Before Starting
Every time I saw workout check-in photos in my social media feed, I felt a twinge of envy. Looking at others showing off their abs and fitness achievements, I also wanted to have that kind of body. But whenever I thought about exercising, countless "can't do it" excuses would pop into my head: my room is too small to work out in, I don't have professional equipment, I'm too busy to find time, and exercising alone at home seems boring... I always found various excuses to let myself off the hook.
Honestly, I used to be that kind of "exercise excuse master." Always envying others but never willing to take the first step. Whenever I saw others sharing workout videos, I would silently give a like and continue lying around scrolling on my phone. Until one day, when I looked in the mirror and noticed the increasing fat around my belly and how my clothes were starting to look bulky. That's when I realized: if I don't start exercising now, I might face health issues later.
Environment Matters
Have you noticed how it's much easier to get into workout mode at the gym, but exercising at home always leads to procrastination? This isn't actually about your self-discipline - it's the huge influence of environment.
In my home, I specifically cleared out a dedicated workout space. Although it's only about 4 square meters, this little sanctuary contains all the exercise equipment I need. I carefully selected a yoga mat with just the right thickness to protect my knees without being too soft. In the small cabinet beside it, I keep a pair of 5kg dumbbells (started with 2kg but found them too light), a resistance band (a home workout essential that takes up little space yet is super practical), and a foam roller (essential for post-workout recovery).
Honestly, all this equipment cost less than 500 yuan, but the effect is excellent. Every morning when I wake up, the first thing I see is this workout area, like a silent reminder saying: time to exercise! It's more effective than any phone notification because you can't pretend not to see it. Plus, this dedicated space helps you quickly get into workout mode, unlike exercising by your bed or couch, which always feels awkward.
I also put a calendar on the wall in my workout area, marking a check after each workout. Seeing those consecutive checks gives you a sense of achievement that motivates you to keep going. Over time, this little corner has truly become an indispensable part of my life.
Starting from the Mind
When it comes to building an exercise habit, the hardest part isn't actually physical ability but mental barriers. I saw an interesting statistic: over 60% of people give up their exercise plans within the first two weeks. Why is that?
The main reason is that beginners tend to aim too high. Seeing others share two-hour training videos on social media makes them think they must do the same. As a result, after the first day, their whole body feels broken, they can barely get out of bed the next day, and by the third day, they start making all kinds of excuses: too tired from work today, bad weather, didn't sleep well... Actually, this isn't your fault - it's that your goal setting was problematic.
I was like that at first. Seeing others do 50 push-ups at once made me set a goal: to do 50 push-ups within a week. The result was predictable - not only did I fail to achieve the goal, but I also ended up feeling very discouraged. Later I realized that when it comes to exercise, you really can't rush it.
After summarizing my experience, I found a particularly practical method: start with 10 minutes per day. Yes, just 10 short minutes. This time is so short that you can't find any excuses. No matter how busy you are, squeezing out 10 minutes is still easy, right? And based on my experience, once you can stick to it for a month, you'll find that 10 minutes isn't enough. When you experience the pleasure of exercise and the changes in your body, you'll naturally want to extend your workout time.
I remember when I first started, I just did a few simple warm-up exercises and a few sets of push-ups in 10 minutes. It seems a bit funny looking back now, but it was exactly this simple start that allowed me to persist until now. Now I exercise for more than 45 minutes every day, and I don't feel tired or forced at all.
Time Management
When it comes to exercise, many people's first reaction is: "I'm too busy, I really can't find the time." But did you know? Surveys show that young people now spend an average of over 3 hours per day on their phones, with nearly 2 hours spent watching short videos. If you could use just a small portion of that time for exercise, wouldn't all problems be solved?
When it comes to time management, I'm a thorough "early bird." Why choose to exercise in the morning? Because morning routines are least likely to be disrupted. Evenings often have various unexpected situations: overtime work, dinner with friends, sudden matters... But mornings are different - this time is completely yours before others wake up.
My current schedule is like this: I must be in bed before 11 PM (I used to like staying up late watching dramas, now thinking back it was such a waste of time), and I naturally wake up at 6:30 AM (initially relied on an alarm clock, now I don't need it at all). After getting up, the first thing I do is change into workout clothes, drink half a glass of warm water, and start exercising. No checking phone, no browsing WeChat, just focusing on exercise.
You might say, I can't get up early! But this is also a habit issue. I remember when I first started changing my schedule, it was particularly painful. For the first few days, I had to drag myself out of bed with the alarm clock. But after persisting for about three weeks, something magical happened: I found myself naturally waking up, even a few minutes before the alarm time. Now I've calculated that I can naturally wake up without relying on an alarm clock nearly 90% of the time.
Moreover, morning exercise has an extra benefit: after working out and taking a shower, you feel especially refreshed, and your work state is much better than before. I used to be drowsy all morning, but now it has become my most productive time of the day.
Scene Switching
Actually, opportunities for exercise are everywhere in life; the key is learning to discover and utilize them. Many people think exercise must be specially scheduled, but that's not true - many daily actions can become exercise opportunities.
For example, I've developed a habit: doing calf raises while brushing my teeth. It might seem strange at first, but once you get used to it, you'll find it's a great calf workout. Plus, brushing teeth takes two minutes anyway, so why not make use of that time?
While waiting for hot water before showering, I do a few sets of squats. Honestly, it was really tiring at first - maybe I could only do ten. But after persisting for a while, now I can easily do 30. Moreover, these fragment-time exercises are particularly hard to give up because you're waiting there anyway, so why not do something meaningful.
When watching TV, I also use commercial breaks to exercise. I used to scroll through Weibo on my phone, but now I get up and move around, or do a plank. Speaking of planks, they're an excellent core training exercise. The first time I tried, I could only hold for 20 seconds; now I can do 2 minutes. The feeling of progress is really great.
These seemingly short "micro-exercises" actually add up to quite a bit. I tracked with my fitness band and found that these fragmentary exercise times add up to 20-30 minutes a day. Keep in mind, the World Health Organization recommends 30 minutes of daily exercise, so just by utilizing fragment time, you've already met the standard.
Plus, this method is particularly suitable for busy people. For example, during lunch breaks, instead of scrolling through your phone, you can get up and move around. While waiting for the elevator, you can do some stretching exercises, and you can even do simple exercises in the office. Now I often do neck and shoulder relaxation exercises during work breaks, which not only helps move my muscles but also relieves discomfort from sitting for long periods.
Gradual Progress
When it comes to exercise, the most easily overlooked aspect is the importance of gradual progress. Many people pursue high-intensity training from the start, resulting in either injury or giving up due to exhaustion. This reminds me of a friend who tried to do 100 push-ups in his first workout, and the next day his arms were so sore he couldn't even hold a toothbrush, which led to him immediately abandoning his exercise plan.
I think the most important aspect of exercise isn't intensity but consistency. Through more than a year of practice, I've summarized a "3-2-1" principle:
In the first 3 weeks, the focus is on cultivating exercise habits, with intensity controlled at a "slightly sweating" level. During this phase, don't pursue how many sets or how long to exercise; the most important thing is letting your body gradually adapt to the feeling of exercise. At that time, I just did about 15 minutes of basic exercise daily, including some simple warm-ups, stretching, and a few sets of basic strength training. Although the intensity wasn't high, doing it every day actually showed obvious effects.
In the middle 2 weeks, you can start appropriately increasing the training weight or number of sets. For example, if you were doing 8 push-ups per set before, now you can try increasing to 10. If you were using 2kg dumbbells, you can switch to 3kg. But don't increase too much - recommend increasing by about 20% each time.
In the last 1 week, only then consider increasing exercise intensity. By this time, your body has basically adapted to the exercise rhythm, and you can try some new movements or increase training difficulty. But remember, increasing intensity doesn't mean exhausting yourself - you must stay within your bearable range.
Following this gradual progression, after 6 weeks, you'll be amazed to find yourself unconsciously able to complete movements that seemed difficult at first. Take myself for example - at first, I couldn't even do one standard push-up well, but now I can easily complete 3 sets of 15. This progress came neither too fast nor too slow, but it's particularly solid.
Moreover, the advantage of gradual progression is that it allows you to develop an interest in exercise while improving your exercise ability. When you discover you can do movements you couldn't do before, that sense of achievement really becomes addictive. Now every time I break my own record, I get especially happy and can't wait to share it with friends.
Recording is Important
Speaking of sharing, I must mention the importance of exercise recording. Research shows that people who have recording habits have a 40% higher completion rate of their exercise plans compared to those who don't record. This data is really amazing, but thinking carefully, it's also reasonable. Because recording allows you to visually see your progress, and the sense of achievement from this progress will motivate you to continue persisting.
My recording method is very simple - I created an exercise diary in my phone's notes. After each workout, I record three basic pieces of data: exercise duration, specific movements, and physical feeling.
For example: "Today exercised for 45 minutes, did: 10 minutes jump rope warm-up 3 sets of push-ups, 12 each set 4 sets of squats, 15 each set 2 minutes plank Feeling: Good condition, push-ups much easier than last week, but squats still a bit challenging."
Such simple records let you clearly see your progress trajectory. Now when I look back at previous records, I can really feel my changes. From only being able to do 8 standard push-ups at first, to now being able to do 25 at once; from initially barely holding a plank for 30 seconds, to now easily maintaining 2 minutes... All these improvements are clearly recorded, and seeing them gives me great encouragement.
Moreover, recording has another benefit - it helps you quickly identify and adjust problems in training. For example, through recording, I discovered that when doing squats, my right leg always tired more easily than my left. After discovering this problem, I specifically looked up some information and found it was a posture issue. After timely adjustment, it's much better now.
I've also developed a habit of reviewing summaries at the end of each month. Looking at how my exercise frequency was this month, whether the intensity was appropriate, which movements need improvement. Through such review, my exercise plan becomes increasingly suitable for me.
Maintaining Motivation
Honestly, even the most perfect plan will encounter times of insufficient motivation. Sometimes work pressure is high, sometimes the weather is bad, sometimes you just simply don't want to move... This is all very normal. The key is learning to adjust your mindset and find suitable ways to motivate yourself.
My favorite is the "30-day challenge." The specific approach is like this: set yourself a specific 30-day goal, such as completing 3,000 push-ups within 30 days. It sounds like a lot at first, but averaged out it's only 100 per day, and you can divide it into several sets, like 30 in the morning, 30 at noon, 40 in the evening, thus completing the daily task.
The first time I tried this challenge, my success rate was 83%, meaning I completed 25 days' tasks in 30 days. Although I didn't completely reach the standard, the process itself was very meaningful. Moreover, during the challenge, I met many friends who were also checking in together. We created an online group, sharing workout videos daily, discussing exercise insights, and encouraging each other when encountering difficulties. This social aspect made exercise more interesting.
Later, I tried many different challenges: 30-day plank challenge, 30-day squat challenge, 30-day early morning exercise challenge... Each challenge gave me new insights about myself and helped me make like-minded friends.
Besides challenges, I also set some small rewards for myself. For example, after exercising continuously for a week, I reward myself with a healthy meal; after exercising continuously for a month, I buy a new piece of exercise equipment. These small rewards aren't expensive, but they provide some positive reinforcement.
Another particularly effective method is setting specific goals. Not vaguely saying "I want to lose weight" or "I want to become healthier," but having clear, measurable goals. For example, "being able to do 30 standard push-ups within three months," or "being able to easily complete a 5km run within half a year." Such goals are both challenging and not too distant, plus the progress can be quantified.
Final Words
Looking back on this year-plus exercise journey, my biggest realization is: building an exercise habit is really like planting a tree - it needs a lot of patience and persistence in the early stages, but once it takes root, it will grow naturally.
Now I can't live without exercise, not because of any external pressure, but because I've truly fallen in love with the feeling it brings. That refreshing feeling after sweating, the sense of achievement after breaking through yourself, and the changes of your body becoming stronger day by day, all make me feel particularly satisfied.
Actually, exercise isn't that difficult; the key is finding the way that suits you. You don't need to become a professional athlete, nor do you need to push yourself too hard. Even if you only exercise for ten minutes every day, as long as you persist, you will see changes.
I hope you who are reading this article can also find your own way of exercising. Whether for health or appearance, exercise won't disappoint you.
Oh right, if you're also trying to build an exercise habit, welcome to share your experiences and insights in the comments. Maybe your experience will inspire others? Let's support each other and progress together on the path of exercise!
