“Perfect Workout”?

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You had a plan for the perfect workout. Then you got stuck in traffic, or someone kept you late, or… life happened. So, you skipped it entirely.

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Sound familiar? Behavioral scientist Michelle Segar at the University of Michigan has a name for it: the "perfect workout trap." And according to a recent study she co-authored, it's one of the most common reasons people fall short of their fitness goals — not lack of willpower, but an all-or-nothing mindset.

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The good news, reported in The New York Times: flexibility beats discipline when it comes to building a lasting exercise habit.

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"I encourage an 'all or something' mindset," Segar says, "in which any amount or intensity of physical activity is a win."

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That's especially worth hearing if you're 50 or older. Rick Richey, a master trainer for the National Academy of Sports Medicine, puts it plainly: "If you can't bend, then it's easy to break."

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A few practical shifts can help.

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·       Have a backup plan. If you can’t make the gym, walk or do body-weight moves at home.

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·       Be aware of various workouts of differing lengths and intensities.

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·       If you miss a day or even a week, don’t worry. Just get back to it.

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"You don't have to do the 150 minutes," Richey says. "Just do something you didn't do yesterday."

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As I often say, consistency over time moves the needle on long-term health.

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