How to Make Exercise a Habit in Your 20's (and stick with it) (TB)

Since winter has hit us like a bus this week, and leaving the house to brave the cold now requires some serious mental preparation, I thought it was the perfect time to talk about building the habit of exercising (even when it feels absolutely arctic outside).

This week, we’re bringing back a solo session all about why it’s so important to establish an exercise routine in our 20s. With social media constantly telling us how we should be moving our bodies, it can get pretty overwhelming. 

So today, I’m breaking down how to make exercise a natural, enjoyable part of your routine in the simplest way possible. I’m also diving into the many benefits of exercise, including a few you might not expect.

If you want to become more consistent with movement and actually enjoy it (instead of forcing yourself through every workout), you won’t regret giving this one a listen.

Enjoy!

Chapters

• 0:46 Why Exercise Matters In Your Twenties
• 2:06 The 9-5 Motivation Struggle
• 7:03 Consistency, Discipline, And Morning Routines
• 8:15 The Science: Mood, Stress, And Sleep
• 10:56 Social, Confidence, And Cognitive Benefits
• 12:36 Habit Hacks To Actually Get Moving
• 20:50 Outro

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:17

Guys, welcome back to another episode of the 20 survival guide. This is your host, Emily Astley, and welcome to everyone who is a new listener. And if you're a loyal listener and you're coming back, we love to have you. In today's episode, we're going to talk about exercise. And we're going to talk about that because it's really important in your 20s to get into a good routine and a good habit with exercise. Because this is something that we are all going to be needing for the rest of our lives. And exercise is very much something that's based on habits and discipline. Exercise is something that we all need to do for our mental health. And this does not mean that you need to go and run the London Marathon. This does not mean that at all. And I have to say that the wellness and running space has completely taken over social media. And like everything about making sure that you get in your a thousand steps a day, I mean 10,000 steps a day, it's kind of exhausting and it's just it's getting tiring. And I mean I can't just speak for myself. That can't just be me. But we need to talk about how frustrating it is when everyone always looks so fit and everyone's always exercising. And it's like, do you really have the time? Like, where is your nine to five? How are you having the time for this? And it's just so exhausting. But I'm going to talk about today why making exercise a habit in your 20s is so important and why it's going to set you up for the rest of your life. Tips on how to get better at being consistent if you don't love exercise already. So without further ado, let's get into the episode. So firstly, I'm going to talk about why it's so hard to get into exercise, especially when you have a nine to five. So exercise is something that a lot of people say you need to be doing five days a week, even if that's just walking. And when you're busy and you've got work and you've got a nine to five, it's really hard to get up early in the morning, especially if you're working in the city or you're working far from where you live, to just make that effort to get up early and exercise before you even go to work. And if you're a morning person, that's just not really going to work for you. And then also when you come home and you've finished your nine to five, you've finished your job, you're exhausted. And the last thing you want to do is go and work out. And I completely get that because I am not an evening person when it comes to working out. So there's just so much lack of motivation. That's primarily why. And drinks and social stuff as well. Like a lot of people go out on Thursday nights for drinks, or just in general, like when you've got work, you also want to see friends. So it's more likely to make the friends a priority over exercise because you just want to live a social life as well. And that could be after work. And then if you're not a morning person, there's not really much time left to exercise. Another reason why it's so hard is because gym memberships are expensive. We are still quite young and it's really hard to find a decent gym that doesn't cost so much money, and it's just such a big commitment. And then my last reason, which is why I struggle so much, is especially when you're trying to go in the morning. If you're a morning gym person, the weather in London in the winter, if you're in London, is genuinely awful. So it's so much harder to get out of bed when it's raining, when it's windy, when it's dark, and it just doesn't motivate you at all. But there's a caveat. I'm gonna talk about why and how exercise has completely changed my life. And I'm seriously not gonna tell you that I'm some runner. I'm not running the London Marathon, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with doing that. That's amazing. It's just not for me. I wouldn't be able to have got as far as I am right now in my life, in my career, and I just I'm not saying that I'm like some CEO. Oh my god, I'm not. I'm just saying that I wouldn't really be able to have it somewhat together if I didn't have exercise. It's literally my safe space. And I'm gonna tell you why and how I got into it. So my story of exercise started around four to five years ago when I started lifting weights. And previously I was someone who was pretty much like obsessed with the scales. I was obsessed with counting calories. Like it's just so normal as a girl, I feel like, to be that kind of person. And that might not be everyone, but that was definitely something that I struggled with. And it went on for a long time, and I just used to go to the gym because I knew that I would be able to run on the treadmill for an hour or so and just look at the calories and be like, great, I've burnt off as much as I possibly could have eaten today, and that's just unhealthy and it's also not sustainable because if you're just running on the treadmill, it's not gonna make you want to go to the gym every day and you're not gonna stay consistent. So I actually found, and I'm not plugging this person right now, like I'm not sponsored. I wish I was. I found um a program called Evolve You, and the founder of Evolve You, which is a workout program, is called Chrissy Challa. And I don't know if you know her, but she is amazing. She also founded the activewear brand Owner Active, and I love all of her activewear. But I found her program and it was called um the strong program. There's many different programs within her app, and I started to just get sick of not really knowing what I was doing at the gym, like just sick and tired, and I downloaded it and I started just doing it because the thing about this program, which was great, is that it had all the exercises every single day that I needed to exercise there for me. So I for someone who really didn't know what they were doing at the gym, I didn't have to worry or feel embarrassed or feel scared because there was like a small video of how to do each exercise with each machine. So I was saved and I was like, okay, fine, I'll give this a try. Like, I don't really want to have big legs, I don't want to have like looking like I'm on steroids, I want to still look feminine, and that was the biggest misconception I had that women who lift weights tend to look like a man, and it's just not true because our bodies are never going to be able to do that unless you take steroids because they're just built differently. You you can't ever gain as much muscle and look like a man does when they go to the gym. So I started lifting weights, and honestly, I never stopped. The minute I started, I've literally not stopped lifting weights since the past five years, and I've stayed on the program and I'm still using it. And what I'm trying to say here is that lifting weights had changed my life for the better because it actually improved my mental health more than just the cardio because I felt stronger, I knew what I was doing in the gym, I wanted to get up and go because I had a plan already there for me. Like there was less of an excuse to be like, I don't want to get out of bed in the morning and do this. A lot of people say to me, and this is not this is not me teating my own horn, maybe a little bit, why and how are you always so consistent with the gym? Like you go five days a week, and even when it's early in the morning and you've got work, like how do you still manage to go? And honestly, the answer is just discipline. Like it's just been years of consistency and years of making it a habit to get up, even when I don't want to go. So now it's just built in, like the first thing I do in the morning, pretty much, is just grab my gym bag and go. And it just means that it's almost like a default. Like I don't even have to think about it, it just happens, even if I don't want to go, because I never regret a workout session, and especially in your 20s, I think it's really important because in general, exercise really does help clear your mind, clear your brain, and wake your brain up to be able to do whatever you're doing in your day just 10 times better. Now we're gonna talk about why the gym is not even the gym, now we're gonna talk about why exercising is so important and how it's so beneficial for you. And I'm gonna list them and stay with me, guys, because I'm gonna keep it simple. But number one is your brain chemistry, right? So I've obviously done my research here and I know what I'm talking about, but it really improves your brain chemistry. And when I say this, I mean your your hormones, so endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and cortisol. So it improves your endorphins because it releases them, which elevates your mood, right? We're always gonna be happier after a workout. The dopamine factor, it's the reward transmitter in your brain, so it's kind of rewarding you for doing something well, rewarding you for moving your body. It gives you dopamine, which is happiness, right? It releases serotonin, stabilizes your mood again, your brain feels clearer, and you just tend to be less anxious after workouts because again, it reduces your anxiety by releasing that serotonin. And then cortisol. Cortisol is the stress hormone and it helps reduce your cortisol levels by exercising. And by all means, this doesn't just mean going to the gym, this means any form of exercise that you're doing, and it doesn't have to be the gym if you don't really like that, it just reduces anxiety and burnout, and especially when we're in this stage of our lives and a very early stage of our careers, it's really easy to get burnt out because we're not used to doing this for years. So having that exercise, having that outlet is going to really reduce the chances of that. Number two, the second reason why exercise is so beneficial is distraction. Exercise shifts the focus away from anxious thoughts and whatever's going on in your brain, like the hundreds of to-do lists you're trying to make in your head and the work, the work problem or your relationship issue, or whatever you've got going on in your life. Exercise is a distraction and it's really hard to get through a workout without putting everything else out of your mind. Like you naturally do that when you're working out because you just do get distracted in a good way. The third one is social interaction. This can be a form of social interaction. Exercise could be something that you do with a group, it could be something that you do with a friend, you can go to an exercise class. You don't have to be someone that just exercises by themselves. And if you do prefer that, absolutely fine. But you can use exercise as a way to make friends, you can use exercise as a way to socialize by going to group classes, going with your friend, having an accountability buddy, and it just reduces these feelings of isolation, which is really important if you struggle to go outside. Number four, it gives you that sense of accomplishment. We all have so much we've got to do, like everyone has a very different to-do list, and sometimes it's exhausting when you finish your day and you've started so many projects, but you've not really finished anything, and it's just been a really difficult day, or a difficult week, or a difficult month. But when you're going to exercise or go to the gym, you always, always have at least one thing ticked off your list, your list. You've always accomplished at least one thing, and that sense of accomplishment can improve your self-esteem massively and provide that sense of purpose and just make you feel like you've done something with your day, even if you haven't done much or been very productive. The fifth one is obvious physical appearance. The more you exercise, the better your body's gonna look, the stronger it's gonna be, and the happier you are gonna be with your own appearance, which is such a massive plus for our self-esteem and confidence in general. So exercise, despite having so many amazing mental benefits for your mental health, it also makes you feel better looks-wise, which again we all want. So why would we not factor that in? Number six, memory and learning and activities like running, which is also important to do, mix-up cardio, mix-up weights. This activity, aerobic exercise, improves your memory retention and learning capabilities by strengthening neural connections. So it actually helps your memory and whatever you're learning that day, which is crazy because let's say you're doing a test or you've got an exam. Exercise actually helps improve your memory. That's amazing. Who knew? And then your sixth one, I think we're on the sixth now, is improved sleep quality. You are just gonna sleep better because you've kind of exhausted your body more in the day. And this is something I can a hundred percent vouch for. I struggle with sleep way too much, and if I don't really exercise very often or get outside, walk any, walk anywhere, and I just am completely stagnant all day sitting at my desk trying to figure out what the hell is going on on my laptop, I am not going to sleep very well, even if that makes me exhausted. Because moving my body is going to tie me out enough to have a really long and great sleep. So exercise improves your sleep quality because it helps improve your circadian rhythms, actually. I know, look at me, I'm so technical. I've done my research here, guys, and it just makes it easier for you to fall asleep and stay asleep. So if you're someone who really struggles with sleep already, like me, exercise is a no-brainer, and I'm sure your doctor's told you if you've gone to the doctors for it, that exercise is just the first thing you should try. Like tire your body out, but in a good way. And then the last point, the last benefit that I have on here, and I'm sure there are so many more, is that exercise builds mental toughness. So it builds resilience because it's that one constant that you might have in your life, which is like, I'm gonna go and I'm gonna get up and I'm gonna exercise, and I'm going to form a habit of me doing that. And regular physical activity unintentionally teaches perseverance and discipline, which then translates into better stress management. So, what I mean by that is the more you exercise, you're building your mental toughness, your mental resilience. And that will then allow you to handle stressful situations better. So you're not gonna be going and getting extremely freaked out when you've got a stressful situation or in a time of crisis because you're more able to regulate your stress and regulate your moods when you exercise more. That mental toughness is not just building physical muscle, it's building mental muscle. So it really is more important than we even realized for every aspect of our body. And I feel like a lot of those examples that I've given, those benefits, are pretty obvious. And I'm sure you're like, Emily, I know all of them, so why are you repeating them? Everyone knows why exercise is good for you. But I think that there were definitely some in there that I didn't quite register when I had done my research about how important exercise is for your overall well-being, and there might be a couple ones in there that you didn't quite realize. So hopefully you've learned something from that. But it's just really easy for me to say that exercise is gonna benefit you and it's so important to do, but that doesn't really help you actually go and do exercise, especially if you're someone who just doesn't really enjoy it. So I'm gonna help you by talking through some easy ways that you can make exercise getting into a habit of exercise if you just don't enjoy it. Again, everyone's different and everyone's situations are different, so this might not apply to you, but these are my simple tips. So, one thing I find that really helps me when I'm exercising, and I don't just go to the gym like I I show jump I compete, I ride, so that's another hobby of mine, and that's exercise. You might play hockey, you might, you might play rugby, like you might play a sport that is your version of the gym, and that's also fine. So I'm gonna talk about the gym in this circumstance, in this situation. And one thing that helps me get up and want to go in the one thing that helps me get up in the morning and go to the gym is laying out my exercise clothes the night before. It really stops me from like finding a reason to not want to go to the gym. Like they're there, they're ready for me to put on. It's one less decision for me to make in the morning, and I think it's probably something that you know, but it's really important to minimize the decisions that you have in the morning to make so that you have more brain energy for the rest of the day. And even something as small as choosing what to wear in the morning is taking up energy in your brain and is going to make you more tired, and we want to preserve that energy for things that we actually need in the rest of the day, like your job or you know, other important things that you've got to do. So honestly, if you're struggling to get up and go to the gym in the morning, lay out your clothes the night before, make that decision what you're gonna wear, and get your gym bag out and put them on the floor or somewhere near you. So you wake up in the morning and you're like, all I've got to do is put them on. I've made my life easier. Another way to help you find exercise slightly easier is by planning exercise classes. So if you're not someone who wants to buy a course or a or an exercise plan, or you just don't really find going to the gym very interesting or fun, and you much prefer to do exercise with others, then plan exercise classes. Like planning exercise classes means that you're paying for something and you have to go. So you can't just cancel it last minute. It's kind of like forcing you to go, and you can go with a friend. So you have the motivation because you don't want to miss the class because that's money down the drain, and you have the element of fun because you're gonna enjoy the class with your friend and you're both each other's accountability buddies. So even if they're expensive, and I understand that it's not always easy to just book an exercise class, maybe book once a week an exercise class if you're struggling to go to the gym, so that you know that you've got that at least one day that you're going to exercise and you're not going to quit that, you're not going to cancel it. Third way to help you, and this is something that I actually read in the book Atomic Habits, which is really big now, it's really famous, and it just really stuck with me. The way that you tell yourself things is really important because it's going to trick your mind into going. I'll get into what I mean. What I mean is that if you're telling yourself, just start by telling yourself that you're only going to go to the gym for half an hour, half an hour for five days a week, or however many days you go. And obviously you're thinking, well, if I'm already there, why am I not just going to stay for an hour? But it's so much easier for you to want to go if you know that you only have to stay for half an hour. Like you've told yourself, okay, I can leave after half an hour. I just have to go for half an hour, and that's really not a big deal. Like that's really achievable. If you start telling yourself that, then it's not that long for you to commit to. And in two weeks, you'll probably be like, okay, I've actually gone to the gym for half an hour every five days. And now I realize it's not that difficult. So now I'm gonna go to the gym for 45 minutes, and then soon enough you'll be like, Well, I'm already here, I might as well stay for an hour, and it just gets easier. So it's kind of the brain psychology of you telling yourself, okay, I'm only gonna go for this long. I'm not going to fail myself because I'm only setting a small and achievable target. By breaking it down into something small and achievable, you are only going for half an hour and it's so much easier. And you might be thinking, but how much can you actually get out of that half an hour? Like, what's the point in going for half an hour if you only get to do like a couple exercises, a couple sets? Yeah, I I get that, I get that. But the point is, is that you're not just doing the exercise, you're actually creating and forming a habit which is going to stay with you for the long term and the rest of your life. So this half an hour isn't just focusing on like, okay, how much have I swept in this session? How many sets have I done? How many reps have I done? This is you saying, okay, without realizing me going is actually just getting into the habit of going to the gym and walking through those doors. That's something that's already hard enough to do. And by going for just half an hour, you're already achieving that, and it's gonna get easier from then. I promise you it will. My last reason is just having a structured plan. It's so hard to go to the gym when you don't know what you're doing. It doesn't make you want to go to the gym and you don't really know what you're gonna do when you get there. That's why I have my plan and it has all my exercises there for me, so I know what I'm doing every day. It's so important to be aware that okay, I need a plan when I'm going to the gym. I'm not just gonna go to the gym and fiddle about with a couple machines and not really know what I'm doing because why would you want to go? I so get that. It's not very appealing at all. So really try and focus on having a structured plan and you can find so many free plans online, you can find YouTube videos if you don't want to go to the gym, but like if you're gonna do that, that's great. Just maybe plan the week ahead. Okay, I'm gonna do this abs and core YouTube video on Monday, and this weights YouTube video on Thursday. Do you know what I mean? It just makes it easier, and you know already the day before what you're doing the next day. And my last point is this is really gonna actually help you for the rest of your life by making this a habit because it's so good for your overall lifestyle. It could literally just be yoga, it could be any sort of exercise that you enjoy doing, netball, it doesn't have to be the gym, it doesn't have to be scary. And again, by starting early in your 20s, by us getting into a good habit of exercise now, it's gonna improve and improve just every other aspect of our lives, but it's also gonna build that habit which we need to make it easier to stay fit for the rest of our lives, and that's so important because once you build that when you're young, it just doesn't really go away. And I have to tell you from experience that exercise is so important and it's changed my life. So if you're thinking on this Wednesday, I really have fallen off from exercising or going to the gym and I'm just feeling really slumpy and I just I'm going through a rough patch. That's so fine. I completely get that, and I'm here for you. But what I have to say is maybe think about moving your body today, you know, even if it that is just setting an achievable goal that's a a half an hour walk after work or before work, or just walking to work instead of taking the tube or the bus. And it's gonna help you so much more, you're never gonna regret doing that. So I just have kind of created this episode today as a little reminder to keep active. And if you are demotivated and you just aren't really feeling like exercise is a part of your routine at the moment, I've just kind of come in here to say this is why you should. It's a just a it's a gentle reminder to to let you know that it's gonna help you so much and you're really going to be doing yourself a favor. You honestly don't have to be a gym rat. You absolutely don't, and that is not for everyone. But you just need to know that it's gonna benefit your overall health in the long run and it can be fun, it doesn't have to be boring. Go and benefit future you because you'll thank yourself. So I hope you enjoyed today's episode. Please don't forget to like and subscribe on whatever channel you're listening to this on Apple, YouTube, Spotify. There's so many more which I'm not gonna bore you with naming, but it really helps the podcast and helps this little community grow. So please just go and subscribe. And I hope you guys have the best rest of your week. Love you all. Bye.