---
title: 'How to Make Exercise a Habit | 10 Tips to be More Consistent'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=zIou_zjLa1E'
video_id: 'zIou_zjLa1E'
date: 2026-06-28
duration_sec: 995
---

# How to Make Exercise a Habit | 10 Tips to be More Consistent

> Source: [How to Make Exercise a Habit | 10 Tips to be More Consistent](https://youtube.com/watch?v=zIou_zjLa1E)

## Summary

Dr. Morgan Nolte presents 10 practical, psychology-based tips to help women build a consistent exercise habit, from scheduling workouts on your work calendar to using the two-minute rule. She highlights the importance of strength training for insulin sensitivity and overall health, and addresses common fears like bulking up.

### Key Points

- **Exercise Benefits Beyond Calories** [0:00] — Strength training improves insulin sensitivity more than cardio, helps convert white fat to brown fat, and boosts metabolism.
- **Myth of Bulking Up** [3:32] — Women don't have enough testosterone to bulk up from strength training.
- **Systems Over Goals** [6:36] — Focus on systems, not just goals. Put exercise on your work calendar with a specific date, time, and location.
- **Accountability Partner** [8:07] — Find an accountability partner or group to increase follow-through.
- **Plan Ahead** [9:37] — Pack workout clothes ahead of time and plan for success.
- **Consistent Time** [9:52] — Find a time that works for you and be consistent, but adapt as life changes.
- **Best Friend Test** [10:43] — Show up for yourself like you would a best friend—don't flake on your own commitments.
- **Keep It Simple** [11:18] — Simplify to reduce resistance; make your routine feel lighter, not heavier.
- **Anticipate Obstacles** [12:23] — Expect obstacles, but remember you never regret a workout—only skipping one.
- **The Two-Minute Rule** [15:06] — Use the two-minute rule from Atomic Habits: focus only on the first step of the workout.

## Transcript

In this episode, you'll learn 10 easy tips 
for women to be more consistent with exercise. 
If you're new to
this channel, thanks so much for watching.  
I'm Dr. Morgan Nolte and I'd be so grateful if you 
took a moment to hit that subscribe button and the  
little bell to get notified each week, when I 
post a new video, how would you like to know  
that you were going to follow your exercise 
plan? Like you knew the sun was going to come up.  
What if you could develop that sense of 
internal confidence and trust in yourself  
to follow through? We all know that exercise is 
good for us, right. But how often do you turn  
that insight into action? How often do you see 
your notification to exercise up on your phone,  
calendar or computer? And just ignore it. Getting 
yourself to exercise on a regular basis is so  
incredibly important for your mental and physical 
health. It gives you more energy endorphins to  
feel happy, helps increase adiponectin, which 
is a hormone that converts white fat to brown  
fat for a higher metabolism and less visceral 
belly fat and increases insulin sensitivity. 
I've been an avid exerciser since the sixth grade. 
Yes. I actually remember my love for exercise,  
even back then. In fact, I used to run in place 
in my room to whatever music I was into back then  
and the light below my room and the 
kitchen fell and shattered on the floor.  
My relationship with exercise took an unhealthy 
turn. When I developed a condition called exercise  
bulemia and the ninth grade, that's where I would 
try to exercise off all the food. I just ate  
in an, in an attempt to stay lean so that 
I could be fast and track. And I was okay.  
But that compulsion that I felt to exercise 
was not fun. And my exercise bulemia lasted  
about 10 months and thankfully went away with 
no residual exercise obsession. I've learned to  
develop a healthy, moderate relationship with food 
and activity, and now help my members do the same. 
So if you want to improve your insulin sensitivity 
and thus reverse insulin resistance so that you  
can lose weight, keep it off and prevent 
disease. Strength training is actually one  
of the most beneficial habits you can adopt. Now 
it runs against popular weight loss practice to do  
cardio because it burns more calories. Now, while 
cardio may burn more calories during the workout,  
weight loss is not about calories. 
It's about insulin and minute for  
minute resistance training improves insulin 
sensitivity better than cardio. Not only that,  
but it increases your strength so that you can 
move better and have stronger bones as you age.  
I know that strength training may be intimidating 
and I'll be honest. I'm usually the only woman in  
the gym doing strength, training, surrounded by 
some ripped high school boys, but you know what? I  
got over it. And I'm there for about half an hour 
and I'm not doing this for anyone about myself, so  
I can do anything for half an hour.
Don't let anyone intimidate you at the gym.  
You have as much right to be there as anyone 
else. And you don't have to wait until you're  
fit to go exercise at the gym. Often I'll hear 
from women that they don't want to bulk up.  
And I remind them that men get bulky because 
they have far more testosterone than we do  
and growth hormone. And in order to get bulky, 
you need to have a higher hormone level and eat  
protein. A lot of protein, just adding strength 
training twice a week, three times a week to your  
exercise routine. Even for just 20 to 30 minutes, 
that's not going to make you bulky. It's going to  
boost your metabolism and help you have a leaner 
appearance. Another objection that I hear about  
resistance training is that it's boring. And to 
that I asked, do you enjoy brushing your teeth? 
Do you enjoy doing your taxes? Do you enjoy doing 
the dishes? No. Most people would rather not do  
these tasks, but we do. I want your attitude 
towards strength training to be the same.  
That it's just something that you do, whether you 
like it or not. I promise once you stick with it,  
you're going to start to feel and see the 
results that only strength training can provide.  
And that's going to give you motivation to keep 
going. Now, physiologically you'll have changes  
right away, but you may not see any changes 
in your muscle tone or appearance for months.  
And if you're not doing things to reduce your 
fat mass from your diet, your sleep, your stress,  
you won't see your muscles at all because 
they lie under your subcutaneous fat layer.  
So this is where consistency compounds. I know 
that you can be consistent. And I know that the  
techniques I'm about to teach you will help.
One of my clients recently sent me this  
screenshot showing me that she'd closed. All of 
her activity rings for an entire month straight.  
And she was going through some rehab and had other 
life stuff going on too. But she did it because  
she was committed. Commitment creates consistency. 
Now these tips will help you be consistent.  
Whether you want to walk, ride your bike, swim or 
strength, train, I believe in you, but I can't do  
your pushups for you. I will leave that. You need 
to believe in yourself and show up for yourself.  
Like you do every other person in your life. You 
have to find a way to create some intentional  
margin in your life so that you have just a 
little time, several days a week to exercise.  
All right, let's get to these tips. Now, there are 
absolutely days where I don't want to exercise. 
I don't want to go work out. I don't want 
to move my body and it's not because I'm  
being lazy most of the time, most of the time, 
it's because I'm busy doing something else.  
I feel like that's something else is a 
higher priority at that moment in time.  
At that moment in time, it's easier for me 
to continue working because I love working  
well. It gets me to close my computer and head 
to the gym is asking, am I making this decision  
for current me or future me? Are you making your 
everyday choices for current you or future you?  
That's a really good litmus test to know 
if you're making healthy choices or not.  
Because most of the time unhealthy 
choices are for instant gratification.  
I'm really, really big on focusing on systems, 
not just goals. You can have a goal of working  
out three or four times a week, but that 
general goal is probably not going to get done. 
If exercise isn't already a habit for you, 
it needs to have a date, time and location on  
your calendar better yet. It needs to be on your 
work calendar. Women, especially have a tendency  
of prioritizing the wants and needs of other 
people before our own. And that's got to stop.  
When you take care of yourself, your mind, 
mental health, your emotional health,  
your physical health, you're going to be able 
to better care for everyone else in your life.  
You're going to have more energy. It's 
the best return on your time is the energy  
that you invest into your health. So here are 
some tips that I've used to make exercise a habit,  
even when I don't feel like it. Number one. 
And I already mentioned this. It goes on my  
work calendar because honestly I take it more 
seriously. And I look at it several times a day. 
At this time, my goal is to work out four days 
a week for at least 30 minutes at three 30. So I  
have a recurring meeting on my work calendar with 
a reminder at three 15. So I have a little time to  
shut things down for the day and get changed. The 
second tip is to find an accountability partner.  
I love going to the gym with my dad. I think it's 
this kind of bond like our daddy daughter time.  
And he 100% absolutely without questions 
would not go to the gym without me. I think  
he's maybe done that one time. And how do I 
know? Because COVID went by and lo and behold,  
he didn't even know that the gym was open. So 
after I got my COVID shot, I felt more comfortable  
going back. And I'm so much more likely to 
go knowing that he's not going unless I go. 
And I really want him to exercise more. So 
having someone waiting for you to show up  
is a huge motivator. If you can't find a single 
accountability, buddy, in person, be accountable  
to a person or group online, I really encourage 
to post a weekly accountability item. We call  
them implement implementation intentions once a 
week. And my members only community. Now writing  
down your goals and telling people about your 
goals has been shown in the research to improve  
follow through. Based on the psychology principle 
of consistency as humans, we are inclined to do  
what we say we're going to do. Otherwise. 
We feel out of integrity with ourselves,  
but you have to say what you're going to do. If 
it lives in your head, it's more likely to stay  
in your head and not turn into action. Number 
three is to plan ahead, plan ahead for success. 
Pack your clothes in the morning. Even better. 
What I like to do is pack a whole week's worth  
of workout clothes in one morning. That way 
you never have the excuse that you forgot  
to pack your clothes or shoes or that you don't 
feel like going home to get changed. Tip number  
four is to find a time that works for you and be 
consistent with that time. Many people prefer to  
work out. First thing in the morning, I have two 
young kids who often get up in the night and need  
me in the morning still. So working out towards 
the end of my Workday just works better for me  
before I pick them up from daycare. So I try to 
find whatever's working at that stage of life  
and be consistent. So again, that changes during 
COVID. When I had a new a newborn, I committed  
to 10 minutes, a night of strength training
as I watched TV. Your routine will change based on  
life circumstances. That's normal, but what's 
important is that you change with life. There  
will always be a reason to not work out, 
but you have to find a more important reason  
to work out. Tip number five is to show up 
for yourself like you would your best friend,  
no one likes a flaky friend. Do not flake on 
yourself. If you say you're going to do something,  
be a person of integrity and do it. Would you 
say to your friend, Hey, I'll meet you for lunch.  
And then all of a sudden lunch comes around 
and you're like, oops, sorry. I just wanted  
to keep working instead. No, what you would 
show up for lunch, like you said, you would  
so use the best friend test and ask yourself, 
am I treating myself? Am I speaking to myself? 
Am I showing up for myself as I would? My best 
friend tip number six is to keep it simple.  
Simplicity, breeds consistency. If you find that 
something feels heavy, that you don't have a lot  
of internal resistance towards something, it means 
that it's probably time to tweak or optimize your  
plan, reflect on why something feels heavy and 
how you could make it feel lighter. And I'm not  
talking about weights or resistance at the gym. 
I'm talking about heavy on your heart. For me,  
it's working out for 30 minutes or less. If I said 
you have to go four for one hour, that feels heavy  
to me that feels like too much of my time is 
spent at the gym and not enough with my family or  
working for this stage of life for some people an 
hour, four days a week, isn't enough for others. 
It's just right. That's one of the reasons why I 
don't like a one size fits all exercise program.  
You have to find what really works for you and 
your needs and your schedule and your body and  
your mentality. So tip number seven is to 
anticipate obstacles. You have to expect  
that you're not going to feel like working out at 
least some of the time, if not all of them time,  
but here's the deal name a time in your life. 
When you ever regretted going for a walk,  
when you ever regretted a workout right now, 
think of a time that you regretted skipping one,  
think about how you're going to feel after 
you're done. And that can help give you a  
little spark of motivation that you need to take 
the first step and actually go, think about how  
proud you're going to be of yourself.
Think about how making one positive  
choice to exercise has a ripple effect on 
the healthy choices for the rest of the day.  
If I were to skip a workout that I have 
planned, I would be more likely to go home  
and kind of, I feel bad that I skipped 
because I was out of integrity and those  
feelings of guilt of skipping, something that 
I planned on would have a ripple effect, right?  
I wouldn't feel as good emotionally. 
I'd be a little more critical of myself.  
I'd be more likely to go home and emotionally 
eat that night. And that's obviously not helpful.  
It's not productive. This brings us to tip number 
eight and that's to have a plan being if for some  
reason I don't go to the gym or go for my walk. 
I usually have a plan B to do some strength,  
training and stretching at night when I'm 
watching TV, I can, we're keeping it simple here. 
Tip number nine is to make your brain work for 
you. Not against you. Remember that your brain  
will do whatever you tell it to, but you need 
to give it a clear roadmap and a specific set  
of instructions to follow. So if you're finding 
that it's your work out time, right? 3:30 for me,  
your pop-up reminder comes on your work 
calendar maybe. Um, and you still don't  
feel like going to work out. You need to listen 
to the thoughts that you're telling yourself.  
You might be saying something like, Ugh, 
I really don't want to go work out today.  
Your first subconscious thought was that you don't 
want to go work out today. And then there are two  
words that you really have to look out for when 
it comes to limiting thoughts. Don't and can't,  
if you're telling yourself, I don't want to, 
all, I'm not surprised that you're not going  
to go to the gym because you're literally 
telling your brain, you don't want to go. 
And your brain followed what you told 
it to do. So try telling something like  
I don't care. If you want to go, your alarm went 
off, shut your computer, or get out of bed and go  
put your workout clothes on. Now this brings me 
to my last tip and that's the two minute rule.  
This comes from the book atomic habits by James 
clear. All I want you to do is focus on the very  
first thing you need to do to get your workout 
done. For a lot of people, it's shutting your  
computer or getting out of bed or turning off 
the TV. You don't need to think about the whole  
workout. You need to think about the first 
step that you're going to take to get there.  
Any habit that you want to form, you can boil 
it down to the first two minutes, and I want  
you to master that moment of decision, and you're 
going to be so much more likely to follow through. 
I give you a lot of tips today, and I hope 
that you found this episode helpful. I'd love  
to hear from you. You can follow me on Instagram 
@drmorgannolte And let me know your favorite tip  
or biggest takeaway. I want you to think about 
how you can incorporate one or two of these tips  
into your life to make exercise more consistent. 
If your workouts aren't already on the calendar.  
My challenge for you is to get them on your work 
calendar within the next 48 hours. It's so easy  
to forget. Good intentions completely. And if 
exercise is not a habit in your life, it's going  
to take a little work to get there. But the effort 
that you put into that is so worth it down the  
road. So thank you so much for listening. Again. 
Be sure to tune in next week where I'll have a  
fresh episode for you. I'll talk with you at the 
same time, same place next week. Bye for now.