Creating a Habit of Going to and Exercising at the Gym

Steps to create a habit of going to the gym and exercising. Not everyone needs to start at step 1, some may be more comfortable jumping further in to the process.

1. Figure out where the gym is. Drive by. This will help you see how it will affect your commute.

2. Drive to the parking lot. Then go home. Do this until you feel silly for not going in.

3. Go to the gym. Feel free to go home or talk to an employee about a membership or possibly just a tour to see what the equipment looks like and how some of it may be used.

4. Sign up for a membership. Now you’ll be allowed in the gym and to use the equipment.

5. Feel free to continue to just drive to the gym and go home or continue going in and familiarizing yourself with the machines. At this point you are paying for the membership so you have a financial motivation to further the habit.

6. Continue exploring the gym. Over time I recommend investigating every piece of equipment. Seek to understand how they work and what they might do for your body. Ask people who are there to show you how to use them (In my experience most people in gyms are happy to help, we’re all there to improve ourselves) or write down any machines you don’t understand and search them on the internet. There’s probably many videos explaining each one. You won’t end up needing to use most of them but the more familiar you are with the equipment the more comfortable you are likely to be with the environment.

7. Do this until you are familiar and comfortable with all of the equipment and you are in the habit of going to the gym 2-3 times per week. Even if you aren’t there very long.

8. Now when you go the gym pick one exercise and practice that exercise. The weight doesn’t need to be heavy. It’s should be light enough that you can maintain good form and you don’t want to do so much that you are in pain the next day from soreness. A little soreness can be expected in the beginning but is not necessary and is a poor indicator of progress. You can get very muscular and strong without experiencing much muscle soreness.

9. Continue to practice this one exercise until you are comfortable with it. Then add a second. Continue with those two until you are comfortable with both and able to perform both 2-3 times per week. Continue to add exercises until you reach 3-5 (or 7 if you are really ambitious). More on exercise selection in this blog here.

10. Now you are not only going to the gym 2-3 times per week but you have a great routine. You can continue to add exercises as needed but 5 will cover most of your muscle groups and movement patterns and provide a great foundation for health and longevity. You may also choose to add more days per week, 3-4 is probably optimal for most people. If you desire more activity, an active hobby would be a great addition to your routine and a good use of the strength you are building in the gym.

11. Maintain this habit for as long as your health allows. Restarting as needed.