Habit Stacking For Real Life Fitness

You don’t need a perfect schedule to build healthy habits. You need a smarter system. We’re recording from a car on a rainy day and talking through a practical approach that helps when life is full: habit stacking. It’s the simple act of pairing a habit you already do with a habit you want to do more consistently, so progress happens without waiting for the “right” time or the “right” motivation. 

We walk through how habit stacking can transform your fitness routine, especially if you’ve been stuck in an all-or-nothing mindset about workouts. We share a real-life example of combining a lower body strength session with cleaning equipment between sets, then expand into easy movement ideas you can weave into normal routines like phone calls, TV time, and cooking. You’ll also hear why small bursts of movement matter and how they can support your bigger training goals. 

Hydration is another focus, because drinking more water is often a system problem, not a willpower problem. We offer clear water “triggers” you can attach to habits you never miss, plus tips that make it easier to hit your daily water intake. Finally, we talk about recovery habits like stretching, mobility, deep breathing, getting off your phone, and setting up a calmer nighttime routine, and why those pieces are essential for health, wellness, and better sleep. If you want realistic health habits that actually fit your life, hit play, then subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a quick review.

Transcript

Rainy Car Intro And Real Life Time

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey friends, welcome back to the Spandex and Wine podcast. If you hear a little pitter patter in the background, it's because I am sitting in my car with the rain coming down, which is kind of nice and relaxing. I actually thought about recording this as I was going down the road because I thought, oh my gosh, I can get the episode done and get home at the same time and not have to find another pocket of time to do it. Because that's kind of what I wanted to talk about today. Not kind of, that's what I wanted to talk about today. But for safety reasons, I decided that was not a good idea.

Habit Stacking Explained With Gym Story

SPEAKER_00 0:36

So what I wanted to share was habit stacking and trying to just fit all the things in. And, you know, not because life has magically become less busy, because it has not, but because sometimes it's the only reason healthy habits happen at all, is if you pair them with something else. I shared in my newsletter earlier this week that the other day I needed to get my lower body workout in, but I also had cleaning that I wanted to finish at the club. And normally I would have felt like it was one more thing fighting for my time and energy. So instead of choosing one or stressing out about both, I just combined them. So I would do a set on one machine, then clean a different machine between sets. And by the end of the workout, my legs were all worked and the upper body machines were all clean. So I really kind of was proud of that. And that is habit stacking. It's taking something you already do and pairing it with something you want to do more consistently. And this mindset shift can change everything when it comes to health and wellness because most people aren't struggling from lack of information. There's a ton of information out there, but they're struggling to fit healthy habits into their real life and everyday routine. So when we talk about workouts and movement, this is where habit stacking can become a game changer.

Movement Ideas That Fit Your Day

SPEAKER_00 2:02

If you are waiting for the perfect uninterrupted hour or the perfect energy level or the perfect motivation to work out, you might be waiting a long time. And by the way, congratulations if you are someone that you already have it down. You just have your routine, you have your pattern. I am really proud of you. And I mean, I have those ladies show up in my classes, and thank God you guys have done that, and you're so consistent in supporting me with that as well. I mean, that's what I get paid for. So yay, thank you so much. But you might have to ask yourself, what can I pair movement with? And I'm not talking about replacing like your hardcore workouts, those are so important. And when I say hardcore, I mean just making sure that you get a full-on workout in. I'm talking about those days that you just need some movement. So maybe your habit stacking, so putting both of those together. It could be walking while you're taking phone calls, um, maybe stretching while you're watching TV or some kind of Netflix series. It could be doing squats while you cook dinner or calf raises. Those are super easy to do and helpful. It could be listening to a podcast while you're jogging or cleaning between workout sets like I did. And sometimes movement doesn't have to be separated from life. Sometimes it can live right inside of it. I think that's one reason people struggle. We think that fitness has to look like a perfectly planned gym session when in reality some small bursts of movement throughout the day really can add up and matter. So again, I do believe 100% in the full-on workouts. I encourage that, making sure that you get two to three really good workouts in. But then the other days, maybe just habit stack and get some additional movement in.

Hydration Systems That Actually Work

SPEAKER_00 3:53

And another place that I was thinking about habit habit stacking, that's kind of hard to say, habit stacking really fast, um, was water and hydration. And especially this time of year when the weather gets warmer and hydration truly becomes more important because we're sweating more. Most people forget to drink water, or I'm sorry, most people don't forget to drink water because they don't care. I mean, obviously people care. They forget because they don't have a system, and that is true for so many aspects of life. So instead of relying on memory, maybe pair drinking water with things you already do every single day. So, for example, first thing in the morning, drink eight ounces of water, either like right before you brush your teeth or right after you brush your teeth. That's a habit you do every morning, first thing. So you could pair drinking water with that. Or maybe having a glass of water every time you pick up your phone to scroll social media. Oh my gosh, you might be waterlogged, some of you. Or you could drink water after every bathroom break. That is a good reminder because you're probably going to the bathroom because you're drinking a lot of water anyway. Drink water before meals. You've been told this for years because it does help you feel fuller. So that's a good one to do. You could also keep water in the car and drink at stoplights or between appointments. Sometimes I will do that. I'll just pick up my water and I'll see a bridge ahead. And I said, okay, I'm just gonna keep drinking this water until I go under that bridge. Sometimes it works. Um, or you could maybe take a few drinks of water every time you check email. I think it's really helpful to have a tumbler or a glass or a mug or something that is just really easy for you to drink out of. I have Stanley tumblers, I have other types of tumblers, but my most favorite is this big 32-ounce just a plastic cup that I got at Saints Pub in Lanexa. So if you've been there, get the 32-ounce water. That one, for whatever reason, is just so much easier for me to do. But you can easily hit your water goal without trying harder. Just attach it to habits that already exist in your life. So I feel like the habit stacking, it kind of removes some of your mental load. It just makes things easier in my mind. And I thought maybe it would be helpful for you too.

Recovery Habits You Keep Skipping

SPEAKER_00 6:17

I think one habit that we overlook is recovery. It is, you know, so important. We focus on our workouts and our steps and our calories, water, productivity, but sometimes we completely forget about other habits that help our bodies recover. This is something that I am working on. I do sit out on the screening porch every morning, even though it's you know 4:45 in the morning, and just I have my coffee, I do my devotion, um, and I kind of have just a rest and a reset and a good start to the day. And then I try and always end the day that way too, sitting on the deck. Usually with it's with Dave, um, but sometimes I'm able just to sit out there with the dogs, and it's just nice to have that um routine. Um but you know, for recovery, think stretching, think mobility work, deep breathing, maybe it's meditation, just a basic slowing down, getting off of the phone. That is a big one. And maybe just a way for preparing for sleep. Those habits usually get skipped because they feel less urgent, or we have been conditioned to think that it's lazy just to sit there. And it's so far from the truth. So I would encourage you to stack them too. And like I said before, you know, stretch while you're watching your favorite show or foam roll while we're listening to a podcast, do some deep breathing while you're sitting outside in the evening. You could even do those, you know, while you're driving as well, like at stop lights. I think that's a really great time to do that. Maybe keep your eyes open though, maybe not close your eyes on that one. Or you could put your phone on the charger and immediately begin your nighttime routine instead of getting pulled into one more scroll through social media, or oh my gosh, if you open your email, that's gonna take at least 20 minutes, so maybe don't even do it. Set aside time for that. Tiny habits matter and small shifts add up. Progress is often less about motivation and more about finding creative ways to

Small Shifts Add Up And Closing

SPEAKER_00 8:22

make healthy habits fit into your actual life. So I hope this was helpful. I hope you will share this with a friend, and I hope you guys are just doing well. Um you guys have seen and noticed a shift in the podcast, and that's okay. I am just going to continue being consistent, even if it's on an every other week basis. That's that's fine. I am putting this in where I can, and today it is while I am sitting in my car in the rain. You have a wonderful day, and I will see you soon. Cheers.