A surprising way to be more active

Have trouble staying active when your usual routine gets thrown off? That’s totally normal. As humans, we love the path of least resistance. That’s where a science-backed idea of “friction” comes in. Let us explain.

Let’s dive a little deeper…

Going for a walk right after school drop-off, gardening before dinner, Saturday yoga with a friend—routines are magic for staying active. You don’t have to put a lot of effort into deciding whether to do it or even what to do, you just…do it.

That changes when something or someone interferes with your routine. So if you find yourself defaulting to whatever is in front of you—sleeping in after a late night instead of getting up and walking or scrolling social media instead of finding a new yoga class to go to on holidays—know that it’s normal.

It’s also modifiable: By making the sedentary behaviour more difficult—behavioural scientists call it “adding friction”—the active option becomes easier, setting you up for success. Does this mean you shouldn’t ever sleep in or lounge on holidays? Of course not! Think of this as a way to interrupt the automatic (and natural) desire to do what’s easiest and instead nudge you toward what you ultimately want (to stay active and move towards your goals).

1. “Fuel” is what behavioural scientists call anything that makes a behaviour easier to do.
   
   

2. “Friction” is anything that makes a behaviour more challenging to do.
   
   

3. Humans tend to do things that require the least amount of friction.