Why are Good Habits so Easy to Break?

Well...I'm back! I took an unplanned 6 month sabbatical. I have a bunch of great excuses: welcomed a new granddaughter, added new training clients, hung out with my family, started 4 support groups, built a website, rode around Lake Michigan on a motorcycle, hmmmm.... and I'm sure I missed something!! But what it really comes down to is that I began posting on my blog less and less, and before I knew it I was out of the weekly habit. Fitting in regular workouts can be very much like that. Other things start to take priority and before you know it, you can't figure out where to fit it in!

Wouldn't it be nice if breaking bad habits, like smoking or swearing, came as easily as giving up good habits, like working out-and blogging? Did that make sense?

I've done alright these past months fitting in my workouts, partly because after 16 months, I was finally free from the pericarditis issues and was able to DO something! Yea! But the posting on my blog? It eventually got to where I quit thinking it about unless some random thing reminded me. Like seeing Jillian (the Yorkville Patch editor) at the gym :) And, yes, she was there regularly! Good job, Jill!

Why IS it so easy to get out of the habit of exercising? OK, well, it’s hard work sometimes but try to find something you like, then decide you will do, say...Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Never schedule anything during those times. Think of it as a non-negotiable.

I will admit that I sometimes fail to follow my own suggestions….
It starts with writing it on my daily calendar, and then, when it doesn’t happen, just moving it to the next day, then the next, then the next.
     Followed by: “ I really should workout today, no really. OK…tomorrow”.
            Then the occasional thought, “I need to start exercising again and stick with it” but after bible school week or fill-in-the-blank. Sound familiar?

In my early years of teaching Group Exercise, people signed up for 6 week sessions. And every May, I had participants tell me they were taking the summer off because they would be so busy-and I totally get that-but when they returned in the Fall it kicked their butts-it was like starting over! So the following summer they usually would decide to do whatever they could fit in-so no more starting from level zero and no more guilt :)

Of course, summer is filled with cookouts, vacations, parties, etc and other  things more fun than working out. (Yeah, I just said that) A better way to manage your workouts through the summer is to think “maintain”.  Do what you can, don’t beat yourself up about it, and return to your regular workouts as soon as you can! That’s real life! If you are going to make exercise a habit for life then you have to figure out what fits in your lifestyle.

Now…I return to the first step in getting back into posting regularly! Feels good :)