7 + Ways to Incorporate Exercise Into Your Daily Routine

7 + Ways to Incorporate Exercise into Your Daily Routine

Have you ever felt like there’s simply never enough time in the day? Or that you need to put others first before yourself? Or that you are just too tired to exercise?

Well, you’re not alone.

Unfortunately, many of us feel like we are constantly burning the candle at both ends. We feel like we never have the time to put ourselves first, especially when it comes to making exercise part of our daily routine. Years ago, when I was a nurse, I used to think this way all the time. I loved to take care of others so much, but I didn’t leave any time to take care of myself, let alone allow time to exercise. It took me a long time to realize that I needed to devote time to taking care of myself and my body, and that in order to do that, I had to change my daily routine.

It wasn’t easy, but I’m here to tell you that it’s worth it, and you can do it, too. You can make time for yourself and incorporate exercise into your daily routine without feeling tired or stressed out. If fact, when you start to integrate small changes into your life, exercising on a regular basis becomes automatic. You will feel better, have more energy, and still be able to give to those you love.

In order for us to work out on a regular basis, we need to know how to create real lifelong habits. One key component to creating a new habit is training your brain to succeed by making small adjustments to your daily life. To do that, we need to design new behavior patterns that are both easy to do and can be easily incorporated into our existing routines. When you train your brain with small changes, little by little, then exercising on a daily basis — or adjusting to any other new behavior pattern — becomes possible and, eventually, automatic.

Here are my top seven tips for making exercise a part of your everyday routine:

Tip #1: Know your outcome

The ultimate goal here is to figure out how you can incorporate exercise into your daily routine. First, you need to identify your specific desired outcome. Ask yourself, “what is it that I want to achieve?” For example, do you want to lose weight, reduce stress or increase muscle tone? Knowing your objective will help motivate you as you move forward.

Tip #2: Identify your “WHY”
Next, ask yourself why you want to achieve this desired outcome. If your desired outcome is to lose weight, then ask yourself, “why do I want to lose weight?” Perhaps your answer is, “I want to lose weight because I want to have fewer aches and pains in my joints and have more energy throughout the day.” Maybe your desired outcome is to reduce stress in your life, and your “why” is because you want to feel happy, at peace, and not take your frustrations out on your loved ones. If your desired outcome is to improve your muscle tone, perhaps your “why” is because you want to increase your physical strength and metabolism.

When you ask the right questions to identify your “WHY,” your goals will take on greater meaning, which will help you accomplish whatever it is you what want to accomplish.

Tip #3: Find the joy in what you’re doing

When you engage in activities you actually enjoy doing, you are more likely to keep doing those specific activities. Do you prefer to go for a walk or would you rather go for a run? Do you enjoy working out with weights, taking a yoga, Pilates or a Barre class or would you prefer to do a hobby that is physical like gardening or working on a house project instead? The key to achieving your goals is to do something you enjoy. Doing an activity that you can’t stand is simply not sustainable.

Tip #4: Do 10-20-minute workouts

Another great way to help you incorporate exercise into your daily routine and make it a lifelong habit where you can see noticeable results is to do short, focused and intentional workouts. When you can focus your energy and intention on your workouts, you don’t have to spend hours exercising in the gym or at home.

Tip #5: Schedule your workouts

Scheduling your workouts is another key component to working out on a regular basis. One way you can do this is to link your workouts with an existing habit. For many of us, the majority of our existing habits take place in the mornings or evenings. For example, you could say to yourself, “After I brush my teeth in the morning, I will do my workout.” Or, if you prefer to work out towards the end of the day, you could say, “After I get done with work, I will work out.”

Tip #6: Find an accountability partner

Having an accountability partner is a great way to keep you inspired and motivated while helping you create a healthy, fit lifestyle you love — especially if you both enjoy doing the same activity. This way, both of you can do the same workout and encourage each another to keep going and to stay on track. After all, you’re less likely to skip a workout if you know that your accountability partner is relying on you to show up.

Tip #7: Practice, practice, practice

When we practice something over and over again, it tends to becomes automatic. You have likely heard this statement: it takes 21 days to create (or break) a habit. Actually, it depends on the person. For some people, it could take just two weeks to create or break a habit. For others, it could take up to 60 days. The key to creating a lifelong habit is to do something consistently over time until it is so ingrained that it feels effortless or automatic.

And here’s a bonus tip, because I love to offer up additional information!

Tip #8: Celebrate your wins

Every time you practice a new habit, remember to praise yourself. There are different ways you can do this. For example, when you finish a workout, give your accountability partner a verbal “nice job!” or a high five. Or say to yourself (silently or out loud) “I am awesome!” It might sound silly, but when you get excited and praise yourselves for accomplishing what you set out to do, you are more likely to repeat the healthy new habit.

I encourage you to start implementing these simple tips into your daily routine. Doing so will help you incorporate exercise into your everyday life. When you make self-care a priority, you will feel better and be able to give to those you love because you are taking care of yourself along the way. You also encourage others to do the same and to live a healthy, fit lifestyle.

Want to start incorporating these tips right away? Try my free 15-Minute Pilates Workout video here.

Ready to take it to the next level? Try my 21-Day Full-Body Pilates or 21-Days of Yoga Challenge to help motivate you to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Even better, find an accountability partner like a friend, family member or co-worker to join the 21-Day Full-Body Pilates or 21-Days of Yoga Challenge with you.  For more information or to join the 21-Day Full Body Pilates Challenge click here  or the 21-Days of Yoga Challenge.

Have questions or comments? Please post them in the comment box below.  I would love to hear from you!

To an amazing, healthier you,

Ranada xo