Tips for staying with exercise

About 21 percent of adults in the U.S. always make it to the gym or exercise studio.

Why them and not everyone?

Steady exercisers have some habits in common.

According to studies by Dr. Navin Kaushal of the Montreal Heart Institute, steady exercisers have a regular exercise schedule that never varies. They don’t debate whether they have the time that day, because exercise is just part of the day.

However, the most active people aren’t rigid about their routines. While they always exercise, they are flexible on time. If they are 20 minutes late to the gym and can’t make an exercise class, they will get in the remaining minutes doing something else. It still counts.

In fact, regular exercisers count all sorts of activity as exercise. A family hike can count as exercise just as much as an hour of weight training, if the situation presents itself.
Finally, it helps to have visual cues for exercise, Kaushal found in a 2017 study. A runner might have his running clothes laid out and ready to go. A walker might have the walking stick ready at the door.