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How to make your exercise resolution stick

Many of us have “exercise more” as one of our New Year’s resolutions. By the end of January, however, most people aren’t walking, running, or zumba-ing any more frequently than in December. How can you avoid that fate and, instead, make your exercise resolution stick?

Many of us have "exercise more" as one of our New Year's resolutions. By the end of January, however, most people aren't walking, running, or zumba-ing any more frequently than in December. How can you avoid that fate and, instead, make your exercise resolution stick?

You need to make exercise a daily habit. To do that, identify how committed you are to exercising, and then figure out what's the most useful strategy to get yourself moving more by using the following stages (from the Stages of Change theory):

These are the stages we go through to get ourselves into a new habit. Where are you in your readiness to exercise more? Do you see yourself in one of these stages? Identifying where your thinking and behavior fall will let you then learn what you can do to have the best chance of boosting your activity and sticking with it!

Stage 1: Pre-contemplation

In this stage, you're not even thinking about making a change. (Though if you're reading this, you're probably further along the stages!).Maybe you say you're "not an exerciser" or you firmly believe you don't have time to add one more thing to a busy life.

What should you do at this stage?

Write down the disadvantages of not exercising. You don't need to make any commitment to do anything differently.

Stage 2: Contemplation

In contemplation, you're weighing the pros and cons of changing your behavior. You're considering exercising more, but have not yet started to do so.

What should you do at this stage?

Write down the pros and cons of exercising. What prevents you from being more active? What would be the biggest benefit to you? Try to focus on your own situation in particular.

Stage 3: Preparation

In this stage, you've made the decision to change your behavior, but have not yet started something. You're getting ready to start exercising more - thinking through what you'll do and when you'll get to the gym.

What should you do at this stage?

Write down what exercise you'd like to try. Give yourself some options. Where will you go to exercise? When will you exercise? Write out your plan of action, being as specific as possible.

Stage 4: Action

You've made the change. You're exercising more. Congratulations! This change is still new, so you're figuring out what works and what doesn't, and seeing how exercising more fits in your life.

What should you do at this stage?

First, give yourself a pat on the back! Then, write down what's working for you, as well as what problems you're running into. Figure out how to make exercising more work best for you. Remember that it takes over a month for a new habit to take hold, so give yourself time to figure out how to make more exercise part of your life.

Stage 5: Maintenance

You've changed your behavior – the challenge now is to stay with it. Let's say that by February or March you've been exercising regularly. How do you now stay motivated to continue?

What should you do at this stage?

Motivation is the key, here. Figure out what's the best motivation for you specifically. Is it weight loss? Is it being a good model for your kids? Is it getting outside with your friends and playing a game you used to love?

Reward yourself regularly. Also, pay attention to the times you don't exercise as regularly as usual, and see if there's a way to work around any problems.

Stage 6: Relapse

If you relapse, you stop doing what you wanted to keep doing, and return to your old behavior. Maybe you skip a week of running, and one week on the couch turns into 2 or 3.

What should you do at this stage?

First, don't see it as a failure, but rather as an opportunity to learn. You're human… be kind to yourself. Figure out what happened and identify ways to avoid it happening again. Next, figure out what stage you're now in and try again as soon as possible.

To get the most out of these stages, identify what stage you're in and what you'll do for your exercise plan. Write it down. Good luck with your resolution!

Dr. Sarah Whitman practices sports psychiatry in Philadelphia. She is a guest contributor on Sports Doc.

Read more Sports Doc for Sports Medicine and Fitness.