--- title: Research-Backed Habits of People Who Never Skip a Workout description: Need motivation to move? You can fit physical activity into your daily life. Here's how to make exercise a part of your life—for good. canonical: https://time.com/3964826/exercise-workout-habits/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-21T13:53:08.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:58:29.578Z article:section: Health og:title: 5 Research-Backed Habits of People Who Never Skip a Workout og:description: Need motivation to move? You can fit physical activity into your daily life. Here's how to make exercise a part of your life—for good. og:url: https://time.com/3964826/exercise-workout-habits/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt62b9daf377642884/69885ba3428a9ed42acce403/woman-walking-dog-rear-viewjpg.jpg?branch=production&width=338&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 338 og:image:height: 190 og:image:alt: woman-walking-dog-rear-view og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 5 Research-Backed Habits of People Who Never Skip a Workout twitter:description: Need motivation to move? You can fit physical activity into your daily life. Here's how to make exercise a part of your life—for good. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt62b9daf377642884/69885ba3428a9ed42acce403/woman-walking-dog-rear-viewjpg.jpg?branch=production&width=338&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 5 Research-Backed Habits of People Who Never Skip a Workout > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Health Matters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Health Matters is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The latest health news and expert advice on living well. Health Matters makes the fast-moving world of health more useful, surprising and human, from the latest science and medical breakthroughs to practical ideas for living better. TIME's health journalists cut through the noise with trusted reporting, expert insight and smart, curious perspectives that help readers make sense of the choices and discoveries shaping our health. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's daily health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free daily newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ## Video: Will I Gain Weight If I Eat Late? [Watch (HLS stream): Will I Gain Weight If I Eat Late?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/7xmYssP8.m3u8) (1:51)  _Published 2015-05-15. Will I Gain Weight If I Eat Late?_ by [Catherine DiBenedetto / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Catherine DiBenedetto / Health.com Contributor Jul 21, 2015 1:53 PM UTC  Walking the dog Walking the dog Getty Images by [Catherine DiBenedetto / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Catherine DiBenedetto / Health.com Contributor Jul 21, 2015 1:53 PM UTC The first few weeks of a new fitness routine, you couldn’t be more stoked. You practically pop out of bed to hit the gym—rain or shine, snow or sleet. And then life happens. A colleague calls an early-morning meeting. A nasty cold strikes. You start to feel deflated, and your willpower fades. Sound familiar? It’s a “vicious cycle of failure,” according to [Michelle Segar, PhD](http://michellesegar.com/), director of the Sport, Health, and Activity Research and Policy Center at the University of Michigan_._ For 20 years, she’s been studying motivation to figure out why so many of us struggle to keep it—especially when it comes to healthy habits. Her new book, _No Sweat_ ($17, [amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com/No-Sweat-Science-Motivation-Lifetime/dp/0814434851)), reveals how to make one of those key habits, exercise, a part of your life—for good. (Hint: It involves banishing “should” thoughts.) Here, Segar, who also coaches clients, shares five simple tips that make perfect sense: **Count everything—and add it up** Physical activity doesn’t have to be time-consuming or intense to count as exercise. “Many of the things you’re already doing qualify as healthy movement,” says Segar. So give yourself credit for crossing the parking lot (2 minutes), walking the dog (10 minutes), playing tag with your kids (15 minutes), gardening (20 minutes), even pushing a cart around the grocery store (25 minutes). “Virtually all of my clients have told me that the notion that ‘everything counts’ has been transformative for them,” Segar adds. “It makes them feel successful every time they move, which leads to higher energy levels all day long.” **Focus on the now** Once you start counting _all_ the physical activity in your day, you realize it’s possible to squeeze in a little more (without changing into workout clothes). “Rather than thinking, _I don’t have time,_ you start thinking, _I can fit this in!_” Segar explains. Whenever you have a small pocket of time—even if its just five minutes—ask yourself, _What can I do right now?_ You might end up [jogging the stairs](http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20412071,00.html) 10 times, or knocking out a series of [ab moves](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20664616,00.html) on the floor. **Do what feels good** “Our brains are hardwired to respond to immediate gratification, and to do what makes us feel good,” says Segar. This is one of the reasons we tend to give up on chore-like workouts. Segar’s advice: Choose a type of movement that feels _good_ to you, and you will want to choose it again and again—whether it’s as simple as [hiking](http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20708028,00.html) or as trendy as [Buti yoga](http://news.health.com/2015/03/13/we-tried-it-jennifer-love-hewitts-buti-yoga-workout/) (think power yoga fused with tribal dance and plyometrics). Research backs up this advice: A Portuguese study from 2011 found that [enjoying exercise](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20689448) was among the strongest predictors of whether a person continued exercising and maintained weight loss for the next three years. **Take ownership of your fitness** There are a lot of voices proclaiming that you “should” exercise—from your friends and family to your doctor and the media. But the most important voice is your own, says Segar: “Research suggests that a behavior change is more likely to ensue when you’ve identified what you really want from it.” You may be seeking better moods or stress relief, or maybe you just want to catch up with your workout buddy—it doesn’t matter, as long as you know what you’re after. (Not sure? Segar’s book can help you [identify goals ](http://michellesegar.com/)that will really work _for you_.) **Make one change at a time** Many of us feel so excited about “getting healthy” that we try to do multiple things at once, Segar says. “We decide to simultaneously work out more, learn to [meditate](http://news.health.com/2014/11/18/5-meditation-tips-for-people-who-cant-focus/), and start a new [diet](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20678467,00.html)—and that’s a recipe for burnout.” Try focusing on just exercise first, Segar says. And above all else, remember to keep it fun, because that is the true secret to lasting motivation. As Segar puts it, “Do the physical movement you want to do, when you want to do it, for the amount of time your life allows.” That’s the best way to keep from lapsing altogether. [_This article originally appeared on Health.com_](http://news.health.com/2015/07/16/5-research-backed-habits-of-people-who-never-skip-a-workout/) _More from Health.com:_ * [5 Women Share Their Fitness Motivation Tips](http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20410918,00.html?xid=time) * [17 Ways to Lose Weight When You Have No Time](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20909036,00.html?xid=time) * [10 Fun Ways to Get Fit Without a Gym](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20531849,00.html?xid=time) ## Transcript You're watching ever well, know more, live better.. [ MUSIC ] I've always heard that if you eat late at night, it turns to fat, and I don't want that to happen. So I try not to eat after seven. Weight loss plans often have all kinds of rules to remember. One we hear all the time is never eat past eight pm If you work late like me, or have a hectic schedule, that advice can be hard to swallow. But the latest research suggests, you may not have to. [ MUSIC ] A study involving female monkeys found that eating at night is not associated with weight gain. Ditto for surveys of humans which have turned up no link to nighttime meals and weight gain or obesity. The theory behind the advice is that our metabolism slows down during sleep, so calories consumed late in the evening aren't burned as readily. While that may be true, our bodies do continue to burn calories while we sleep. [ MUSIC ] More important than when we eat is how much we eat. In studies where late night eating was tied to weight gain... People often snacked, or ate additional meals at night. Obviously chowing down on pizza or ice cream all night can lead to extra pounds. But the reason is the calories, not the clock. There is one instance where the timing of meals does matter. Studies show that skipping breakfast is associated with weight gain. So start eating early and stop after dinner. That's timeless advice that can benefit us all. 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