When it comes to managing a healthier lifestyle, there are few tips more important than “move around more.” However, for a lot of people who are not used to formally exercising on a regular basis, it can be difficult to make it a part of their everyday life. As such, here, we’re going to look at the ways to make it much easier to include it in your daily routine.

Find exercises that you like

This is perhaps the most important lesson of all. If you hate doing your exercise, then it can be much harder to maintain the discipline that helps you keep up with it. Find the right exercise for you and build around it. Be aware that exercise, after a while, can get pretty boring, as well. Do what you need to keep it mentally engaging, whether it’s making excellent workout playlists to pump to, or finding an audiobook to keep you company while you’re on a run. Otherwise, the motivation drop-off can be steep.

Find a specific time for it

Making exercise work into your existing routine, rather than trying to do it at different times every day, is going to quickly make it feel like a habit. It is true that if you’re not able to manage a full workout, you should find a quick opportunity to get a little exercise in. Otherwise, try to stay consistent with it. Some prefer the “eat the frog” approach of exercising first thing in the morning, others prefer to wind down with a workout before they go to sleep. Whatever your preference is, try to stick to it.

Don’t force yourself out of your way for it

For some people who are able to stay motivated, a trip to the gym or a run outdoors might be no issue. If you have trouble with that motivation, you want to make exercise a lot more convenient to access. This is where some gym equipment assembly can come in handy. By building your own home gym with access to enough equipment to help you complete a full workout, you really don’t need as much motivation. It’s just as simple as changing into your gear and moving into the space that you’ve set aside for it.

Track your progress

When you’re exercising for a long time, it can be difficult to see the progress that you’re making, which can really start to dampen your motivation. However, because progress is incremental, you might have a much better time seeing it if you’re not looking at your progress from day-to-day, but over a longer period of time. Keeping an exercise log can help you do that, and it also helps you keep yourself accountable. After all, no one wants the guilt of looking at the entries for certain days only to see a big blank spot.

The important lesson to remember is that motivation comes and goes, but habit lasts. Follow whatever tips make it easier for you to integrate exercise as a habit, and you’ll be able to stick with it for a lot longer.

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