5 tips to help create healthy habits
Routine and habits help us to stay consistent and ensure we remember to complete certain tasks. However, finding a daily, weekly or monthly routine that encourages you to be intentional with your time can be hard. Are you being reasonable with yourself for real life speed bumps and allowing for down time.
I wanted to discuss how we can make a conscious effort to add activities into our routine that nourish our body and mind, through exercise specifically, so we are less likely to feel stuck in negative habits.
Have you ever been given advice and exercises by your therapist and a week later you cannot remember what the exercise was because you haven't been doing them regularly like you were advised? I can raise my hand for that one.
Here are 5 tips I have for creating a healthy habit:
1. Create visual cues to help your new habit debut! Post-it notes on the bathroom mirror, alarms on your phone and writing out a to-do list are all examples of visual cues you can give yourself each day to remind you to stretch, complete your corrective exercises or book in for your weekly Pilates class.
2. Attach your new habit to something you already do! Everybody has a spare five minutes in their day, it’s just a matter of identifying where and using it wisely. While you wait for the kettle to boil, when you sit on the couch to watch your favourite tv show, during your morning walk or after you finish brushing your teeth at night are some great examples of habits you probably already have so let's piggy back off these to help create a NEW habit.
3. Accountability! Telling a family member, friend, work colleague and your Pilates instructor or therapist can ensure you don’t let yourself give up and forget about your new healthy habit. They can be there to ask you how you are going with your goals or even better can come along to your classes with you. Build up your team because there is strength in numbers!
4. Remember that YOU deserve it! Your new healthy habit should be something you enjoy, you get benefit from and is making your life better. It's important to tap into your motivation and your reason WHY. As a therapist we like to tailor corrective exercises and our advice to YOUR daily activities or goals YOU want to achieve. This can be playing golf without pain, playing with your kids on the floor or running a marathon before you turn 50. Whatever it is, ensure on days you feel “I can’t be bothered” and “I’ll do it next week” start to creep in you can remember WHY you are adding this habit into your life.
5. Slowly add and you’ll be glad you started. My final tip is to make small changes, see how you go for a week, be honest with yourself on how successful you were and make adjustments as you need. Statistically it takes 21 days to create a habit, take the gradual approach, be kind to yourself and stick with it.
At the end of the day, having a routine keeps us in control of our life and helps us make room for the important stuff, make yourself a part of that important stuff!
Melanie
- Myotherapist and Pilates Instructor & Coordinator, BM team
Visit our Pilates and Movement page to learn more about creating healthy Pilates and corrective exercise routine!
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