Making exercise a healthy habit

By Emma Waite (Trainee Health Psychologist) and Dr Liz Jenkinson (Associate Professor)

During March UWE Bristol Sport encouraged everyone to MOVE in March to try and help embed physical activity into their day.  To follow on from this we asked the MSc Psychology group if they could write us a piece about habit forming and physical activity.

Want to make regular exercise part of your routine but not sure how to make it stick? In this blog post Emma Waite (Trainee Health Psychologist) and Dr Elizabeth Jenkinson (Associate Professor in Health Psychology) introduce the psychology of habit formation and give advice on how to apply this to form new exercise habits, including making habits last and overcoming common obstacles.

Image Credit: Arek Adeoye

What are habits?

Habits are behaviours that we do automatically in response to certain cues or triggers, without really thinking about them. For example, brushing your teeth at bedtime or picking up your phone first thing in the morning. We use habits in our everyday lives and, in fact, around half of what we do every day is done automatically and without forethought (Wood, Quinn & Kashy 2002). By making things automatic like this, habits free up thinking space in our minds for more challenging thoughts and prevent us from getting overwhelmed. In this way, they may be thought of as ‘energy saving devices’ (Macrae Milne, & Bodenhausen 1994).

How do habits form?

Habit formation involves a cue-response-reward cycle. The cue is something that can trigger the behaviour you would like to become a habit. For example, if you want to start running in the mornings then putting your shoes by the door the night before could act as a cue so you will see them when you wake up. This cue then reminds you to do the behaviour, or response – in this case, going running. Finally, after the response comes the reward, which might be the sense of achievement or improved mood following your run.

When this cue-response-reward cycle is repeated so that it becomes automatic, that’s when the habit is formed. So, the more often you do something, the more likely it is to become a habit and the less mental effort it will take. Similarly, doing the behaviour consistently in the same context or environment can help establish it as a habit and means it is more likely to become ingrained and persist in the long term.

How could we use what we know about habits to help form a new exercise habit?

It’s not always easy to form and maintain new habits, as life and other things can get in the way. If you’re looking to form a new exercise habit, the following strategies suggested by health psychologists and habit researchers might be helpful in giving yourself the best chance at sticking with it:

1.     Be specific. Make a plan for when, where, and what you will do. For example, instead of saying "I want to exercise more," try creating a more specific plan, which psychologists call an ‘implementation intention’ (Gollwitzer, 1999). For example, "I will go for a 20-minute walk around the local park every day after my lunch at 1.30pm." This helps provide a clear roadmap for action. Importantly, try to keep these plans realistic so you can stay consistent, as this will make it easier to form your habit.

2.     Set clear goals and start small. Whatever you are aiming for, whether it’s a marathon or a new personal best deadlift, be specific about what you want to achieve and when. Try and be realistic with these timeframes, as setting goals that are too ambitious can set yourself up for failure. Instead, start small and gradually increase the intensity or duration of your workouts. You could also identify meaningful milestones on the way to your goal to help build momentum and give you a sense of achievement each time you reach one. A good example of building up to a bigger goal is ‘couch to 5k’.

3.     Find your why. Think about what is motivating you to form your new exercise habit and try to remind yourself of this if things get difficult. Envisioning how exercise is valuable to you personally (rather than because of external demands or recommendations) can be particularly helpful.

4.     Reflect on your progress. Don’t forget to look back and remind yourself how far you’ve come. Realising the progress you’ve made can be a great motivator for staying on track with your new exercise habits. However, it can be hard to remember to look back, so make sure you track it - that might be using pen and paper, your phone, data at the gym - any way that suits you.

Lastly...

Before you embark on your new exercise journey, it may be helpful to identify potential obstacles that might get in the way and think about how you might overcome them.

• Lacking motivation? The ideal exercise is one you naturally enjoy - psychologists call this being ‘intrinsically motivated’ to take part (Deci & Ryan, 1985). If you don’t enjoy running - that’s fine! Try finding what you do enjoy - racket sports, yoga, swimming, or roller skating might be your thing. If you know you can find it hard to stick to plans, you might also decide to find a workout buddy to ramp up that accountability.

• Lacking the know-how? Preparation is key - do your homework before. Prepare your kit, map out your route, watch videos - do what it takes to get ready for that plan to succeed.

• Lacking the opportunity? If time is a barrier - you might need to create more protected time by adding an appointment to your diary in that slot, or considering any time that could be swapped for exercise. For example, maybe you could walk to Uni rather than using the bus. Another barrier may be a lack of equipment. Consider buying second hand, using public exercise spaces like outdoor gyms, or borrowing from Uni or friends to overcome that barrier.

And finally, be patient and gentle with yourself and don’t give up! Forming new habits takes time and it’s okay and totally normal to slip up occasionally. Instead of beating yourself up about it, focus on getting back on track and moving forward. After all, it’s not about being perfect, but rather making progress towards a healthier, happier you.

References

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Conceptualizations of intrinsic motivation and self-determination. In E. L. Deci, & R. M. Ryan (Eds.), Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior (pp. 11-40). Springer.

Gardner, B., Lally, P., & Wardle, J. (2012). Making health habitual: The psychology of ‘habit-formation’ and general practice. British Journal of General Practice, 62, 664-666.

Gollwitzer, P. M. (1999). Implementation intentions: Strong effects of simple plans. The American Psychologist, 54(7), 493-503.

Macrae, C. N., Milne, A. B., & Bodenhausen, G. V. (1994). Stereotypes as energy-saving devices: A peek inside the cognitive toolbox. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66(1), 37-47.

Wood, W., Quinn, J. M., & Kashy, D. A. (2002). Habits in everyday life: Thought, emotion, and action. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83(6), 1281–1297. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.83.6.1281