It can be challenging to build an exercise habit. But it doesn’t have to be.
I was listening to a song the other day when the word “cadence” came through and stuck out to me. As I’m getting ready to begin training for the half ironman this fall, cadence is a word that comes to mind from my experience with cycling.
Cadence is the number of revolutions per minute (RPM) completed at any given speed. In cycling, it’s more energy-efficient to pedal faster with a bit less resistance, versus the opposite. This switches the stress of pedaling from the leg muscles to the heart and lungs.
So I got to thinking .. How does cadence play out in other areas of life? The cadence or rhythm in which we do anything can be the difference between sustaining effort over a longer period of time or burning out our energy rather quickly. If your goal is to build an exercise habit that lasts, you’re in the right place.
Is Your Goal Sustainable Health, Fitness, and Wellness?
We can use this understanding of cadence to our advantage in our goal setting and how we go about accomplishing those goals. There’s a lot to be said for a big, exciting goal, and equally enough to be said about breaking it down into reasonably chewable-sized pieces. “How do you eat an elephant,” right? (The saying goes, “one bite at a time.”)
Exercise Habit 1: The Busy Professional: 20 Minutes a Day Over Perfection
Meet Sarah, a full-time nurse and mom of two. Instead of trying to squeeze in long workouts a few times a week, she started committing to 20 minutes of movement each morning before her shift—sometimes strength, sometimes stretching, sometimes a walk.
Why it works: Her cadence is realistic for her life. Even on tough days, she knows she can fit in 20 minutes. Over time, her energy and strength increased—not because she went hard, but because she showed up consistently.
Exercise Habit 2: The Weekend Warrior Who Burned Out
Jason used to push himself hard twice a week, doing intense group workouts on Saturdays and Sundays. But by Monday, he was so sore or exhausted he skipped all movement during the week. His progress stalled, and eventually, so did his motivation.
What changed: When he shifted to shorter, gentler sessions five days a week—walking, mobility, and moderate strength—his body responded better. He stopped crashing and actually began to enjoy his routine again.
Exercise Habit 3: The All-or-Nothing Thinker Who Found Her Rhythm
Lisa believed that if she couldn’t do a full 45-minute workout, it wasn’t worth it. So when life got busy, she did nothing at all. After reframing her mindset, she started using “movement snacks”—10 minutes here, 15 there.
The result: She built a sustainable habit by stacking movement into her day: stretching between meetings, bodyweight moves before bed, walks after meals. Cadence became less about schedule and more about rhythm. Now, movement is simply part of her day.
The beauty is that it can look different for each individual. This is why we do what we do as holistic personal trainers – to help you build your unique exercise habit and navigate how and when to change it when you need to, or just want to.
If you’ve found it challenging to find a good cadence between your self-care (exercise/movement, nutrition, rest/recovery, stress management, sleep) and the rest of your life, I encourage you to apply for an Exploratory Session if you’re not currently working with us. Let’s have a conversation about how we can help change that and help you get into routines and rhythms that work well for you!
