follow through with it.

There are all sorts of programs available on the internet now ranging from muscle building, fat loss, strength training, targeted workouts, and so much more.

Some are free, whereas others you may need to pay money for.

I recommend starting by figuring out what type of exercise you might need for your “why” (i.e. weight loss, strength building, endurance building, etc).

Once you know what type of workouts you need, browse through different fitness instructors on Youtube or just the web in general and see which ones you like.

From there, find out if they have any monthly schedules they share with subscribers, or if they have any programs. Again, some may be free whereas others are gonna cost money.

Some of my favorite Youtube fitness instructors are Chloe Ting (has many free programs), Blogilates (has free monthly schedules and challenges), HASFit (have paid programs- not sponsored btw), Yoga With Adriene (free monthly yoga schedules), but there are honestly SO many more people providing these types of services. It’s all about finding what you like.

A free program that you do at home may be a great option if you have gym anxiety, can’t afford the gym, aren’t close to one, or if a pandemic decides to take over the world.

The downside is nobody is there to correct your form or truly create an individualized plan, but a program to follow is better than stabbing in the dark with random workouts.

5. Get support from professionals

If you have access to healthcare professionals, do not be afraid to utilize them as much as you can!

As we just discussed, free programs at home can be a great option for making exercise a habit, but if you do plan to go to the gym, consider getting a personal trainer.

They’ll be able to access your form, ensure you’re doing exercises properly, address any imbalances you have in your body, create an individualized plan for your needs and goals, as well as support you emotionally!

If you’re unable to go to a gym in person, there are personal trainers available for online training sessions if you feel like you’d prefer that.

Aside from personal trainers, you can also utilize your dietitian! Diet plays a huge role in your wellbeing, so ensuring you’re also eating well while exercising is important. If you exercise a lot but eat horribly, you won’t see any benefits.

Reach out to your dietitian, tell them about the changes you’re making, and have them support you in making a good diet for yourself.

Also, utilize your doctor for daily check-ins to ensure everything is on track, massage therapists if you’re experiencing soreness from all the exercise, physiotherapists if you need help with form and imbalances, and therapists if you’re struggling with mental health.

Obviously, this expert advice is amazing and will definitely support you in not just achieving but maintaining your habit. But an added bonus is by having a “team” of people supporting you and cheering you on, you’ll be more prone to continuing your habit because as humans we thrive on social support!

6. Get nice workout clothes

This might seem a bit weird or superficial, but hear me out.

When you LOOK good, you FEEL good. This concept applies to workout gear too!

Wearing nice workout clothes can help to boost your confidence, make you feel more excited to work out, and help you to feel inspired.

Trust me, I used to workout in ugly t-shirts and yucky sports bras, and it was FINE, but it wasn’t FUN.

When I started buying myself nicer workout clothes, I noticed that I’d actually get excited about my workout because it would mean I get to wear my cute outfit!

It also made me feel more confident when I was in the gym because I didn’t look like a train wreck.

Obviously looking good isn’t a huge deal, but I found it really helpful on days when I was feeling super unmotivated and not in the mood to exercise. I’d put on my fun outfits and I’d be slightly more ready and excited to do my workout.

It’s small, but something like this could be the deciding factor between you doing a workout or not.

7. Buy equipment

Similar to workout clothes, using equipment can also make exercising more fun and exciting.

Obviously, this dominantly applies to folks exercising at home since gyms already have a lot of different equipment. But if you’re at a gym, I recommend exploring the different weights and tools available there either way!

There’s just something so exciting about using equipment, maybe because it reminds me of being a kid and using all sorts of objects for games like balls, vests, ropes, Frisbees, rackets, and mats.

Even though I find it so fun, I actually only got much of my equipment this year so I could try out new types of exercise and push myself further with old exercises.

The equipment that you’ll need totally depends on you and your goals, but this is what I got myself!

Adjustable Ankle Weights:

For my Canadian friends, purchase here

For my U.S friends, purchase here

Both of these products are adjustable ankle weights which means you can take out or add sandbags for a max weight of 5 pounds per ankle!

I really like using these when resistance bands aren’t an option so for example when I’m walking, dancing, doing yoga, or something that gets restricted when using a resistance band.

Depending on the size of your arms you could theoretically also use these as hand weights if you’re trying to save money, but my hands are personally too small for that (but it is an option!)

Hand Weights:

For my U.S friends, purchase here

For my Canadian friends, purchase here

Hand weights are super useful because you can use them in so many exercises (not just arm ones!). I would really recommend getting a few different weights like in the set above because you may need different levels of heaviness depending on the exercise.

They’re honestly just a great way to take any exercise to the next level, especially if you’re working on strength building.

The weights above are not what I actually own because these weren’t available when I was looking, so I ended up buying other ones from SportsCheck but they’re pretty much the same as the ones above.

Resistance Bands:

For my Canadian friends, purchase here

For my U.S friends, purchase here

Let’s talk about resistance bands for a second. They’re super important for toning and strengthening your legs and butt, and NO this is not just a women’s product! Men of the world, you need to work on your glutes too because they’re essential for doing other exercises and having a balanced physique. 

So regardless of who you are, you should be using resistance bands to further push your legs and glutes!

I highly recommend these cloth bands over the elastic resistance bands because the cloth ones do not move, bunch up, and curl over like the elastic ones do. 

I used to have a pair of elastic ones and nearly ripped them to shreds out of anger because they kept moving around and bunching over. Hence, why I bought cloth resistance bands instead and they are SO MUCH BETTER.

Yoga Knee Pads:

For my U.S friends, purchase here

For my Canadian friends, purchase here

Honestly, I think yoga knee pads are super underrated as exercise equipment. As the name suggests, you put them under your knees to cushion them so they don’t hurt when you’re doing exercises on your knees.

And you do not to be doing yoga to use these! I always use the knee pads when I’m doing 4 point exercises like fire hydrants, donkey kinks, butt circles, and even deep lunges.

They help protect my super sensitive knees, and they’re much more convenient than rolling my mat over 3 billion times so that I have enough cushioning under my knees.

Highly recommended!

Yoga blocks:

For my U.S friends, purchase here

For my Canadian friends, purchase here

Another underrated piece of equipment!

Obviously, the most use you’ll get from this is if you do yoga because it brings the earth to you which is really helpful in poses you can’t fully do yet or if you have very little flexibility. For example, you may use this during a pyramid, a triangle, a standing half splits, a yogic squat, and so much more!

But, you can also use this in other ways like if you meditate cross-legged and need some support for your hips, or if you have low flexibility and need help in exercises that require you to be able to reach the floor, and lots more!

Yoga Mat:

For my U.S friends, purchase here

For my Canadian friends, purchase here

I think that I actually spend half my life on my yoga mat.

I do almost all my exercises on there because I don’t want carpet burn or splinters in my body. Yoga mats are also more cushioned so you protect yourself from injury. 

It’s important to get a yoga mat with the material in the featured mat above because it’s less slippery which means it’ll be easier to do your exercises on. I personally hate those mats that kind of look like The Michelin Man because it doesn’t matter how much you’ve used it, it’ll still be a slip n slide.

If there’s anything you get yourself, please let it be a yoga mat or an exercise mat (for your joints’ sake). 

8. Get a journal

While my PDF (found under “Know your how” at the top of this article) is an amazing place to start your exercise journey, if you wanted something super in-depth that will really help keep you accountable for the long run, I suggest keeping a journal.

You could either fill in your own journal on blank paper, or you could opt for a guided journal which is what I recommend.

Depending on your goal, it may be a good idea to keep track of your progress, weight lost or gained, what you’re eating and what kind of exercise you’re doing.

If you have a history of getting obsessed with your exercise and calorie intake, or you’ve had a past eating disorder, keeping a health journal may be triggering and potentially a bad idea.

If you have access to your doctor, a dietitian, or a mental health professional, I highly recommend talking to them about it first.

But if that’s not a concern to you, then I’m a big fan of the guided journal below! It’s very body positive and focuses more on health than actual weight loss or calories which is amazing.

If you’re from the U.S, buy me here 🙂

If you’re from Canada, buy me here 🙂

9. Have a workout buddy

Having someone that keeps you accountable can be incredibly useful for anyone that has a hard time sticking to new habits.

It’s a lot easier to cancel a jogging session with yourself than with a friend because you don’t want to flake on them or let them down.

Your workout buddy doesn’t have to be a friend, they can be a parent, a partner, a sibling, an aunt, or even someone on the internet doing the same program as you (just be safe please).

Not only that, but your workout buddy doesn’t even have to necessarily work out with you! While it’s ideal that they do, they can also just be someone that supports you, motivates you, and keeps you accountable as they do their own exercise.

10. Switch it up often

If you don’t want to fall asleep every time you do your workout, make sure that you’re constantly switching things up and trying out something new.

Whether playing basketball instead of doing a HIIT workout, or going for a long walk instead of a jog, or doing a dance lesson instead of your regular circuit, it doesn’t really matter what you’re doing as long as you’re keeping it fresh.

This not only helps you to not get bored which in turn helps you to not give up on your habit, but it’s actually better for your athleticism.

Our bodies are really good at adapting to new circumstances so by the time you do the same cycling route the 4^th week, your body is so used to it that it’s no longer being challenged.

By changing up your workout regimen every 3-5 weeks you’re training your body in new ways which keep it on its toes and helps it to get stronger faster. Plus, it’s way more fun that way.

11. Have a good workout playlist

Music can honestly make or break a workout. Imagine trying to use an elliptical while listening to elevator music. No thank you.

We all have different tastes, so make to identify what it is that fires you up and gets you energized. No chill vibe playlists here folks. FIRE and ENERGY are what we need.

Once you’ve figured out which songs you want on your playlist make sure to add them all to one playlist, ensure they’re good audio quality, and that you don’t need a WiFi connection to access them since sometimes you can’t in gyms (it also saves you from ads).

I personally get really excited when I listen to women empowerment songs, as well as rock. So my playlist is pretty much iconic feminists and heavy drums. Yay!

12. Surround yourself with positive motivation

We all want to stop or give up on habits and goals when they get hard. It’s only human.

One way to help yourself get over this kind of rut is knowing your “why” (we talked about it at the beginning of this article) but also surrounding yourself with things that help you to feel inspired and motivated.

That could be quotes on your wall, phone, and laptop or it could be listening to motivational podcasts, watching inspiring videos, spending time with positive loved ones, and following energizing social media accounts.

I personally have the wall by my bed decorated with quotes that inspire me, as well as talk to loved ones that support my journey when I feel like I want to give up. Sometimes I’ll even watch some of those motivational TikToks around manifestation and success if I really wanna hype myself up.

Everyone will respond well to different things, so find what it is for you and ensure you have it prepped and ready to go whenever you start feeling doubtful, sad, or like you want to give up.

In Summary

I know committing to exercise, especially in the long run, is really difficult. Please be kind to yourself during this process because it’s not an easy habit to pick up.

I hope that my tips have been helpful for setting you off on the right foot, and don’t forget to download the free PDF for some extra assistance!

Let me know in the comments how you hold yourself accountable with exercise, or even what the hardest part of sticking to exercise is for you.

Till next time!

All my love,

T