How to get back into training after a break
We humans are creatures of habit. But: which habits harm us and which are beneficial? That is what we have to find out. But let us first deal with the positive habits.
Habits take a while to establish. A study by a team of health psychologists from University College London found that it takes more than two 66 days (about 2 months) to establish a new habit.
So when we break out of our training rhythm, it can sometimes take a long time to re-establish it. Fortunately, there are four strategies for developing habits to get back into the workout routine. Try these strategies and surprise the people around you with a great body change.
1. focus on one target
Compiling a training plan should not be overly complicated. Forming habits is not an "all or nothing" process. You don't necessarily have to attend five group classes a week, go running every day with a friend at 6 a.m. or cook all the meals yourself. It is impossible to establish too many habits at once. Your brain will be completely scattered and your will power will be exhausted. Lower your expectations and make only a small change, such as exercising for 30 minutes every day, and follow this change through. Soon the change will become routine.
2. create a habit loop
To break a bad habit and return to a healthy routine, one must first understand what triggers this bad habit. There are three basic habit components, the so-called "habit loops":
- Routine: This is the behavior we repeat every day - it can be psychological, physical or emotional.
- Reward: This is the satisfying result we get from our routine. Duhigg wondered what his reward from eating the cookie would be. The sugar in his blood? The social aspect? The change of scenery?
- Trigger: What made you eat the cookie? Boredom? Hunger?
Was your reason for going to the bakery the need for a change from your daily work routine, and not the cookie itself? Instead of going to the bakery, you now meet up with colleagues for a chat as soon as your trigger (boredom) occurs. You have lost weight as a result.
Find out which negative routines have become habits with you and replace them with positive ones.
4. find the right motivation
What is right for one person does not necessarily apply to you. If the flood of happiness hormones is not enough for you to get back into your healthy routine, try using technology.
Fitness apps let you track your triumphs and give you instant rewards that you may not see in the mirror right away. The motivating function of the digital PAKAMA Coach is designed to keep your routine going. It sends you regular reminders to go into training so that you can't break this routine.
The data-driven features of workout apps are great, and some of these technical wonders have another behavioral trick up their sleeve: social competitiveness. When you share a workout, your friends can see it and rate it as "I like it," which is very important for support. So there are even more rewards.
