We can all agree that regular exercise is a necessity to keeping your health, but it poses a problem for some people due to time constraints. Is it possible to maintain a daily habit of sports and exercise on a busy schedule?
Regular exercise at about 3-4 times a week is necessary, but if you just don’t have the time or willpower, short pockets of time (we’re talking about 15-20 min a day) over an hour a day for 3 days a week is just as effective.
Starting Small
Not many people have the determination to stick to a schedule of an hour at the gym for 3-4 days a week right from the get-go. To make something a habit, it means having consistent action (with focus on consistent).
Instead of doing long intervals of exercise, try doing little workouts here and there, but do it every day. This will make it easier to develop sports and exercise into a habit.
On average, it takes over two months of consistent action to acquire a habit. An action becomes automatic during this time but it can be much shorter or much longer depending on your consistency.
So the key here is to do it as often as possible over a period of time. Let’s face it, doing small workouts that take 15-20 min is a lot less time consuming and seems like less of an ordeal than an hour workouts (especially if it’s comparable in effectiveness).
Set Reminders and Goals
A lot of people may just simply forget to exercise. If you’re very busy and find yourself having your phone glued to your hand, we have a solution for you. Here at atlasGO, we have virtual campaigns and races that you can join no matter where you are.
You can access the dashboard from your phone, which makes forgetting to exercise less of an excuse. Each of our campaigns is for a good cause. Go through the list and find one that speaks to you and join in!
Participate in the races and be a part of a virtual community that sends endless encouragement to each other through sweaty selfies and high fives. Become a sweaty changemaker today and literally take steps to better your health and help a worthy cause.
Our virtual races can be done from anywhere at anytime – all at your own convenience. Slowly track your progress and translate your miles into helpful fundraising and awareness for charities.
Make It Fun
Make exercising fun! If something is fun, it makes it less of a chore. If you love music, try to bump your favorite tunes when you exercise. It’s all about positive association. If pain and dread is associated with exercise, it will only become harder and harder to stick to the plan.
Going slowly, enjoying the scenery and reveling in nature can help. The atlasGO app allows you to do things at your own pace, and you can participate in these virtual races by doing any sport you would like.
Whether it’s hiking, biking, running or even yoga, you can do something you enjoy. Especially during times like these when social distancing is a must, you can feel like you lack social interaction.
Having a workout buddy is a good way for some individuals to find motivation for the gym. That is a difficult task when you need to stay away from people, so our app is a great way to feel a sense of community and inclusion with people all over the world.
Sticking to It
While we’re all for taking a rest day or relaxing, if you opt for the quick and moderate intensity 15-20 min workouts, there isn’t really a need to have a rest day as long as you aren’t pushing yourself too hard.
Alternate the load you are placing on different muscle groups in order to keep your body functional through this habit-building period. Once exercising has become a habit, then you can ease up a little bit.
Conclusion
The importance of exercise is more apparent now than ever since most of us are confined at home. When countries were in total lockdown, going outside was a yearning and a privilege.
Now that certain countries are opening up again, it’s important to take ahold of the luxury of enjoying the outdoors by exercising daily.
Our app can be a helpful tool to keep you going, keep you motivated and keep you healthy.
Written by Jess Lin.
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