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21 days, that’s it!
They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit. If you want to be a fit person you are going to have to get yourself into the habit of working out. Obviously, habits are not formed over night but 21 days is not that long either.
Starting tomorrow you will workout every damn day for the next 21 days. If you do that, your body will be confused when you don’t work out.
Maybe it’s not even working out
You don’t have to form the habit of working out everyday right away. Maybe you have a hard time waking up early enough to workout before work/school/etc. So for the next 21 days just work on waking up early enough to go to the gym. You don’t have to actually go to the gym yet, that can come later. First, train your body to wake up early. Again, all it takes is 21 consistent days.
In an article on the Huffington Post that actually “debunks” this 21 day habit myth, Jessica Cassity chose to give herself a 21 day challenge despite doctors and such telling her the the 21 day habit myth was out-dated. Here’s an excerpt of what she said:
Then, on day 21, a funny thing happened. With the challenge nearing its end I found myself wanting to not only keep up my barre work, but also enroll at a gym that offered indoor cycling, a class I’d loved during my last fitness craze. I was hooked on the feeling. And then there were the results: On day 21 I also tried on an old pair of pants — ones that hadn’t fit in more than a year. They were snug, but they zipped. I’d been so focused on the other reasons to exercise — the camaraderie, the daily diversion from work — that I had started to edge toward this goal without my realizing it. [Read the full article here.]
The 21 day challenge is real. You will see results, both emotional and physical, from changing your regular routine for a steady 21 days. The key: Don’t give up. You have to be consistent for 21 days.
Tips to staying motivated for those 21 days
It’s going to be a battle to get yourself out of bed or into the gym or both, especially for the first few weeks. Here are some suggestions that will hopefully help you stay motivated.
- Exercise with a buddy.
- Reward yourself each time you wake up/go to the gym/etc with a new shirt or something (a hot fudge sundae probably isn’t the most appropriate reward).
- Don’t keep track of your weight right away. Your weight will be a rollercoaster for the first few weeks because of varying factors like water weight that go up and down when you first start getting into the exercising routine.
- Measure you progress as far as miles ran, weight lifted, etc. Those are the types of things you will start seeing improvements with starting with day 2. If you run 5 miles one day/week, keep track and try to beat that distance/time next week. You will be surprised at what you are capable of.
These are just a few ideas. There are many other ideas here, here, and here.
Just remember, 21 days, that’s it. Don’t give up, don’t give in, just keep pushing every single day and you will be amazed with yourself.