As simple as it sounds, Lindsay Kee鈥檚 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鈥檚 been over a year that she consistently exercises around the dog walk.
鈥淎dding it to something I was already doing, it just took so much pressure out of it,鈥� said Kee, an executive coach in Portland, Oregon. 鈥淚鈥檝e found it to be really effective in helping me be consistent with things that I really do want to do.鈥�
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鈥檙e 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.
鈥淭he 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,鈥� said Santas, who also does 22 push-ups before every shower. 鈥淪o you can switch your exercise at the buzz. It鈥檚 perfect.鈥�
Though two minutes of exercise won鈥檛 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 鈥淏etter Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives,鈥� said pairing is among the best ways to start and maintain new habits. That鈥檚 because it can remove the barrier of deciding when or if to do something.
鈥淒ecision fatigue is the enemy of habit formation,鈥� 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. 鈥淪o you have to do the shaky habit before you get to the strong habit,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f I want to listen to a podcast, I have to be on the treadmill.鈥�
Or try a technique recommended by Lisa Jhung, author of 鈥淩unning That Doesn鈥檛 Suck.鈥�
鈥淚f you have an errand to run, why not run it?鈥� she said. 鈥淟iterally, run it.鈥�
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EDITOR鈥橲 NOTE: Albert Stumm writes about food, travel and wellness. Find his work at
Albert Stumm, The Associated Press
