Staying on track: Why a strong exercise habit matters (especially when life gets in the way)
We all know exercise is good for us. The NHS recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week, and organisations like the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasise the importance of regular physical activity for longevity and mental wellbeing. That’s all very well, but how do you keep going when life throws you curveballs? What happens when motivation dips, your schedule gets hectic, or your body doesn’t feel like cooperating?
The answer lies not in willpower alone, but in building a sustainable exercise habit. By that I mean one that is flexible, rooted in self-compassion, and built to withstand life’s inevitable disruptions. Research shows that habits are formed when behaviours are repeated in a consistent context until they become automatic (Lally et al., 2010). The more frequently and consistently we perform a behaviour in the same context, say, walking every morning after breakfast, the more likely it is to become automatic.
But habit strength also helps us stay the course during tough times. A study by Kaushal and Rhodes (2015) found that people with stronger exercise habits were more likely to maintain their routines during periods of low motivation or disruption. In other words, a good exercise habit doesn’t just get you started, it keeps you going.
Why exercise habits matter (even more in midlife)
I say this a lot, but it’s true. Regular movement is one of the most powerful tools for midlife health. For women navigating menopause, the benefits of physical activity are especially significant:
Brain health: Research consistently shows that physical activity supports executive function (your brain's ability to plan, focus, and manage tasks). A 2022 systematic review in Nature Reviews Neuroscience highlights that aerobic exercise improves memory, attention, and cognitive flexibility (Stillman et al., 2022).
Mood and mental wellbeing: Exercise acts as a natural antidepressant. A 2023 review in The Lancet Psychiatry concluded that physical activity is linked to lower rates of depression and anxiety across age groups (Pearson et al., 2023).
Sleep: Moderate exercise improves sleep onset and quality, even in peri- and postmenopausal women, according to a 2021 meta-analysis in Menopause (Wu et al., 2021)
Bone and heart health: Weight-bearing and resistance exercise helps maintain bone density, while aerobic activity supports cardiovascular health (Zhao et al., 2025; Yeh et al., 2017)
But despite all these documented benefits, many of us give up on our routines when life gets complicated. So what can you do? The key is learning how to adapt, not abandon what you’re doing.
When things don’t go to plan: Three real-life stories
Let’s look at how three women, Diana, Annabel, and Sarah, maintained their exercise habits through disruption and came out stronger for it.
Diana: Bouncing back from surgery
Diana, almost 60, had been a regular at her local strength and conditioning class. She motivated all of us! But after needing shoulder surgery, her routine was thrown off. Many people in her situation might have paused indefinitely, or given up entirely.
Instead, Diana took an agentic mindset: she researched appropriate rehab exercises and consulted her physio about what she could do while healing. She returned to class, modifying every move to suit her healing body and building up the weights slowly. Six months later, she’s nearly back to full strength.
Diana didn’t wait until she was 100% recovered. She kept showing up and in doing so, she maintained her momentum. What made the difference? Diana had a resilient habit and a mindset that prioritised progress over perfection. She didn’t see her surgery as a reason to stop moving. She saw it as a reason to keep turning up to class, differently, but consistently. Her story mirrors what research shows: people who develop an exercise identity (“I’m someone who exercises”) are more likely to return to activity after injury or disruption (Anderson & Cychosz, 1994).
Annabel: Life gets in the way (and that’s okay)
Annabel’s story shows another truth about lasting habits: life will get in the way. When I bumped into her in the local supermarket during one of her regular class times she said, “I would like to be at my class but it’s just not possible today”. She wasn’t missing the class without a reason, she was shopping for her family, something that had come up unexpectedly.
Annabel has a strong exercise habit, and she usually prioritises her workouts. But she also knows that being rigid isn’t realistic. Life happens. The difference is that she doesn’t use one missed class as a reason to throw in the towel. She adjusts, then gets back to it.
This mindset, flexible persistence, is key. Research shows that when people adopt an all-or-nothing “streak” mentality (“I can’t ever miss a session!”) they’re more likely to give up entirely after a single missed session (Segar et al., 2016). But those who adopt a more compassionate and flexible approach: “OK I missed one session, but I’ll be back next time” are far more likely to sustain long-term behaviour change.
Sarah: Showing up after overindulging
Sarah had friends over for dinner at the weekend and ended up having a glass or two more wine than usual. The next morning, she woke feeling sluggish (OK, hungover) and tempted to skip her workout.
But she remembered something she’d read: the lymphatic system, which clears waste and toxins from the body, needs movement to function effectively.
So she showed up to class. Maybe she was not quite her usual energetic self, but she did her best. By the end of the session, she felt significantly better: mentally clearer, physically more awake, and proud she hadn’t bailed out.
Sarah’s story is a great reminder that even when you don’t feel 100%, some gentle movement can be exactly what you need. The workout doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to happen.
The psychology behind habit resilience
Each of these women demonstrated what researchers call habit resilience, the ability to return to a healthy routine after disruption. According to Wood & Neal (2016), habits are formed by repeated behaviours in stable contexts. That’s the part most of us know already. But resilient habits are:
Flexible: They bend without breaking.
Intrinsic: They are motivated by internal values (e.g., health, self-respect) rather than external rewards.
Compassionate: They are built with an allowance for imperfection (life!).
Instead of an all-or-nothing mentality, resilient habits follow the 80/20 rule. If you’re active most of the time, one missed session or a disrupted week isn’t failure, it’s just life.
Top tips for building (and keeping) an exercise habit
Anchor your workouts to regular cues such as a specific time, a certain playlist, or your coffee routine.
Make it social. Join a group, get a buddy, or simply tell someone your plan. This one was key for me.
Plan for disruptions. Expect sick days, busy weeks, or low motivation and make a “Plan B” for lighter sessions.
Track your wins, not just workouts. How do you feel after? Stronger? Calmer? Did you sleep better?
Reframe lapses as natural, not moral failings. Ask yourself: “What got in the way?” Then start again.
Final thoughts: Thriving, not just coping
Exercise isn’t about punishment, perfection, or performance. It’s about participation in your own wellbeing.
When you build a strong habit like Diana, Annabel, and Sarah it becomes easier to navigate setbacks. You move because it helps you feel like yourself, not because you “should.”
So when things go awry (and they will), ask yourself: What would the habit version of me do today? Then take that next small step.
Your health isn’t built in heroic sprints, repeated baby steps are just fine.
And the good news? You can start again anytime. Even today. What are you waiting for?
