Question from a reader --
Hi Sebastian
I'm hoping you can provide some practical advice?
I started a full time job this year, which means I get home late and leave relatively early. I've stopped any form of exercise, and it's starting to catch up with me. Any time I try and wake up early and gym I stop after two days, and whenever I get home im too tired and despite my planning I end up having a drink and surfing the net.
Any practical tips on how to build a habit around exercise? I enjoy it when im doing it but can't quite seem to make something I do normally, like brushing teeth.
Best and thanks
S
My answer --
Consider using Freedom or SelfControl (or a similar app) to ensure you don't get online right away.
Do SOMETHING every day, even if it's imperfect. My default: pushups, situps, air squats, bicycle situps, jumping jacks, and -- if a chair/ledge is around -- dips. In a real hurry, I can bang out a quick version of that in 5-8 minutes, which is enough to get SOMETHING going.
Do something like "don't break the chain" (google it) or a Lights Spreadsheet to observe your progress over time and give you a tangible marker of success.
Ideally find something you like (yoga, golf, boxing, rock climbing, etc) where you'll move around a lot and it's tons of fun and you can't wait to do it. It doesn't have to be a sport per se, for a while I was in love with jumping rope and would pack a jump rope with me. But the interest in those things wax and wane over time.
Try to build in walking/stairs into your life, even if just a little bit. It's more of a mindset than anything else, always looking for the staircase. I got that originally when reading about it from Bruce Lee, who is certainly an admirable guy. He always took the stairs, looking to squeeze out just a bit more fitness and movement out of everything.
You'll screw up and fail sometimes. No big deal. Don't beat yourself up. Just stay at it.
Maybe a rule of "no drink until 10 pushups" done -- something simple and easy like that, just do your 10 before the drink. That might do it.
SM