Make Exercise a Habit With Cues, Routines and Rewards

Why does making exercise a habit matter?

The benefits of physical activity and the ability to reduce the risk of diseases have been well documented. The 2013 paper’s introduction cited older U.S. participation and dropout estimates. Those figures describe that historical context, rather than current national rates.

Many people drop out of their routine quickly while others can stick to their regimen. To make exercise a habit, start by looking at habit formation. Many psychologists, behaviorists and neuroscientists believe that repeated behaviors are more likely to be habitual.

What did the exercise-habit survey find?

According to a 2013 study, a habit is defined as “The most simplistic and often-researched behavioral definition of a habit is behavior that has occurred repeatedly and frequently in the past.” There are several other definitions they listed for habit, with different emphases on repetition, cues and automaticity.

In this study, 174 exercisers completed questionnaires at two private fitness clubs.

They were each given a questionnaire that included the SRHI (Self-Report Habit Inventory) and the behavioral questions came from habit formation concepts.

The survey included 174 exercisers in total; of the 167 who answered the weekly-schedule question, 129 (77%) said their schedule generally looked the same from week to week. This exploratory survey describes associations among existing exercisers; it does not prove that one routine creates a habit for everyone.

Developing a regular habit towards physical activity is an excellent tactic towards maintenance of future physical activity.

How does the habit loop work?

The 2013 study offers a useful companion to Duhigg’s 2014 paperback “The Power of Habit”.

Duhigg believes that every habit, whether big or small, can get broken down into a sequence of actions.

He stated that when the brain converts a sequence of actions into an automatic routine, this process is called chunking.

Humans have hundreds of behavioral chunks they rely on every day.

Many individuals fail to realize that most of their daily schedules are integrated with a high degree of habituation.

From when they wake up in the morning to when they get ready for bed at night, their brain is recording patterns and learned behaviors. Research discussed by MIT implicates basal-ganglia circuits and ongoing cortical control in habitual behavior. It does not show that the rest of the brain goes to sleep while one region stores exercise habits.

Duhigg describes the cue, routine and reward framework as the “habit loop”. The habit loop is broken down into a 3-step loop which are the cue, routine and reward.

What cues can support a workout routine?

In Duhigg’s framework, these three stages offer a way to think about a habit.

The cue is the trigger that tells the brain to automatically begin “getting ready” for the routine. Environmental and time cues can make a routine easier to repeat, although the survey did not test a success rate for creating new habits.

According to the 2013 study, 75 percent of the 155 respondents to the time-of-day question said they generally exercised at the same time on workout days.

Also, 85 percent of the 170 respondents to the location question said they exercised in the same place most of the time.

A consistent time and place can make an exercise routine easier to repeat.

Why choose a clear reward?

It is important that the cue to be used is simple and obvious.

Once the cue has sparked an individual into their exercise routine, the specific exercise routine chosen tells the brain there is a reward after this routine is over.

Once the exercise is over and the individual is rewarded, the habit begins to be ingrained in the brain.

The reward for an individual should be very clear and something that is exciting enough to add fuel towards exercise motivation.

Rewards are crucial because they strengthen the success of sticking to the goal of exercising which, over time, strengthens the overall habit.

How can clothes, a gym routine and a smoothie fit together?

For example, before someone goes to bed at night, they make sure to lay their workout clothes at their bedside so that they see them first thing in the morning.

The clothes become their cue which triggers their mind to know it’s time to put on workout gear and go to the gym.

Going to the gym and working out is now the routine they perform following their cue.

Perhaps they could get a smoothie as their reward after working out.

Now, because they have already defined their reward, they probably have their mind on that smoothie throughout their workout. This creates a strong craving and helps them through the workout.

Once they have completed their workout, they reward themselves.

Once the day is over, they repeat the process.

Over time they end up getting the same results.

The cue, routine and reward are basically teammates working together to help accomplish the desired goal of making exercise a habit.

According to Duhigg, over time, this loop-cue becomes more and more automatic.

The cue and reward become interconnected until a powerful sense of anticipation and craving emerges.

Eventually, whether in a chilly MIT laboratory or your driveway, a habit is born.

Can an exercise habit change?

However, habits can be ignored, suppressed, or even replaced. The habit loop is a useful framework for thinking about repeated behavior.

Repetition can reduce the effort of deciding to exercise without shutting off the brain’s control of behavior.

So, through repetition, a familiar routine may become easier to follow.

How can you build a repeatable exercise routine?

One practical way to approach exercise consistency is to adapt the habit loop to your preferences.

A simple cue and a repeatable schedule can provide a starting point.

Typically, they select a sustainable exercise routine that is executed in the same location daily.

Then they choose a reward that is defined and catered towards their preference.

As they repeat their personal exercise routine, familiar cues and rewards may help make it easier to continue.

Over time the habit becomes second nature.

By deconstructing the formation of a habit, individuals can achieve success in maintaining a fitness regimen.

This gives them a concrete routine to adjust over time, while leaving room for individual differences.

References

Tappe, K., Tarves, E., Oltarzewski, J., & Frum, D. (2013). Habit formation among regular exercisers at fitness centers: An exploratory study. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 10(4), 607–613. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.10.4.607

Duhigg, C. (2014). The power of habit: Why we do what we do in life and business. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks.

Trafton, A. (2012, October 29). How the brain controls our habits. MIT News. https://news.mit.edu/2012/understanding-how-brains-control-our-habits-1029

Pull Quotes:

“Many psychologists, behaviorists and neuroscientists believe that repeated behaviors are more likely to be habitual.”

“Developing a regular habit towards physical activity is an excellent tactic towards maintenance of future physical activity.”

“A consistent time and place can make an exercise routine easier to repeat.”