How to Get Back on the Exercise Train

Every Saturday is Health Tip Day at Zen Habits.

It's a story most of us have lived through at some time or other: we begin an exercise program, and it's going well, but after a week or two or a month or two or even a year or two, we fall off the program. Then we might get a little down about that, and because of the initial friction of entering any program, it's hard to get back into it.

I recently fell off my triathlon training for a couple weeks due to illness and a death in the family, and I found it hard to get back into it. I reset my resolve (just press the reset button!) and re-focused myself, leaving off all other goals but my training for the month of March (see the Zen Habits March Challenge if you haven't yet).

So, for those of you who've fallen off your exercise program, and want to get back in, here are my tips:

• Re-focus and commit yourself again. Often we think that, because we already were on a program, we can just pick it back up, no problem. But in reality, we need to condition ourselves for a new habit (although it should be easier this time since we've done it before), so we need to start (almost) at the beginning. That mean starting with making a commitment. Write down your goal and tell people about it, put it on your blog, post it up at your home and workplace. If you can't take this step, it's likely that you will falter.
• Focus on just this one goal. If you've got other stuff going on, it's hard to add a new habit while working on others. It's hard, but it's best to be patient and work on one goal at a time if possible. Too many goals at once spread your focus too thin. The key is to focus yourself as much as possible on that one goal, and maintain that focus for as long as possible.
• Do it for one month. You don't need to start at the beginning of a month -- you can start today. But do it for 30 days. Commit to that, and once you're past that, it will get much easier.
• Do it at the same time every day. If you tell yourself that you will exercise when you find time, there will be many days when you don't find the time. Set a time of day when you can exercise every day -- in the morning, lunchtime, after work are the three best times. Do it at that time every day, and it will become a stronger habit.
• Start small. We have a tendency to do too much at first, especially if we're used to a certain level from our old exercise program. But in the beginning, it's best to hold back, and just do a little, and then progress slowly back to your old level. If you're used to running 5 miles, run 3. If you're used to swimming for an hour, do half an hour. If you're used to lifting 12 reps of 200 lbs., do 8 reps of 160 lbs. You get the idea. Start slowly, or you will have a harder time sticking with it. Once you're back in the habit, you can increase your workload.
• Learn from your mistakes. There's a reason you stopped your exercise program. Figure out what that was, and plan to beat it next time. If not, it will happen again.
• Celebrate every little success, in the beginning. The first few days are the most crucial. Reward yourself often during this time, and celebrate everything you do! The first week is the next most important period. After that, it gets easier. But after about 2-3 weeks, you'll face a crisis. Re-focus yourself during that crisis, and you'll get through it. After a month, you'll be golden.

See also:

• Trying to eat healthier? Make lifestyle changes, and have a cheat day
• Health tip: Try eating vegetarian sometimes
• Get Healthy and Fit, Part 1
• Get Healthy and Fit, Part 2 - Exercise Edition
• Recipe for a Flat Stomach
• 6 Tips for Commuting to Work by Bike
• 10 Tips for Quitting Smoking
• Reward Yourself Without Spending a Lot
• Purpose Your Day: Most Important Task (MIT)
• My Morning Routine
• How I Became an Early Riser
• Feeling Down? 7 Ways to Pick Yourself Up!
• Tracking My Goals (Ben Franklin hacked)

Great bike ride today

I met my friend Patrick this morning at 6:30 a.m. for our weekly bike ride, and just got back. I'm tired, but I feel great.

We rode 11 miles today. For experienced cyclists, that's not a lot, but I just started out last month, so it's a bit of a challenge. To be honest, if the course were flat, I could ride a lot longer, but we rode up some killer hills, and I'm not used to them yet. I'm still getting used to shifting gears, and my bike doesn't seem to shift right.

Another factor is that I ride on Guam, which is not exactly bike-friendly. In the last month a cyclist was killed on the road, and just last week another cyclist was hit and put in the hospital. He was riding along the route I've been riding to work the last two weeks, and many family and friends were worried that it was me. It wasn't, thank goodness, but it's still very scary out in the roads. Drivers are not very considerate.

If you see cyclists on the road, please, be considerate of their safety. Change lanes like you normally would if a slow car were in front of you, instead of endangering their lives.

6 Tips for Commuting to Work by Bike

This morning, I rode my bike in to work (a distance of about 10 miles), and it felt great. It was the second time I've done that now -- I also did it last week -- and I hope to make it a more frequent thing.

My goal is to get some exercise (I'm training for a triathlon) while also helping the environment and saving money on gas. With the gas prices rising so much in the last few years, it's frustrating to not be able to do anything about it -- but now I am.

Although it's a bit scary riding a bike in the middle of traffic, I have to say it was a great experience. Not only did I feel really good to get the exercise, but I had a great view of nature as I headed to work, and it was a lot more peaceful and relaxing than the regular commute by car. I hope to eventually build up my stamina so that I can ride my bike to and from work at least three or four times a week, or even five days a week, but for now I'm starting out slowly, as I'm new to cycling.

Tips for Commuting by Bike

• Plan ahead. One of the reasons people don't commute by bike, even if they have a bike, is that they don't want to be sweaty. I'm lucky, as my work just installed a new shower, but before that I planned to use the shower of an office next door, or use the shower at a nearby gym (even becoming a member at a gym is cheaper than gas). You'll also need soap and deodorant and a towel and other toiletries. Then there's the issue of how to get your clothes to work, which is my next tip.
• Drop your clothes to work ahead of time. You could pack them in a backpack, to wear on your back, but it gets your back sweaty. You could also put it in a pannier and carry it on a rack, which is a good option, but you might not want your clothes wrinkly for some reason. The solution I've been using (and it's not an original idea) is to bring my clothes to work the day before. This also saves some extra pounds that I have to carry on my bike, which is an issue for a beginner like me. You could even bring in clothes for the rest of the week. Eventually, if I ride to work five days a week, I might have to drop a week's worth of clothes sometime in the weekend.
• Any ol' bike will do. You don't need a fancy racing bike or touring bike or anything to commute. If you've got an old mountain bike, which I do, that's good enough. You don't need to spend a lot of money on a bike and gear to get started. Later, you can always spend more, a little at a time, but whatever you've got is good enough for now.
• Have a spare tube and tools, and know how to change a tire. You never know if you'll get a flat, and you don't want to be stuck walking your bike for several miles. A patch kit is good, but it's even easier if you just have a spare tube, a pump, and the right tools so that you can quickly change the punctured tube for a new one, and patch the old one later at home.
• Be safe. This is a no brainer, but it is good to read up on tips on cycling safety (see links below) before heading out into dangerous traffic.
• It's a blast! Cycling is a lot of fun, as I've discovered in recent weeks, and riding to work is much, much better than driving. Try it. You'll love it.

As always, I've pulled a few links on commuting bike for y'all:

• Commute by Bike blog
• Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips
• Bicycle Commuting: The going-to-work workout
• City of Austin: Bicycle Commuting Tips
• Bike Commute Tips blog
• Josh's Bike Progress
• It's About the Bike
• Commute by Bike! Be a part of the solution.
  

Get Healthy and Fit, Part 2 - Exercise Edition

In Part 1 of this series about Getting Healthy and Fit, I covered some Rules for Eating Healthy. Today, I will cover some Rules for Exercising, and tomorrow I plan to write about Sticking to an Exercise Plan.

First let me say: eating healthy is a great foundation for getting fit and healthy, but exercise is what will really get you there. Actually, you can do one and not the other, but you'll only be halfway there, really. You need both.

Rules for Exercising
I have been exercising fairly steadily for more than a year now -- starting in December 2005, I began a pretty ambitious running program. In fact, about a month after I started running, I got a big head and decided I would attempt to train for and complete a marathon. After some struggles during the year, I completed the marathon in December 2006. This year, I am training for a triathlon, learning to bike and swim in addition to continuing my running.

So I've learned a lot about exercising in the last year. Not only am I learning by doing, but I've learned a lot from others, books that I've bought, and websites that I've been continually researching.

What follows are some of the tips I have for those who want to begin and maintain a healthy exercise program.

Exercise Rule #1: Start today, and just do anything to get you going. It doesn't matter what exercise you choose, just start. I think walking and running are great ways to start, because you don't have to pay to join a gym or get fancy equipment. All you need is a pair of shoes. I started with an old beat-up pair of sneakers, and didn't buy real running shoes until I'd been doing it a few weeks. Swimming and biking are two great exercises too, though.

Exercise Rule #2: Stop making excuses. I know from experience -- we all have a million excuses. Not enough time. No place to work out. I'm tired. I don't have the money. These are all a load of crap. I don't blame anyone for making these excuses, because I made them myself, but the truth is, we rationalize so that we can continue to be lazy. It isn't as hard as you think. Just set a date with yourself, or your spouse, or a friend, to get out for just 10 or 15 minutes today, and walk or jog. No! Stop making excuses!

Exercise Rule #3: Just put on your running shoes, and get out the door. That's all you have to do. The rest will be much easier than you think. It's the initial inertia that we must overcome. Once you've done that, it's actually invigorating and fun.

Exercise Rule #4: Start out small, and slowly. You might start a program full of vim and vigor, ready to run a marathon or lift huge weights. Hold yourself back. The main reason is that if you start slowly, you are more likely to succeed, and if you start by trying to do too much, you will more likely burn out and fail. If you think you can run for 30 minutes, only run 10 or 15 to start with, then slowly increase over a matter of weeks. Try for 2-3 times a week at first, with the goal of exercising for at least 30 minutes five times a week, eventually. The side benefit -- and this is a great one -- is that if you hold yourself back, you'll be eager to get to your next workout, when you'll be doing a little more than this one. And that eagerness is a tremendous boost.

Exercise Rule #5: Make your goal public. Post it on your blog. Tell your family and friends. Sign up for a site like Traineo.com, where your workouts and weight loss are emailed to several "motivators" that you choose. For my marathon and triathlon goals, I began writing a column every two weeks for my local newspaper, as a journal of my personal journey along the way. Positive public pressure will keep you motivated for a sustained period -- you won't want to let people down and look bad. Don't let the pressure up -- once you do, your motivation will go away.

Exercise Rule #6: Reward yourself. Make a list of mini goals, and next to each one, list an appropriate reward. For example, if you just go out and jog today, allow yourself to buy a book on Amazon. If you can do it for two days, give yourself an ice cream. If you can do it for a week, buy some songs for you iTunes. Whatever rewards work for you -- be they shoes, clothes, a massage, a tattoo, or whatever, let yourself have them after reaching the mini goals. Just don't make it too much sweets!

Exercise Rule #7: Allow yourself adequate rest. Some people try to run hard every day, or workout hard every day. Just remember, your muscles need rest in order to recover. If you don't let them recover, you are just continually breaking them down. Follow the hard-easy rule: after a day of hard exercise, go easy or rest the next day. Also, you need at least a day of rest each week. Your body can only take so much before it begins to break down. Don't let it get to that point. Many very wise people have said that rest is just as important as exercise when it comes to improving performance.

Exercise Rule #8: Think positive. This is probably the best rule of the bunch. It has helped me in countless ways. Any time that a negative thought comes into your head ("I can't do this!" "It's too hard!" "I don't feel like working out now!" "I want to stop!" "I feel lazy today!"), just push it out. Squash it. And then replace it with positive thoughts: I can do this! I am strong! This isn't too hard! If Leo can do it, so can I! This is no problem! I'm tough! I am AWESOME!!!!!! Positive thinking will get you past any exercise barrier.

Exercise Rule #9: Don't be motivated only by weight loss goals. If you're just trying to lose weight, you will more than likely stop. Why? I have no idea, but it's true. Have other motivators: do it to feel good, for the great energy you get, to lower your medical bills, to live longer, to enjoy life more, to look better, to be stronger, to be healthier, to achieve something worthwhile, to overcome a challenge. Make a list of the reasons you want to exercise and post them up somewhere. And yes, cut out a picture from a magazine that will motivate you and post that up too. Losing weight is a great goal, but don't let it be your only one.

Exercise Rule #10: If you fail, get up, brush yourself off, and start again. We all fail sometimes. No matter how great we are, we fail. I have missed workouts plenty of times in the last year, but the key is that I just get back on that horse again. I don't let it stop me from continuing. Look at it like I do: it's a long road ahead of us, and little problems along the way are mere bumps in the road. Don't let a bump in the road stop you from continuing your journey.

Exercise Rule #11: If you can, get a workout partner. It's a great motivator. If you know you have to meet someone to workout, you're more likely to keep that appointment. However, if your partner has to cancel for some reason, don't let that stop you from working out on your own.

Exercise Rule #11: Have fun! Exercise can and should be fun. Don't let it be painful. If it is, slow down a bit, and enjoy the scenery. Exercise in a nice place, with water or trees. Breathe deeply and enjoy the fresh air! Look at that sunrise or sunset! The day is glorious, and you are partaking of it fully. Life is great!

Recipe for a Flat Stomach

For a long time, I wanted to lose weight. I know now that that's a mistake. Weight is only one factor -- lean muscle mass, body fat percentage, hip to waist ratio, etc. are all just as important.

After that, I wanted to get six-pack abs. That's also a dumb goal. First of all, most people are not genetically programmed to have those kinds of abs. Second, even the supermodels and male models that have six-packs don't have them all the time. Usually they have a little fat, and then burn it off in the weeks before a photo shoot.

So my goal now is to have a flat stomach. It really should be to get down to an acceptable body fat percentage, but I dont' have an easy way of measuring that. A flat stomach can be measured in the mirror or by my wife. I don't need to have defined abs, but just lose some of my stomach fat and get it to be flatter. To me, that will look good, feel good, and be healthier.

I've done my research, and by learning what's working so far for me, here's the three steps to a flat stomach:

1. Cardio, cardio, cardio. Doing all the abs exercises in the world will do nothing if you have a layer of fat covering it. Doing strength training, or lifting weights, would help, but not as much as aerobic exercise. So my plan is to continue my running, and add in swimming and biking. I plan to do at least 30 minutes of cardio 6 days a week. On some days I'll do more -- 45 minutes, an hour, two hours, even more on long days. I'll start out short for the bike and swim, like I did with running, until I build up my endurance. A quick note: interval training is also great, and I will add that in after my endurance is better. If you want to add some ab exercises in after the cardio, that's great, but be sure to work your whole torso, not just the upper abs -- that includes the lower abs, lower back and the muscles that wrap around your sides.

2. Less Fat and Sugar. It's that simple. The American diet is typically filled with fat and sugar, and you'll never get a flat stomach on that recipe. Cut out meat, if you can, and even better, cut out dairy and eggs. But if you can't, at least eat lean meats (low-fat turkey, skinless chicken breast, lean beef, fish), and stay away from fried food and too many sugary desserts. That doesn't mean you have to starve yourself -- if you're eating healthy, you can actually eat a lot -- or deprive yourself too much, but only eat the bad stuff in moderation. Vegan diet is the best, especially if it's balanced, rich in vegetable protein and calcium and minerals, full of fresh fruits and veggies, and high in fiber.

3. Give it Time. If you want to have a flat stomach in 3 weeks, or two months, forget it. Losing fat takes time, and it's unhealthy to lose too much weight too fast. Aim for 1-2 lbs. a week. Gradual weight loss is healthier, and more likely to be sustained over time. Go for a lifestyle change, something you can live with for the rest of your life, or you will just yo-yo. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

Some links for flat stomach reading:

Traineo: Achieving a Flat Stomach

Go Ask Alice!: I want a flat stomach!

Four secrets to a flat stomach