Struggling to Do Your Exercises? Try This Simple Habit Hack from Atomic Habits

Adam Russell Director & Principal Sports & Exercise Physiotherapist

As a sports and exercise physiotherapist, this is something I hear all the time.

“I know I should do my exercises, I just forget.”“I start strong, then life gets busy.”“I’m good in the clinic, but at home it falls apart.”

If that sounds familiar, here’s the reassuring part. The problem usually isn’t motivation. It’s habit design.

One of the most useful concepts I’ve come across for improving exercise consistency comes from James Clear’s book Atomic Habits. It’s something I now talk about with a lot of patients because it works in real life.

It’s called habit stacking.

Why Exercise Programs Often Don’t Stick

From a clinical perspective, most rehab or strength programs don’t fail because they’re poorly designed.

They fail because they don’t fit naturally into someone’s daily routine.

Your exercises might be evidence based, well progressed, and exactly what your body needs. But if they sit outside your normal day, they rely on memory, willpower, and motivation. And those things are unreliable when life gets busy.

James Clear sums it up well when he says that we don’t rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of our systems.

So instead of asking how to motivate yourself to do your exercises, a better question is how to attach them to something you already do every day.

What Is Habit Stacking?

Habit stacking simply means linking a new habit to an existing habit that’s already automatic.

The basic idea looks like this: After I do one thing, I do my exercises.

Because your brain already knows when and where that first habit happens, the new habit becomes easier to remember and easier to start. There’s less decision making and less negotiating with yourself.

Why This Works So Well for Rehab

Habit stacking works particularly well for rehab and exercise programs because most exercises are short, low effort, and meant to be done consistently rather than intensely.

The barrier is rarely physical ability. It’s follow through.

By stacking exercises onto something you already do, they become part of your day rather than another task you need to find time for.

Simple, Real-World Examples

Here are a few ways patients often make this work.

You might do your exercises while the kettle boils in the morning. You might do balance or calf exercises after brushing your teeth at night. You might do your rehab during the first few minutes of a TV show. You might do your exercises straight after a walk before you sit down.

None of these need to be long sessions. Even a couple of exercises is a win.

Start Smaller Than You Think You Should

One of the most important lessons from Atomic Habits is that the goal isn’t to do a perfect workout. The goal is to become someone who doesn’t skip their exercises.

That’s why I often encourage people to start with just one exercise, one set, or a couple of minutes. Once the habit is there, progress is easy. Consistency comes first.

It’s About Identity, Not Perfection

Instead of telling yourself that you need to do your exercises, it can help to think of yourself as someone who does their exercises regularly.

Each time you complete your habit, no matter how small, you reinforce that identity. Over time, that’s what leads to lasting results.

The Takeaway

If you’re struggling to stay consistent with your exercises, don’t blame your discipline.

Redesign the habit.

Anchor your exercises to something you already do. Keep the starting point small. Make it obvious, easy, and repeatable.

From a physio’s perspective, the people who improve the most aren’t the ones who do the most exercises. They’re the ones who do them consistently.

If you’d like help finding a habit setup that actually fits your routine, that’s something we can work through together.

Habit stacking, exercise adherence, rehabilitation education and physiotherapy support at PRP Health in Victoria Point with Adam Russell, Director and Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist, helping patients build simple habits to support recovery and long term movement health.