You had a plan for the perfect workout. Then you got stuck in traffic, or someone kept you late, or… life happened. So, you skipped it entirely.
Sound familiar? Behavioral scientist Michelle Segar at the University of Michigan has a name for it: the “perfect workout trap.” And according to a recent study she co-authored, it’s one of the most common reasons people fall short of their fitness goals — not lack of willpower, but an all-or-nothing mindset.
The good news, reported in The New York Times: flexibility beats discipline when it comes to building a lasting exercise habit.
“I encourage an ‘all or something’ mindset,” Segar says, “in which any amount, or intensity, of physical activity is a win.”
That’s especially worth hearing if you’re 50 or older. Rick Richey, a master trainer for the National Academy of Sports Medicine, puts it plainly: “If you can’t bend, then it’s easy to break.”
A few practical shifts can help.
- Have a backup plan. If you can’t make the gym, walk or do body weight moves at home.
- Be aware of various workouts of differing lengths and intensities.
- If you miss a day or even a week, don’t worry. Just get back to it.
“You don’t have to do the 150 minutes,” Richey says. “Just do something you didn’t do yesterday.”
As we often say, consistency over time moves the needle on long-term health.
Holly Kouvo is a personal trainer, functional aging specialist, senior fitness specialist, brain health trainer, writer, and speaker.