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As simple as it sounds, Lindsay Kee’s revamped exercise routine began with standing up to take the dog out.
She decided to do a few standing stretches before leaving, and did some squats or jumping jacks when she got back home. Over time she added to the routine, and now it’s been over a year that she consistently exercises around the dog walk.
“Adding it to something I was already doing, it just took so much pressure out of it,” said Kee, an executive coach in Portland, Oregon. “I’ve found it to be really effective in helping me be consistent with things that I really do want to do.”
What Kee was doing is called habit stacking, a term coined by author S.J. Scott in his 2014 book of the same name. It also goes by habit pairing or piggybacking. The premise is intuitive: Attach a behavior you want to start doing to something you already do automatically every day.
A classic example is flossing after brushing your teeth, though it can apply to many aspects of daily life. Kee, for instance, also places vitamins next to the coffee machine to help her remember to take them every morning.
Fitness experts say pairing habits is particularly helpful if you’re trying to increase your time spent exercising. Dana Santas is a mobility expert who has trained more than 50 professional sports teams. She said that while using an electric toothbrush, she does squats or lunges or works on her balance by standing on one leg.
“The cool thing about an electric toothbrush is that it has a timer for two minutes, and it should buzz every 30 seconds for you to change your quadrant,” said Santas, who also does 22 push-ups before every shower. “So you can switch your exercise at the buzz. It’s perfect.”
Though two minutes of exercise won’t get you in shape, every little bit helps, experts say. The Centers for Disease Control recommends 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (like brisk walking) per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week (like jogging), plus two days of strength training
Habit pairing is hardly a magic bullet, and most people find maintaining new habits difficult.
But Gretchen Rubin, author of “Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives,” said pairing is among the best ways to start and maintain new habits. That’s because it can remove the barrier of deciding when or if to do something.
“Decision fatigue is the enemy of habit formation,” said Rubin, who added that when she was in college, she allowed herself to shower only if she had exercised that day.
She recommended pairing the new behavior with something you have to do or deeply want to do. “So you have to do the shaky habit before you get to the strong habit,” she said. “If I want to listen to a podcast, I have to be on the treadmill.”
Or try a technique recommended by Lisa Jhung, author of “Running That Doesn’t Suck.”
“If you have an errand to run, why not run it?” she said. “Literally, run it.”
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Albert Stumm writes about food, travel and wellness. Find his work at https://www.albertstumm.com
