The new year often brings a fresh wave of motivation to live healthier, but for many, this tends to look like making big resolutions that fall by the wayside within a few weeks. The cycle of setting ambitious goals only to fall short can be discouraging.
That’s why experts say the key is to build small, sustainable habits that become a permanent part of your life. With that in mind, we asked Life Time fitness experts to share their advice for establishing a routine that lasts long after the new-year excitement fades.
1. Start small.
The most-recommended tip is to start with small changes rather than going after unrealistic goals. “Pick one or two realistic habits you can actually stick with,” says Nick Davis, on-demand performer in the Life Time app and group instructor at Life Time Sky in New York City. “Consistency matters way more than intensity.”
Starting where you are, not where you think you should be, is something Bradford Stevens, on-demand performer and yoga and Pilates instructor at Life Time Sky urges. “You don’t have to be at your best to begin — you just have to begin,” he says. “The real progress comes from showing up for yourself on the days you don’t want to. Those days when you only have 60 percent to give, that’s your 100 percent for that day, and that’s totally fine.”
Mary Onyago, on-demand performer in the Life Time app and five-star ELI group fitness instructor at several Life Time locations in New York City (One Wall Street, Life Time Dumbo, Life Time Atlantic Avenue, and Life Time PENN 1), offers examples of how to start small. “Identify the area of your life you’d like to enhance and create small but achievable and manageable goals that are a step forward,” she explains. “For example, if you want to get more sleep, a great lifestyle change would be going to bed five minutes earlier than you typically do. If you want to be more mindful, I would start by adding a two-minute meditation to your day. These simple tasks can turn into habits which can grow with you.
“When it comes to exercise, the same principle applies,” Onyago adds. “Instead of jumping right into exercising five times a week, start with twice a week. Stick to it for 30 to 60 days and then add a third and fourth day. The goal is to create momentum.”
2. Try “habit stacking.”
Habit stacking is a method for making changes by tacking new routines onto things you already do consistently.
“My best advice as you set goals for the new year is to consider ‘habit stacking,’” says Danica Osborn, CPT, group instructor and coach at Life Time in Warrenville, Ill., and on-demand performer in the Life Time app. “If there’s something you’re already consistent about doing, tack on a new habit to this preexisting habit. For example, if you want to increase your steps to 7,000 a day, but you typically come home after work and end up watching TV, save your favorite shows and watch them while walking on the treadmill so you can do both at the same time.
“Habit stacking sets you up for success by pairing a solidified habit with a newer one and often creates a built-in reward system by pairing a new habit with something you really enjoy doing,” emphasizes Osborn.
Davis adds some of his favorite examples of habit stacking: “Consider stretching after you brush your teeth each morning or night or getting out for a walk (or walking on the treadmill) while taking a call.”
3. Focus on how you want to feel.
Instead of chasing physical results, pursuing how you want you to feel can often be a healthier approach.
“First, think of the intention behind your routine,” says Shelby Hicks, on-demand performer in the Life Time app and group fitness instructor at Life Time in New York City. “How do you want to feel on the other side of it? Do you want to feel stronger? More energized? Less foggy? Lightened from stress? When you focus on the feelings versus physical results, you’re more likely to build something that lasts. Visualize what it might look and feel like to stay committed and consistent to those feelings.”
4. Don’t be afraid to let old habits go.
Changing up your routine may mean giving up something familiar in order to make positive change. “Building healthy habits that last requires prioritizing,” says Davis. “Most of us have full days and routines; when you commit to something new, it can be natural for something else to take a backseat. Make space for what matters most to you.”
That includes choosing to surround yourself with people who lift you up, according to David Freeman, senior director of signature coach excellence, cohost of the Life Time Talks podcast, and on-demand performer in the Life Time app. “Audit your circle and elevate those who support your goals. You can stay accountable by surrounding yourself with people who pull you higher.”
5. Strive for consistency over perfection.
Progress isn’t made by trying to be perfect. Lasting change comes from habits done consistently over time. For example, showing up for a 20-minute walk every day can be more effective in the long run than movement stalling because you couldn’t find the time to get that flawless hour-long workout in.
Choose habits that are simple enough for you to keep doing them with regularity. “Every time you keep a promise to yourself, you rebuild trust in who you are,” says Stevens. “If you tell yourself you’re not going to hit the snooze button in the morning and instead get up and take your coffee out into the sunlight — don’t hit that snooze button. When I stopped caring about what I look like and started focusing on how I performed and kept showed up for myself, that shifted everything for me.”
