Decades of research has laid out the facts that regular physical activity brings a host of mental and physical health benefits; and yet, the vast majority of Canadians are not active. As anyone who’s ever tried to start a new exercise program knows, new habits can be incredibly hard to create, just as old bad habits are equally hard to shake.
At the Behavioral Medicine Lab (BMED) at the University of Victoria, Dr. Ryan Rhodes and his team study the psychology behind why people do or do not engage in physical activity. In addition to carrying out their own studies, the BMED team has poured over decades of research to explain why, when asked, most people say they intend to exercise, but do not follow through.
For years, leading theories about physical activity emphasized the importance of reason and intention; and promotion campaigns mainly focused on educating people on the benefits of exercise. Dr. Rhodes notes that, overall, these approaches have shown meaningful behavioural changes, but such changes are small.
One possible explanation for such limited change is that it assumes our actions are conscious, deliberate and logical, however, considerable research shows that much of our behaviour is not so mindful. In fact, much of our behaviour takes place through the psychological mechanism of habit.
FOUR TIPS ON CREATING AN EXERCISE HABIT
KEEP IT SIMPLE
To begin forming new habits, we need to find a behaviour we can do without too much effort or hassle. This first step might be walking two laps around the park near your home each day or taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work.
Although it’s true that building these activity habits into your life are not a substitute for a full exercise program, small efforts can help ease you into building the basic blocks of an active life. Every little bit helps. Before long, little efforts are no longer seen as such a chore. Focus on and enjoy the small everyday tasks in order to accomplish those stubborn goals.
BE CONSISTENT IN YOUR PRACTICE
Having a consistent practice of physical activity is also central to forming a habit. In a new (2019) study co-authored by Dr. Rhodes, being consistent in the timing of physical activity linked into significantly higher physical activity levels. Those most successful in maintaining weight loss and adjusting to moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity reported consistency in the time of day that they exercised, with early morning being the most common.
DO WHAT YOU DON’T HATE
A key concept in the science of motivation and behaviour change is affect, or emotion. We may pay homage to the step master machine for a few days or even weeks, but if it’s consistently unpleasant, eventually, we give up.
In their study tracking new gym members’ formation of habit, Dr. Kaushal and Dr. Rhodes (2015) showed that exercise habits were more likely to be formed if people experienced the exercise as pleasant. Creating a habit we loathe is unlikely. If we dread it beforehand, we place ourselves in a conscious battle of “getting it done.”
Brainstorming ways to piggyback or link physical activity together with an existing behaviour pattern we enjoy can be helpful. For example, instead of a weekly lunch outing with friends, try meeting for a weekly walk. Or try something entirely new. We often don’t really know what we like until we try it!
SET CUES FOR ACTION
Complex behaviour like physical activity involves building good habits into a chain of routines. Research shows that setting up certain conditions (repetition, cues, scripts) can improve the likelihood of forming a habit. For example, if you’re trying to get yourself to go to the gym, that may mean having the desire to exercise (motivation), having the time/resources to get to a gym (ability), and setting out clothes the night before, or creating a calendar event to remind yourself to go (cue). And that’s just to get yourself to the gym one time.
Just how many times do you need to exercise before it becomes habitual? In a recent research study by Dr. Kaushal and Dr. Rhodes, new gym members were surveyed across 12 weeks. The study identified that exercising for four bouts per week for six weeks was the minimum requirement to establish an exercise habit among many of the participants.
Behavioural cues usually fall into certain categories, such as a certain place, time of day, or presence/absence of other people. When you plan, make sure you add where, when, with whom and maybe even why. As you repeat the behaviour in the same context, the information is reorganized in your brain.
When you are attempting to “mastermind” your schedule, make sure your cue sequence precedes the act and is not encountered frequently outside it. After breakfast or dinner are good cues to action because they only happen once. A poor cue is one like a note on your computer screen or fridge because you will see it frequently outside of the context of exercise, so it will have little reinforcing value to prompt the habit response.
If you are interested in learning more or becoming a participant in our studies, please contact us. The Behavioral Medicine Lab is recruiting for a study on promoting physical activity in Empty Nest and Retirement populations. Contact bml@uvic.ca for more information.
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