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Read this if you struggle to make exercise a habit

Writer's picture: Sophie KennedySophie Kennedy

Updated: Dec 17, 2024

Have you ever signed up for a gym membership and only used it a handful of times? Perhaps you lasted a little longer but something cropped up and your habit was broken for another few weeks or months? Perhaps you went to the gym and didn't know what to do or see any progress so you just stopped going?


You’re not the only one.


The evidence 


One study followed 250 new gym members for 1 year. A questionnaire including demographics, exercise frequency, motives, and barriers was used after 3, 6, and 12 months. 


Participants were categorized into:

  • regular exercise ≥2 sessions/wk

  • non‐regular exercise ≤1 session/wk

  • exercise relapse

  • dropout


The main findings were that only 37% maintained regular exercise throughout the first year of fitness club membership.


Other studies have also shown a trend (49%‐71%) of relapse - maintaining exercise for a period, then dropping out, and so on.


So you are in the majority if you find it hard to consistently go to the gym.


Who are the people that regularly go to the gym?


What the study did show was that the biggest motivators for people actually going to the gym throughout the entire length of the study were for positive health and strength or endurance. 


Those who exercised regularly were more motivated by enjoyment e.g. “I enjoy the feeling of exerting myself” and challenge e.g. “to give me goals to work towards” than non‐regular exercisers. 


The study suggests those who are:

  • intrinsically motivated (e.g. they want to get fitter because they value higher levels of physical fitness) are more likely to stick with their exercise habit.

  • extrinsically motivated (e.g. external pressure from family/doctors/etc) were more likely to drop out.


The study concluded that the strongest predictor of exercise maintenance is whether the individual personally values the outcome.


What does this mean for you?


Several other studies among fitness club members and the general population demonstrate that lack of time and motivation are the most common barriers that inhibit exercise adherence. 


You need to have a real desire for your goals, and truly understand and value why going to the gym or exercising in general is fundamental for a happy and healthy life. Otherwise, the perceived effort and time taken to workout out will become enough of a barrier to prioritise the many other things that we have to deal with in life. How can you be motivated to do something hard (e.g. exercise) if you don’t feel it is worth it or see the benefits in it?


If you've ever owned a car you’ll know that regular car washes help protect your vehicle from grime, mud, bird droppings, road salt and other corrosive debris that can lead to rust, faded paint and other problems. It costs time, effort and/or money but it is also an investment. Once you know this, you get your sponge out or take it to the car wash. Going to the gym for your body is the same.


How to nurture motivation to exercise


To make sustainable changes you need to understand why you want to change, and understand the value in it.


  1.  Write down your goals and really get to the bottom of why they matter to you. This short worksheet by can help you to think more clearly about your ‘Why’


  2. Read the (trusted and science backed) articles, listen to the podcasts, and watch the videos on why we all need to move our bodies. The more you know the less you'll be able to ignore it and the more you will make time for it!


  3. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Making change is hard on your own and exercise is something that requires mental and physical effort and time.


  • See if a friend will join you for a weekly walk, ask your family or housemate to do a home workout with you.

  • Tell someone your intentions and ask them to check in with you.

  • Use the classes in the gym, sometimes booking a specific slot is better than being able to go whenever.

  • Hire a Personal Trainer they can help keep you accountable and help with points 1 and 2 about.


However you decide to do it, just start!




Reference:


Gjestvang C, Abrahamsen F, Stensrud T, Haakstad LAH. Motives and barriers to initiation and sustained exercise adherence in a fitness club setting-A one-year follow-up study. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2020 Sep;30(9):1796-1805. doi: 10.1111/sms.13736. Epub 2020 Jun 15. PMID: 32488898; PMCID: PMC7497044.

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