Read time: 3 minutes

I’ve got no doubt exercise is one of the most impactful things you can do for your health.

So what prevents more people from doing it?

With resistance training in particular, a major factor is the entrenched idea it’s complicated.

The truth is, it can be.

But that doesn’t mean it has to be.

In fact, resistance training can be very simple.

And it works.

But is that enough to get people to actually do it?

What if I set you a challenge?

Let’s say I asked you to do:

• Bodyweight chair squats (sit-to-stands)
• For 3 sets of 5 or 10 reps
• On 3 days per week
• For the next 8 weeks

Would you be up for it?

Well, what if I showed you just how effective this can be?

Here’s the impact this simple program had in older adults after just 8 weeks:

I’m sure you’ll agree these are some impressive results with such a simple program.

And if you’re like me, this might make you wonder:

Why aren’t more people doing this?

Why isn’t plain and simple resistance training the norm?

Resistance training is our most potent tool for tackling strength loss with ageing.

There’s no doubt about it.

But the reality is, many barriers prevent older adults in particular doing resistance training - especially those with multiple long-term conditions or frailty.

​Research tells us many older adults:

• Know little about resistance training and its benefits
• See resistance training as something they can’t do
• Would be willing to try resistance training with support

This is why simplifying exercise (and resistance training in particular) is key.

It’s only part of the equation though. Education and support are also critical.

You see, it’s easy to look at a research study and marvel at how little exercise is needed for benefits.

But there’s a very important piece of the puzzle that’s often taken care of in research studies - but not so much in the “real world”.

It’s that simple, but also that hard

Sure, it’s possible to make exercise easy.

That’s fine, but it’s simply not enough.

Why?

Because we need to be able to stick to regular exercise for long enough to see many of the benefits.

Jackson Fyfe, PhD @jacksonfyfe “Designing minimal-dose programs that address barriers of time, complexity, and access to equipment is often not enough to change behaviour.” Despite the many benefits, engagement in resistance training remains low. Great article from @mackinprof, @JasminKMa and @EricRawsonPhD… https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1716392360047997308 8:53 PM • Oct 23, 2023 14 Retweets 50 Likes Read 1 replies

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In research studies, the critical “adherence” part is often taken care of.

Many protective factors keep participants engaged during an exercise research study:

• Supervision
• Accountability
• Social support and “banter”

Now in the “real world”, these things aren’t a given.

Couple this with the fact long-term health benefits, which is why most people are told to exercise, probably aren't enough incentive to get people more active.

So as well as making exercise simple to do, it's critical to bring in strategies to make it something we actually want to do - again and again.

A framework to keep coming back to exercise

Any form of exercise is a behaviour.

And behaviour is hard to change - let alone maintain for long periods of time.

We’re talking about making exercise, however simple it may be, a habit.

One framework really shifted my thinking on how to make this happen:

James Clear’s “Four Laws of Behaviour Change” from his best-selling book Atomic Habits.

I’ve written about this before, but essentially, the four laws are to make the behaviour (like exercise) more:

1. Obvious
2. Attractive
3. Easy
4. Satisfying

Covering these bases makes it easier to repeat the same habit again and again.

So let’s say you want to make simple bodyweight resistance training a habit.

You could:

1. Schedule time in your calendar with a reminder (make it obvious)
2. Imagine yourself feeling better after doing it (make it attractive)
3. Focus on brief and simple movements (make it easy)
4. Reward yourself after sticking to the plan (make it satisfying)

Some of these strategies (or variations thereof) could help make the behaviour (simple bodyweight exercise) automatic over time.

And before you know it, you could reap many of the benefits even simple exercise can bring.

Short and simple exercise works.

There's no doubt about it.

But make no mistake - the most effective exercise program is the one you can keep doing over a long period of time.

If you make your exercise routine not only easier, but also more obvious, attractive, and satisfying, you've got a powerful combination more likely to lead to longer-term benefits.

So - what simple exercise habit will you add to your routine?

As always, I appreciate you being here!

See you next week,

Jackson

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If you've got a moment, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this edition of The Weekly Exerciser.

Send me a quick message or email - I'll reply to every one!

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IMPORTANT:

The information contained herein is of general nature only and does not constitute personal advice. You should not act on any information without considering your personal needs, circumstances, and objectives. Any exercise program may result in injury. We recommend you obtain advice specific to your circumstances from an appropriate health professional before starting any exercise program.