You aren’t alone if you decided to take the winter off from the gym. A 2021 study of 2000 men and women discovered that half of the participants go outside less in the winter, and two-thirds struggle to do any physical activity whatsoever. As a result, your muscles are stiff, the days are short and dark, and motivation is at an all-time low.
 
When the warm weather finally arrives, you may start to feel a natural drive to get up and move. Ideally, you should add about 150 minutes of exercise per week. The easiest way to get at least the bare minimum is to add in a little bit every day. This rules out time as an excuse, but it also helps you build regular movement and exercise habits.
 

Building healthy habits is the only path to lasting health and wellness. Your diet, exercise, and mindfulness habits are all created at an early age. However, most of the time, your habits are built unconsciously, and breaking them is usually more difficult than creating them in the first place.
 
Pleasure-based habits, which trigger the release of the chemical dopamine in the brain, are tough to break. Keep reading to learn how to make exercise and movement a daily habit this spring.

To make moving a part of your daily routine, start by looking at your schedule. The best time to move will vary based on your schedule, personal preferences, family dynamics, and energy levels.
 

It may help you build a workout habit if you redefine what a workout means to you. You do not have to go to the gym or on a run to get your daily exercise. Spring exercise is all about getting outside and enjoying the sunshine! Make movement fun for yourself by looking for some ways to exercise outdoors.
 
For example, gardening is considered moderate-intense exercise since you burn a whopping 300 calories an hour. You also enjoy whatever flowers or vegetables you plant throughout the spring, summer, and fall.
 
Other ideas for spring movement include joining an outdoor sports team, exploring local hiking trails, or improving your home. Even indoor activities like cleaning, cooking, and taking care of your kids burn calories. Any movement is better than none when it comes to your health!

Rewards are a crucial part of habit building. You know better than anyone what you would like as a reward. However, in the interest of building healthy habits, try to make your reward something wholesome. Examples might include passing time in nature, reading a book, spending time with friends, and exploring somewhere new.
 
Thankfully, exercise is also its own reward. Any time you initiate movement triggers the release of endorphins, dopamine, adrenaline, and endocannabinoid in the brain. A runner's high is an excellent example of this chemical release. Runners crave the high, which pushes them to run farther, faster, and longer. Once you build an exercise habit, you will find yourself craving exercise the same way you crave your favorite foods.

Reminders serve as a cue for the brain to remember to follow through on your goals. Studies suggest that 80-90% of people enjoy receiving a reminder that jogs their memory. A cue can serve to break old habits and establish new ones.
 
Maybe you put a post-it note on your work computer that says, "get up and move!" Every time you see it, you have to stand up, stretch, and do 15 push-ups or ten jumping jacks. Setting a timed reminder on your phone is another easy way to incorporate a reminder into your routine.
 
You can also use a fitness app. Most modern fitness apps have built-in reminders to help you build your spring exercise habit. You may have to experiment with a couple of different types of reminders to find the time, place, and strategy that works for you. Get creative!

A dramatic increase in exercise or movement isn't necessarily sustainable. You may think that the easiest approach is to commit to a six-day-a-week training regimen to start building up the exercise habit. But sore muscles and exhaustion will eventually take their toll, and your determination to move more will go out the window in the face of more pleasurable pursuits.
 
Small movement habits that you enjoy are more valuable than two weeks of intense exercise. Maybe you start by walking 10 minutes every day or doing 5 minutes of yoga before you go to bed. Sustainability and consistency are your friends when adding exercise into your daily routine.

Studies show that pleasure-based habits are the hardest to break. Instead of taking that statistic at face value and using it to justify bad habits, focus on how you can make it work for you. Since exercise triggers the release of feel-good chemicals, it can quickly become a pleasure-based habit that you don't want to give up.
 
So, make spring exercise enjoyable with these five tips and tricks. Find a time, reward, reminder, and type of exercise that makes you feel good, and stick to it! You never know where your spring movement habit could lead in time.
 
And show your body some compassion by taking care of any aches and pains you’re feeling as the weather warms up. Remember, you don’t have to deal with your pain alone – just apply your Kailo pain patch near the site of discomfort at any point in your day! A recent clinical study showed that a majority of patients stop medication when using Kailo for pain relief.

 
Disclaimer: Kailo should not be used if you have a pacemaker or if you are pregnant. Always consult your doctor or health care professional before using Kailo.