If you’ve ever decided you’re going to exercise more, launched yourself into it on Monday and watched your enthusiasm disappear by Wednesday, I’ve got some fabulous news.
You might not need more willpower. You might just need a better playlist.
One of my golden rules when it comes to building habits that actually last is incredibly simple: Find something you genuinely enjoy, and you’re far more likely to keep doing it.
When it comes to movement, music can be a brilliant way of turning something you think you should do into something you actually want to do.
Can music really help you exercise more?
There’s some fascinating research suggesting it can. A review of randomised controlled trials looked at the effects of music during physical activity, particularly among older adults with heart or lung conditions.
People walking while listening to music tended to perform better in walking-capacity tests, with improvements in some studies equivalent to around 100 metres.
Now, I’m not suggesting your favourite Abba song is suddenly going to turn you into an Olympic athlete, but it illustrates something I find far more interesting. Changing how movement feels can change our experience of doing it, and when you’re trying to create a lasting habit, enjoyment really matters.
Why can music make exercise feel easier?
Think about what happens when one of your favourite songs comes on. Your mood lifts, your energy changes, and Sometimes you find yourself moving before you’ve even consciously decided to.
Music has a powerful relationship with emotion and can make movement feel less like a chore and more like something enjoyable.
Put your headphones on for a walk and a plod around the block can suddenly become 20 minutes of proper me time. Put music on while you’re cooking and you might find yourself dancing around the kitchen.
That’s exactly the kind of shift I love. Instead of thinking, “Oh no, I’ve got to exercise…” you’re thinking “I’m going to put my music on and get outside for a bit.”
Same walk. Completely different feeling.
How do I motivate myself to exercise when I don’t enjoy it?
Stop starting with the exercise you think you should be doing and start with movement you actually enjoy.
I’ve seen people become so caught up in what “proper exercise” is supposed to look like that they forget the most important thing of all – All movement counts.
A ten-minute walk counts, a gentle stretch counts, gardening counts, walking to the shops counts, and a little boogie while the kettle boils absolutely counts!
You don’t need a gym membership, an hour you haven’t got or a punishing workout you secretly hate. You just need to find ways of moving that fit into your life and feel good enough that you’ll want to repeat them.
How can I make movement into a habit?
Make it easy, enjoyable, and repeatable.
This is where music can become a useful cue. Choose a playlist you love and make it your walking playlist. Put on one particular song when you want to get yourself moving. Dance while you’re making dinner.
You’re beginning to create an association between music and movement, and rather than relying on yourself to summon up huge amounts of motivation every day, you’re creating an environment that makes the behaviour easier to start.
That’s the real goal, because sustainable change isn’t about forcing yourself to do things you hate forever, It’s about finding behaviours you can repeat often enough for them to start becoming part of your normal life.
Can Slimpod help me want to move more?
Yes! Movement is part of the behavioural change Slimpod is designed to support.
Slimpod is a clinically proven, neuroscience-based behavioural programme using just nine minutes of listening a day and subconscious priming to help you instinctively want to choose healthier food, eat less of it and enjoy moving more.
No punishing exercise regime, no obsession with being perfect, and no constant battle with willpower..
Here’s my little challenge for today. Pick one song that makes it almost impossible to sit still, put it on, and move.
Don’t do it because you should, do it because it feels good.
