How to make activity a habit

Weekly topic: make habit change happen

A habit is created when a single conscious behaviour is repeated over time, until it becomes automatic. Creating a habit can help you turn a positive action into a healthy, lifelong practice.

So how do you go about making activity a habit? Figuring out how you’ll do it matters just as much as deciding what you’ll do. If you focus first on making time for movement, you’re more likely to make it a habit.

Here's how to get started:

1. Choose when during the day and for how long you'll be active. Be realistic about your schedule, your to-dos, and your want-to-dos.

2. Ask yourself what gets in the way of being active during this time, and brainstorm possible solutions. Maybe you’ll set aside time in your calendar between 6am and 7am twice a week, or extend your childcare.

3. Practice your routine for a week, focusing more on the when. If your plan is to go to the park on Wednesday and Saturday at 6pm, just aim to get yourself there, whether you go for a walk or sit on a bench.

4. Take stock. What’s going well? What’s challenging? Adjust as needed to land on a routine that works for you. Once that's set, you can shift your focus to how you want to move.

When it comes to deciding how you'll move, the key is trying not to run before you can walk (literally!).

Start small with something like walking or beginner's yoga. You could also try making other small, manageable behaviour changes, like walking to the local shops rather than driving, or starting each day by dancing to your favourite song.

Once you've got into a regular routine and you feel ready to level up, kick things up a notch. For example, try walking a little faster (or even going for a jog) or practising intermediate yoga poses.

Making a few little but significant changes to your lifestyle can help you achieve big results!

The rewards of regular activity are huge. In addition to helping with your weight loss journey, exercise can also aid stress management and better sleep.

Plus, join the Healthy Body Healthy Mind group in Connect to stream live workouts into your living room, like dance classes and body weight exercises. Find out what's on offer.

Create an activity routine using the steps above and, if you like, the workouts available to you in the WW app.

Draft your plan and pick a day when you’ll begin trying it for a week. Then, evaluate and adjust your routine until you find a way to make activity fit into your life.