I almost forgot, to be honest.

That was until my amazing wife and kids surprised me with something:

Yep - this week marked three years since the first edition of The Weekly Exerciser, way back in July 2023.

So, whether you’ve been on this journey for one, many, or all of the 156 weekly editions…

Thank you.

Your support, feedback, and questions have helped mould this into something that is (hopefully) valuable for you.

Thinking back to when I started this newsletter, I imagined it would be different to how it’s turned out.

I thought it would just be about sharing new research, debunking myths, giving practical training advice, and translating the science for a broader audience.

And I’ve certainly covered aspects of those things along the journey.

But I’ve become increasingly obsessed with a very different question - which shapes where I see things headed from here.

The question I keep coming back to…

I used to think the biggest gap was a lack of knowledge.

Knowledge about the benefits of exercise, why different types of exercise might have distinct upsides, how to train safely in a gym, or how to tweak your program to squeeze out more “gains”.

These things absolutely matter. But we’ve now got pretty good answers for “what” people should do and “why” it works.

Yet despite that, millions of people (actually, about 1.8 billion globally) don't do the recommended amount of physical activity.

This made me realise we also need to ask a different set of questions, like:

• Why do some people sustain exercise for decades?
• Why do others repeatedly stop and re-start?
• And why do some never start at all?

These questions now sit behind almost everything I do in my research, teaching, newsletter, social media content, and the conversations I have with clinicians and their clients.

Since I started this newsletter, I’m less interested in helping people exercise better, and far more interested in helping people keep exercising for longer.

And I think that requires asking - and answering - different questions.

We don’t always ask the questions we most need answered

Broadly speaking, there are two very different conversations happening.

One is among those who already exercise consistently, and the other is among people who are trying to make exercise a regular part of their life.

Those who do manage to exercise often usually ask questions like:

• What’s the ideal rep range?
• Is this supplement worth taking?
• Should I increase my gym program from 3 to 5 days per week?

But these aren’t the kinds of questions that stop people from getting started.

Those who struggle to stay active often ask completely different questions. Or they don’t know what question to ask at all - often assuming they’ve failed because they need more motivation, a better program, or more discipline.

Because the real challenge is overcoming the many roadblocks that often derail your best-laid exercise plans: when work runs late, when the kids get sick, when you’re exhausted, or when you miss a week and think you’ve lost all progress.

Those are the real questions we need to be asking (and answering).

We talk a lot about how to optimise exercise when most people are just trying to figure out how to make it happen at all.

How this changed my own thinking

Looking back, I realised I was trying to solve my own consistency challenges too.

If you’ve been following along, you’ll know I’ve recently:

• Trained for my first half marathon​
• Simplified my strength training routine​
• Focused more on behaviour change in my research and talks​

The common thread in all of these is the idea the best exercise routine isn’t what looks that way on paper, but what survives the realities of life.

We all have unique challenges that must be overcome if we are to make exercise a regular feature of our week. For me, it’s a constant balance of my academic work (with ever-fluctuating workloads), kids and family life, holidays, conferences, presentations, workshops, illness, etc.

Like everyone, I’ve had to find ways to weave regular exercise into into my schedule in a way that works for me.

Life is rarely “calm” - so if your exercise routine only works when everything falls into place, then it’s probably not sustainable.

Where I’m headed next

Three years on, I’m convinced our biggest opportunity is not to help people understand exercise more.

Don’t get me wrong - the “what do I do” part is important for setting the intention to exercise.

Along with understanding why exercise is beneficial, you need to believe a) you can do it, b) that it can fit it into your lifestyle, and c) that you’ll feel better for doing it.

These things are necessary for exercise to happen, but they don’t guarantee action.

That part requires a completely different set of skills you need when you intend to exercise but:

• Just don’t feel like it,
• Can’t do what you originally planned,
• Or get stuck your head (or distracted from your intention).

So moving forward, I’ll still be sharing the latest research, some practical guidance, and keep busting problematic myths.

I’ll just make sure I keep exploring the things around the “exercise” part that actually matter more for making it work in real life.

Again, thank you for being here.

Whether you’ve read every edition, or this is your first…

I truly appreciate you taking the time to read this.

Three years ago, I thought I’d still be here telling you more about why exercise is “good” (and how to do it better). And I am - but now realise the more pertinent challenge is helping people keep exercising in a world that constantly gets in the way.

So I hope this newsletter doesn’t just help you understand exercise, but help you keep exercising a little longer - or get back on track when you need to.

Because ultimately, that’s what matters most.

Until next week,

Jackson

PS: I’d love to hear what resonated with you most this week - and what you’d like to see in the newsletter moving forward!

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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.