“We first make our habits, and then our habits make us”.
(John Dryden, 17th-century English poet and playwright, 1631–1700)

Would you believe that scientists have studied what makes people form habits?
The key truth is that a habit will persevere even if your motivation weakens.
“The habit formation process involves repetition and rewards that reinforce
neural connections in the brain’s basal ganglia, shifting control from the
prefrontal cortex where deliberate decisions occur to a more subconscious level.
This transition takes time and consistent practice”. www.shedweightjournal.com

And The Research Said:
“Preparation” and “Instigation” were the key habits identified from the research.
As you can imagine, the “Preparation” habit stems from some automatic
(without thinking) action you take regularly which precedes the exercise activity
that you intend to engage in.
For example, checking your kit is ready the night before or making sure
there’s space for exercise with your PT in your lounge/kitchen/garage. Or even
maybe, setting up the coffee machine for your PT! (It helps!).

Meanwhile the habit known as “Instigation” is defined as the method of linking a
fresh habit with a habit that you already follow as a prompt to start the new
activity. This could be using the regular walk home from the station after work
as a “warm-up” before exercising; or treating the daily household chores (beds
made; washing machine full; dishwasher emptied etc.) as a “prequel” to the
arrival of your PT and the focus on fitness for the next hour or so!

The rationale behind this theory is that the existing habit, being well-established,
acts as the spark that ignites the desire to start the new habit.

Make sense?

However, just “getting the habit” isn’t always a guarantee of a success. Habits
have to be made to happen; they need to be kick-started! This is where “The
Habit Loop” makes its dramatic entrance!
The Habit Loop: Cue, Routine, Reward
Understanding habit formation means understanding the habit loop:

Cue: A trigger that initiates the behaviour, e.g., finishing dinner or waking up.

Routine: The behaviour itself—going for a jog, doing yoga, lifting weights.

Reward: The positive outcome reinforcing the habit—endorphin release, sense of
achievement, or feeling more energised.

This loop helps the brain link the cue with the activity and the reward, gradually
making the behaviour automatic.

Fun Fact
Research shows that the average time to develop a habit is between 106 and
154 days. (University of South Australia)

So, that’s the science; now how do you create the exercise habit?
We’ve already covered above the essential link between an existing habit and a
fresh one and we’ve mentioned the importance of planning and recording your
objectives.
In addition, you should consider not overstretching yourself. Try to take “baby
steps” rather than leap into long, arduous exercise routines to start with.
Restrain your ambition and reap early rewards. Control your rate of personal
challenges and progress steadily.

“The Habit Loop” includes a reward which has the effect of making exercise an
affirmative and enjoyable experience. The reward is NOT an unhealthy snack or drink, fyi!

As you would expect, successful development of the exercise habit is made more
likely when the activity is practised regularly and consistently. And if you can
stick with exercise that you enjoy, the habit is even easier to adopt.
The same goes for exercising in the morning: It’s much more likely to become a
habit than an afternoon or evening workout because, for most people, energy
and motivation levels are higher in the morning.

If you can make your fitness routine a habit then it will be easier to keep it up
for life.

And this is where the “functional” and unexciting bits of the fitness agenda come
to the fore.
If you can plan a strategy to define your fitness goals within an achievable
timeframe; identify and procure the resources/equipment required to attain
those goals; anticipate challenges/obstructions and create an exercise routine which you enjoy…
then you’re giving yourself the best chance of accomplishing your objectives.

Of course, this crucial “admin” can feel like a faff and keep you from starting the actual exercise
and. Luckily…a good PT does all of these as part of their job! Health and
fitness expertise, supervision, fine-tuning and maintaining focus, saving you the
trouble of doing the “functional” and unexciting work!

Research and Acknowledgements
www.lesmills.com
www.shedweightjournal.com
www.legacyfitness.coach
www.sustainhealth.fit