No Equipment Workout Challenge-How to build a healthy habit of exercise during these trying times?

We are all creatures of habit. We tend to wake up at the same time each day, brush our teeth, have morning coffee and commute to work. And we follow the same patterns every single day without a thought. So why is it so hard to form new No Equipment Workout Challenge healthy habits?

Behavioral scientists who study habit formation say that many of us try to create healthy habits the wrong way. We make bold resolutions to start exercise or lose weight, for example without taking steps needed to set ourselves up for success.

Here are some tips backed by scientific research, for forming new healthy habits.

Stack your habits

The best way to form a new habit is to tie to an existing habit, experts say. Look for patterns in your day and think about how you can use existing habits to create new, positive ones.

For many of use, our morning routine is our strongest routine, so that a great place to stack on a new habit. A morning cup of coffee, for example, can create a great opportunity to start a one minute meditation practice. Or, while you are brushing your teeth, you might choose to do squats or stand on one foot to practice balance.

Many of us fall into end of the day patterns as well. Do you tend to flop on the couch after work and turn on the TV? That might be a good time to do a single yoga pose every day.

Do it every day

British researchers studies how people form habits in the real world, asking participants to choose a simple habit they wanted to form, like drinking water at lunch or taking a walk before dinner. The study, published in the European journal of social psychology, showed that the amount of time it took for the task to become automatic- a habit- ranged from 18 to 254 days. The median time was 66 days!

The lesson is that habits take a long time to create but they form faster when we do them, more often, so start with something reasonable that is really easy to do. You are more likely to stick with an exercise habit if you do some small exercise- jumping jacks, yoga, a brisk walk-everyday, rather than trying to get to the gym three days a week. Once the daily exercise becomes a habit, you can explore new more intense form of exercise. Now if you want so more helpful No Equipment Workout Challenge  strategies to combat the recent uncertain times then please click here.