You Might Be More Consistent Than You Think
- nourishlongevity
- May 17
- 4 min read
Updated: May 22
Hi I'm Carmen the Lead Health. There is something I want to point out because I see this all the time with people…
You might actually be more consistent than you think you are.¹
Not because you’ve done everything perfectly. Not because you never miss workouts. Not because motivation magically showed up every day. But because your relationship with exercise is starting to change.² And honestly? That’s where long-term change actually starts.
A lot of people think consistency means never missing a workout, always being motivated, or following a perfect plan.¹
That’s not real life.
Consistency is more about what happens mentally and emotionally when exercise starts becoming part of your identity instead of just another thing on your to-do list.³
Here are a few signs this might already be happening for you:
When you miss exercise, it makes you feel some kind of way
When you look at your schedule and realize you can’t fit it in one day, it bothers you
If you miss a few days, you don’t feel quite as good
When you go on vacation or come off being sick, you actually can’t wait to get back to it² ³
I know some people hear those things and immediately think:
“That’s not healthy.”
“Shouldn’t I just not care?”
“Why am I feeling guilty?”
But this is where we have to stop labeling every uncomfortable feeling as failure.⁴
Because a lot of what we’ve been taught is this extreme positivity idea where if something feels uncomfortable, difficult, frustrating, or emotionally off, then something must be wrong.
That’s not true.
Sometimes discomfort is just information.⁴
If missing exercise didn’t affect you at all emotionally, mentally, or physically, then chances are the habit hasn’t attached itself to your life yet.³ These feelings often mean your identity is shifting. You’re starting to become someone who values movement. Someone who notices how they feel when they move consistently. Someone who is building a habit that matters to them.³ ⁵
That’s a good thing.
Now… where this can go sideways is when we interpret those feelings the wrong way.
Instead of:
“This matters to me now.”
We think:
“I’m failing.”
“I’m falling off.”
“I’m doing this wrong.”¹
That’s where reframing becomes really important.
Reframing is simply learning how to take information and use it in a way that helps you move forward instead of shutting down.⁶
For example…
If skipping a workout bothers you :Instead of deciding the whole day is ruined, maybe you do 5 minutes of something.
A walk.
Mobility.
Stretching.
Bodyweight exercises.
Something.
Because mentally, checking that box matters more than people realize.⁷ It keeps you connected to the habit instead of disconnected from it.
If your schedule looks too busy: That doesn’t mean consistency is over.
Actually, looking ahead and noticing that IS consistency.
Problem solving is part of long-term success.⁸ This is where we start course correcting instead of quitting.
Maybe this week looks like:
Shorter workouts• Fewer days
More intensity with less time
Breaking movement into smaller chunks⁸
This is where things like FITT principles start becoming useful because exercise doesn’t have to look the same every week to still count.⁹ And if you notice you don’t feel as good after missing a few days? That’s not your body punishing you.
That’s awareness.
You’re learning what helps you feel better physically, mentally, emotionally, or energetically.²
That awareness is valuable.
And if you come back from vacation or illness excited to move again? That’s huge.
Years ago, exercise may have felt like punishment, pressure, or something you “had” to do.
Now it’s becoming something that supports you.³ That shift matters more than perfection ever will.
The goal isn’t to never have barriers show up. The goal is learning how to work with them instead of seeing them as proof you failed.¹ ⁶
Because barriers are normal. Life is normal. Busy weeks are normal. Restarts are normal.
Learning how to navigate them is what actually builds consistency long term.¹ ⁰ And that is not easy to do on your own.
Research & Resources
Hall, K. et al. The Secret Life of All-or-Nothing Thinking with Exercise: New Insights into an Overlooked Barrier. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12831378/
Rhodes, R. E., & Kates, A. Can the Affective Response to Exercise Predict Future Motives and Physical Activity Behavior? https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11102891/
Verplanken, B., & Melkevik, O. Predicting Habit: The Case of Physical Exercise. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19025293/
Kashdan, T. B., & Rottenberg, J. Psychological Flexibility as a Fundamental Aspect of Health. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2998793/
Oyserman, D. Identity-Based Motivation and Health. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2894703/
Beck, J. S. Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Reframing Concepts. https://beckinstitute.org/about-beck/
Bandura, A. Self-Efficacy Interventions. In: Handbook of Behavior Change. https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/handbook-of-behavior-change/selfefficacy-interventions/D4EC41A2F16CB6171058C5B00AE575AB
Prochaska, J. O., & Velicer, W. F. The Transtheoretical Model of Health Behavior Change. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10170434/
American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. https://acsm.org/
Lally, P. et al. How Are Habits Formed: Modelling Habit Formation in the Real World. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejsp.674
This article includes evidence-informed resources related to exercise, behavior change, and long-term health habits.
This content is educational in nature and is not medical, psychological, or psychiatric advice. If you are struggling with significant mental health concerns, disordered behaviors, or emotional distress, please seek support from a qualified healthcare professional.
In partnership with My Heart Fitness, a physician-led digital health platform focused on sustainable exercise and health outcomes.
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