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Make Exercise an Instigation Habit

ExcerciseInstigationHabitJacquie Eubanks RN BSN

 

 

Those with sedentary lifestyles who wish to make exercise a daily ritual often find that getting started is the hardest part. Yet building an exercise habit means getting started repeatedly. The most consistent exercisers are those who make exercise a specific type of habit, known as an instigation habit. This type of habit is thought to be beneficial to health behavior maintenance, as it requires minimal thought and makes going to the gym or out for a walk a routine occurrence. An instigation habit is an automatic decision triggered by an internal or environmental cue that can be as simple as hearing your alarm go off in the morning, signaling it’s time for a run, or going to the gym at the end of the work day instead of going straight home.

Developing any healthy habit is hard work, and exercise is no exception. However, focusing on cues makes habits not only easier to form, but also harder to break. Studies have found that exercise instigation habit strength is the only unique predictor of exercise frequency. Instigation habits differ from execution habits in that cues prompt one to automatically exercise without having to consider the pros and cons. By contrast, an execution habit simply means following an exact routine once you are at the gym. One study found that it’s not what you do for exercise that matters, it’s how you get yourself there that’s important.

For those new to exercise, sticking with the same routine, such as running on the treadmill, can help build self-confidence or enable one to become more comfortable going to the gym. Until one gains confidence in their activity, it can help to follow a routine exercise program. However, it doesn’t appear that doing the same activity time after time has any effect on long-term exercise frequency. Once established, an instigation habit allows one to try new types of exercise without fear of losing the habit. Research shows that by building an instigation habit, one can stick with an exercise plan that encompasses different activities, helpful for those who may be stuck in an uninspiring, monotonous routine.

Setting a habit requires consistency. Many of us may have tried and failed to set up a regular routine, even though we know how important exercise is to both short and long-term health. Those who exercise regularly are not only healthier but are often more energetic and less stressed. Scientific studies have shown that we can’t simply rely on willpower to change our behavior. Good habits are formed based on consistency, not frequency. Initially, it may help to set a plan to workout just one day a week and arrange your schedule around it. Make it so easy that you can’t say no, even when lacking motivation, so that you don’t skip the workout for any reason. Once consistency is established, add a second workout that you are sure not to miss. As time goes on, add other days to your schedule until you are working out at least three days each week and the workout becomes automatic.

As willpower is a limited resource, it often helps to focus on establishing a realistic process that you know you can handle. For many, this means making slow and steady progress with a focus on the journey, rather than the results. Initially, it’s more important not to miss workouts than to make progress. While we may dream of running a marathon or getting six-pack abs, getting into tip-top shape takes perseverance and patience. Set a realistic, results-oriented goal and be persistent. Remember that every journey begins with the first step. Today, your goal may be to exercise one day per week, but you can keep your eye on future goals to run that marathon next year or two years from now, as you gradually become stronger and healthier. Focus on the cues that will get you there. When you develop a ritual that makes starting your workout mindless and automatic, it will be much easier to follow through. Build the instigation habit first and focus on results later.

Professional Supplement Center carries these and other high quality products to support optimal health:

PreTrain NRGPreTrain NRG™ by Designs for Health®: This specific workout formula provides safe, beneficial nutrients to help support athletic focus, strength, mental energy and recovery, as well as reduced fatigue resulting from training. Powdered, natural strawberry flavored, gluten free formulation.

Athletic NutrientsAthletic Nutrients by Pure Encapsulations®: Designed to support physical training and performance, this complete hypoallergenic, nutrient-rich multivitamin, mineral and trace element formula targets energy and endurance and lessens muscle fatigue. Highly bioavailable nutrients provide support for healthy muscle function, as well as healthy tendons, ligaments and joints. Gluten and soy free, Non-GMO vegetarian formulation.

Energy/Sports...Energy/Sports Formula™ by Douglas Laboratories®: This comprehensive formula provides a synergistic blend of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants and botanicals specifically designed to provide intensive support for energy metabolism during sport and exercise. Gluten, wheat, soy, dairy, yeast, preservative and artificial ingredient free formulation.

Sport Oxylent...Sport Oxylent Blueberry Burst by Oxylent®: This 3-in-1 powdered supplement supports sustained energy, stamina and enhanced recovery. Science backed ingredients include amino acids, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and electrolytes fortified with BioPerine® for enhanced absorption. Alaskan blueberry flavor, natural fruit and vegetable coloring, sweetened with stevia. Gluten, dairy, soy, caffeine and sugar free, Non-GMO formulation.

References:
Habitual exercise instigation (vs execution) predicts healthy adults’ exercise frequency. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26148187
Habitual instigation and habitual execution: Definition, measurement, and effects on behavior frequency. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26991427
It’s Not What You Do, but How You Get Yourself to Exercise that Matters, study finds. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150709093309.htm
3 Simple Ways to Make Exercise a Habit. https://jamesclear.com/exercise-habit
Using Behavioral Science to Build an Exercise Habit. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/using-behavioral-science-to-build-an-exercise-habit/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly-review&utm_content=link&utm_term=2018-05-02_top-stories&spMailingID=56533667&spUserID=MjQ1NDk3Mjg2NTEzS0&spJobID=1400329062&spReportId=MTQwMDMyOTA2MgS2

 

 

Finding Time to Exercise

TimeToExerciseJacquie Eubanks RN BSN

For a variety of reasons, even those with the best of intentions can’t always fit in thirty minutes of daily exercise seven days each week. To receive the substantial health benefits of daily physical activity, the World Health Organization (WHO), along with the US Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS), recommend 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity, or 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous intensity activity, typically spread throughout the week. Some who are time crunched manage to reach these goals by breaking down daily exercise into three 10-minute sessions. To accommodate those with time constraints, activity on the weekend, once viewed as “some exercise is better than none,” may now be viewed as health promoting.

“Weekend warriors” who find the time to actively participate in sports or physical activities one or two days a week are in the spotlight now. While exercising only on weekends is not considered ideal by WHO or by HHS, a study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reported that people who do not meet the recommended guidelines for daily physical activity, but participate in a compressed version one or two days each week, have a significantly lowered risk of all-cause mortality, as compared with those reporting no physical activity at all. Purposeful exercise in the optimal combination of frequency, duration and intensity is one key to a longer lifespan.

In deciding which level of activity works best, an individual should consider more than just lowering their mortality risk. Researchers found that more frequent exercise provides the most cognitive and physiological health promoting benefits, helping to ward off obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and a host of age related chronic illnesses. The importance of routine activity and its potential to maximize health should not be disregarded. Yet this is good news for those who meet the recommended activity goals by committing to consistent physical activity each weekend. While exercise spread throughout the week is considered ideal, and no exercise at all is considered problematic, exercising on weekends has many additional health benefits, including better blood sugar control, reduced blood pressure, improved sleep and mood, as well as increased bone, joint and muscle strength.

Because long periods of intense activity are physically demanding, weekend warriors do have a higher risk of sports-related injuries if they fail to warm up or push too hard before the body is conditioned to higher levels of exercise. Overuse injuries are common and necessitate lowering intensity and duration to assist recovery and prevent discomfort. Proper equipment and sufficient hydration can help prevent injuries and cramping. Exercising more frequently improves strength and agility, making one less prone to sprains and muscle or joint injury.

While some of us may think we are weekend warriors because we only exercise on weekends, unless you are meeting the recommended weekly guidelines in one or two days, you are simply an infrequent exerciser, not a warrior. Those who want to increase their fitness by exercising on weekends should start with moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, biking or swimming for up to 12 weeks before beginning any vigorous activity. Those who have been physically inactive who then take up some activity appear to make the greatest gains in improving their health and their life span.

Professional Supplement Center carries these and other high quality products to support exercise goals and recovery:

Athletic NutrientsAthletic Nutrients by Pure Encapsulations – This hypoallergenic, nutrient-rich, highly bioavailable multivitamin, mineral and trace element formula is designed to support exercise performance, training, and endurance. Athletic Nutrients supports muscle, tendon, ligament and joint functions. Gluten and soy free, Non-GMO vegetarian formulation.

Klean Endurance ...Klean Endurance™ by Klean Athlete – These great tasting chewable tablets provide pure D-ribose, a natural pentose sugar clinically proven to support cardiac function, restore and replenish energy, and reduce muscle soreness and fatigue. NSF Certified for Sport. Gluten and soy free, Non-GMO, vegetarian formulation.

Electrolyte/Energy...Electrolyte Energy Formula by Pure Encapsulations – This lemon-lime flavored powdered formula provides a balanced blend of electrolytes and energy supporting ingredients to optimize mental and physical stamina and replenish electrolytes lost during exertion. Gluten and soy free, Non-GMO, vegetarian formulation.

PreTrain NRGPreTrain NRG™ by Designs for Health – This powdered pre-workout formula provides safe, beneficial support for focus, power and mental energy for athletes. Contains ingredients that support strength, power and recovery, as well as reduced fatigue. Natural strawberry flavor, stevia sweetened and gluten free.

Muscle Cramp/Tension...Muscle Cramp/Tension Formula by Pure Encapsulations – This formula provides electrolytes and healing botanicals to help relieve occasional nighttime muscle cramping, minor muscle cramps associated with athletic activity, and overall muscle tension. Soothing botanicals moderate occasional stress and promote overall relaxation. Gluten and soy free, Non-GMO vegetarian formulation.

References:
Physical Activity on the Weekend. Can It Wait Until Then? http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2596003
Is weekend exercise just as good as being active every day? http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/315112.php
Weekend exercise alone ‘has significant health benefits’ http://www.bbc.com/news/health-38560616
Weekend workouts can benefit health as much as a week of exercise, say researchers. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/jan/09/weekend-workouts-nearly-as-good-as-whole-week-of-excercise-researchers-say
The “weekend warrior”: Fact or fiction for major trauma? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4035407/