It's spring! So, how do I get ready to go outside?
Some tips - from science! - about how to get healthier, get in shape, and stop procrastinating.
What’s the best way to start exercising? In one massive study of 60,000 gym-goers, researchers found that giving people ‘micro-rewards’ made it much easier for them to stick with exercise routines. (So, get a smoothie after working out.) One of the most effective rewards involves ‘temptation bundling’: If you love The Hunger Games audiobook, only allow yourself to listen when you’re on the treadmill. (A UPenn researcher started hitting the gym five times a week to learn if Katniss would make it.) Or plan on meeting a friend at the gym. And, finally, start small: Exercising for just 10 minutes, over three days consecutive days, makes it significantly more likely you’ll exercise more the following week. So, set an achievable goal, achieve it, and then give yourself a small reward to start the habit loop spinning.
What’s the best way to get trimmer? Walking can have a surprisingly big impact on weight loss. One study found that walking to work often sparks a chain reaction of other, healthier behaviors. (It only takes about 40 minutes of strolling to see side effects.) Also, getting enough sleep is critical: when we’re tired, our metabolism slows and the hormones that regulate hunger and fullness get out of whack. And ultimately, healthy eating is about portion size and timing: If you ‘eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper’, you’ll consume fewer calories overall. (And methods like intermittent fasting, and GLP-1s like Ozempic, are worth exploring.)
How do I stop procrastinating? Often, we don’t procrastinate because we dread doing a task. We procrastinate because we dread starting it. So focus on a small first step (I’ll just put on gym clothes), and each subsequent step will feel easier (I guess, if I’m already dressed for it, I might as well use the treadmill). Also, we’re more likely to procrastinate when we’re stressed. So before starting a task, engage in 15 minutes of self-calming - like reading a book, or walking outside, or organizing your desk. (A surprising number of writers say the first step of good writing is cleaning the house.) And if you’re looking for something to procrastinate with, let me recommend this New Yorker article on procrastination (which, incidentally, has a relaxing reading time of 15 minutes).
What are your big goals for the spring? Let me know in the comments - and your tips for making them become real.
I recently started thinking about, and sometimes doing, the big middle of the day meal and meager dinner. So much smarter for someone like me who works all day (I'm retired and I seem to do more now than before), and by the time I eat dinner I want to sit and veg. Not good for digestion! So it occurred to me that, while a life-long habit of big meal at night, I could flip dinner to midday. I could eat that meal at 2 or 3 p.m., and spend the afternoon moving around. By the time dinner comes around, I'm ready for a nosh, not a meal. It's better for me, my digestion and even creatively. I mostly have time in midday to cook, sometimes time runs out at night and I end up "cooking" from the freezer.
As time goes on, I imagine that although I will not always have a big meal at midday, but I can still develop a habit of eating a lighter meal in the evening. Believe it or not, retirement is a great time to shed old habits and begin new ones.
This was the perfect nudge I needed heading into spring—thank you, Charles.
“Start small” and “reward yourself” hit home. I’ve been procrastinating on my return to running, and just committing to ten minutes feels doable, not overwhelming. I’m going to pair it with a favorite podcast—that little dopamine hook makes a difference.
Also really appreciated the reminder that we procrastinate starting, not doing. That reframe alone just cleared some mental fog. I’ve already laid out my gym clothes for tomorrow and set a 10-minute timer on my to-do app.
As for goals: mine this spring is simple—get my body moving daily, without making it a moral battle. More joy, less judgment.
Grateful for the science and the gentle tone you bring to this work.