First, I want to emphasize that I am not a doctor and recommend before you make any changes in diet or exercise, always consult with your doctor. Now that I got out of the way, let's get to it. We have all been there…we get inspired, make a plan to start working out or eating better and we dive in head first and everything is great for about, ohhh two weeks, then it fizzles out. Sound familiar? How do those other folks stick to their plan or those diets…how do they look like that!!! What do they know that I don't!!! Well the answer lies in how we make things a habit.
Habits are routines that we develop and, once created, perform with little or no thought. We get up, brush our teeth, go to the kitchen start coffee and sit down to read or turn on the TV…without even thinking about it. Think about every habit…good or bad…that you currently have. If we take a close look, we would find that each habit has a cue or trigger, followed by a routine and then a reward. Habits often fail because we set a long term goal as the reward. Here is the problem, if it is a longterm goal, then its gonna be a loooong time until we get the reward. So how do we fix it? Before we get there, let's take a closer look.
First we have to recognize that once a habit is formed in our brain, it never goes away. It can be modified if we practice, but two things remain: the cue and the reward. The routine is the part we can change. Take drinking alcohol for example. Often folks begin drinking because they are around other people in a social setting. So the cue is being in a social setting or wanting to feel connected to others. Then they develop the routine of drinking when they get that cue and then experience the reward of feeling connected or relaxed. So over time, every time they are in a social setting or want to feel connected they are cued to drink. That is one part. The next part comes later. Over time, the reward of feeling connected or relaxed is achieved by the routine of drinking alcohol. So when a person desires the reward of feeling connected or relaxed, they automatically go to the routine of drinking.
The cues and rewards will always be there, but the routines can change. With practice and some self awareness, when a person is cued to drink in a social setting, they can drink a cup of coffee or tea or chew gum…or whatever ya can think of. Over time, the reward of feeling connected to others or relaxed is associated with a new routine. What eventually happens when a person seeks that same reward is they will find themselves craving to drink a cup of coffee or tea…or chew gum..and less likely drinking alcohol. We can actually create and control our habits!
That is a very simple explanation of how habits work. How do we apply that to exercise or nutrition? Easy:
First we have to recognize that once a habit is formed in our brain, it never goes away. It can be modified if we practice, but two things remain: the cue and the reward. The routine is the part we can change. Take drinking alcohol for example. Often folks begin drinking because they are around other people in a social setting. So the cue is being in a social setting or wanting to feel connected to others. Then they develop the routine of drinking when they get that cue and then experience the reward of feeling connected or relaxed. So over time, every time they are in a social setting or want to feel connected they are cued to drink. That is one part. The next part comes later. Over time, the reward of feeling connected or relaxed is achieved by the routine of drinking alcohol. So when a person desires the reward of feeling connected or relaxed, they automatically go to the routine of drinking.
The cues and rewards will always be there, but the routines can change. With practice and some self awareness, when a person is cued to drink in a social setting, they can drink a cup of coffee or tea or chew gum…or whatever ya can think of. Over time, the reward of feeling connected to others or relaxed is associated with a new routine. What eventually happens when a person seeks that same reward is they will find themselves craving to drink a cup of coffee or tea…or chew gum..and less likely drinking alcohol. We can actually create and control our habits!
That is a very simple explanation of how habits work. How do we apply that to exercise or nutrition? Easy:
- Pick a goal (lose ten pounds, build muscle, feel better, look better, bench more, run a 5k race…etc.)
- Make a plan
- Create a cue…here are a few
- the alarm goes off
- ya listen to music on your way to the gym
- you open the fridge
- ya meet up with friends
- ya drink a cup of coffee
- Create a routine with the cue
- the alarm goes off and ya go for a jog, or do push ups
- when the fridge is opened ya grab a veggie
- begin training with others
- begin a sport
- ya do a workout after drinking coffee
- go play at a park
- Create a short term reward with the routine (some will happen automatically)
- by going for a jog ya feel more energy, confidence and alert
- improved mood, behavior and memory
- having fun
- the veggie take the edge of hunger
- by training with others ya feel connected or happier
- get a smoothie or healthy snack after your workout
Before ya know it, in order to get the rewards, you will naturally seek the routines that provide the rewards. When that happens, the cues and rewards will be a permanent part of the brain. It will be a habit. The trick is to create some cues, give them some routines and give yourself a short term reward for completing the routine. That is the secret. Long term goals are great, but it takes a long time to get the reward. If we do not create some rewards with our cues and routines, the habit never forms and we are back to where we started.
Whether your goal is to build muscle, lose fat, improve energy or just be happier, know that it can be done and you can do it. It is just a matter of picking the goal, creating a plan, making a cue to each routine and a reward (many of which happen without us knowing) for each routine. Then you will have formed a habit and people will be asking how YOU do it!
These are some simple guidelines to help you make some new habits and get your New Year off to a healthy start! Remember, you have control of your habits!
Take care, and until next time, go get some sprints in and pick up something heavy.
Wanna learn more about this topic? Then I highly recommend two books: The Power of Habit and Brain Rules….listed below.
References:
Duhigg, Charles. The Power of Habit. The Random House Trade Paperbacks. 2012.
Journal of Clinical Investigation, NF-kB: a key role in inflammatory diseases, Published in Volume 107, Issue 1 (January 1, 2001), American Society for Clinical Investigation
Medina, John. Brain Rules. First Pear Press Publishing. 2009
Pubmed.com, 2006;8 Suppl 2:S3. Epub 2006 Jul 28.
Pubmed.com, 2006;8 Suppl 2:S3. Epub 2006 Jul 28.
