Humans are capable and comfortable with change. We develop and change throughout our lives, not just physically, but also psychologically, emotionally, socially, academically, and spiritually. At first look, the concept of modifying a habit may appear simple because humans are adaptive and change regularly, even when we are not aware of it.

When we take a closer look, however, modifying health behaviors becomes a complex and progressive experience driven by a variety of circumstances. Behavior modification is intrinsically difficult since lives vary over time for a variety of reasons, and people behave the way they do because their habits “work” for them and fit their lifestyles. It’s difficult to change a behavior or a collection of behaviors without some effort because our behaviors are influenced by friends, family, work, stress, sleep, environment, life experiences, general health, and a variety of other factors.

What Behavior Change Isn’t 

Behavior change is a goal-oriented process, not a single event. As a result, changes in health behavior are rarely achieved or sustained without effort. Meaningful and sustainable behavior change happens in stages or phases. The duration of this process varies from person to person; there is no fixed or research-based “due date” for change. Additionally, behavior change is nonlinear. This suggests that an individual’s transition between stages is normal, typical, and even expected. And, while mistakes are inevitable, they should not be used as an excuse to give up and abandon the ultimate aim, or to adopt a “I’ve failed” attitude.

Behavior Change and Its Relationship to Physical Activity and Movement

Getting started and staying on track, like behavior change, is a goal-oriented process. How a person achieves physical-activity goals is determined by his or her everyday activities and decisions. These decisions will either benefit or detract from the journey.

Consider someone who wants to be physically active for 30 minutes every day. This objective can be accomplished through specific behaviors and decisions. Getting enough quality sleep, staying hydrated, eating nutrient-dense foods, and scheduling time for exercise are all examples of supportive behaviors and choices. In contrast, if this individual decides to get little sleep and eat unhealthy meals (chips, cookies, fried foods, etc.), they are unlikely to feel invigorated and motivated to be active. These choices will distract from the main purpose. As a result, this person is likely to feel frustrated and disappointed. Changing behaviors and making the healthy option the easy choice are critical to becoming (and remaining) active.

Steps You Can Take to Create Positive Change

Remember that making behavioral adjustments and being more physically active are goal-oriented procedures.

First, set a long-term or product objective (what you want to achieve in six to twelve months) and two or three short-term or process goals (what you can do right now to get closer to the long-term goal). Short-term process goals should be tied to your behavior and the decisions you will make. Making the desired choice or engaging in the desired activity achieves the goal, whereas goal attainment is predicated on an outcome (e.g., weight loss). Consider this example:

Long-term product goal: I plan to run my first 5K race in six months.

The following are some examples of short-term process goals that help achieve the long-term goal:

Starting next week, I’ll run 20 minutes on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, increasing my time by 10% each week.

I’ll eat three servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

Beginning in week 3, I will practice resistance training on Mondays and Wednesdays, with a concentration on total-body movements.

Your long-term and short-term goals may change from this example, but the main takeaway is to develop SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) that focus on altering behaviors rather than a product or outcome. If you want to lose weight, which many people do, changing your habits and making healthier choices will naturally result in better health metrics like weight and body composition.

Second, keep a log of your success and behavioral decisions. While this may appear difficult, journaling is an effective technique to self-monitor since it provides a constant opportunity to reflect on and address such points as:

If the weekly target was accomplished.

Barriers that you confronted

How did you overcome those barriers?

What actions or decisions did you make that supported (or detracted from) your weekly goal?

Steps you’ll take next week to continue supporting your efforts

Third, prepare for high-risk scenarios. High-risk scenarios are those in which you are tempted to make decisions that may be counterproductive to your goals. Make a plan for keeping on track during these periods, and identify techniques to help yourself.

Fourth, find people in your network who can offer social support, incentive, and structure to your transformation process. Enlist the help of a spouse, friend, neighbor, colleague, or other supportive individuals with whom you may discuss your transformation journey and physical activity goals. This keeps you accountable and gives you a sounding board with which to share your accomplishments and failures.

Finally, keep note of your food consumption (not necessarily calorie for calorie, but by item/quality of food), hydration, stress level, and sleep quality. Without tracking, we cannot discover patterns of behavior that may be altered by external stressors or causes. When we do not hold ourselves accountable, we make fewer conscious decisions. Investigate several apps that may assist you in this process.

To become more physically active on a regular basis, you must make healthy choices to support your efforts. choosing healthy, conscious decisions requires engaging in habits that promote choosing the most rational and supporting option. For many, this entails making significant changes to form new habits. The process is difficult, but changing one’s behavior is the key to living a healthy and active lifestyle.