You can always assess your motivation and ask yourself:

On a scale of 0 to 10, how important is regular exercise to me? Where 0 means "not at all important" and 10 means "extremely important."

0  –  1  –  2  –  3  –  4   –  5  –  6  –  7  –  8  –  9  –  10

With a motivation of 7 or higher, the motivation is usually sufficient enough for you to achieve your goals. Take care of the supporting structures, such as the training location, a fixed training time, and the resistance band. You know why you want to exercise regularly – so get started!

If your motivation is lower – for example, a 2 – ask yourself the following question:

«Why did I choose 2 and not 0?»

This question illuminates the (currently) few or minor, yet still positive, reasons for training. It helps you stay positive and focus on the reasons for exercising, rather than getting lost in arguments against this behavior change. And who knows, with regular training and the associated health improvements, you might find even more reasons to continue. In the agreement (Tip 10), you can note down your good reasons.

As mentioned in the CHECK-IN video above, we recommend you plan well for the training and the necessary conditions so you can focus on the training afterwards. Good planning can help you enter into the daily training routine more relaxed. This includes the following:

• Find a place (about 2x2m) where you would like to exercise
• Define your optimal training time
• Prepare the necessary equipment:
• comfortable clothes with enough freedom of movement
• closed shoes (unless you decide to exercise barefoot)
• a stable chair without armrests
• a shelf on which you can place the screen visibly
• an elastic training band about 2.5 meters in length (for procurement, see Contact)

Some of these structure points can be noted in your personal HOMEX training agenda (see Tip 5, download agenda).

We recommend you to think about a strategy for potential bad or unmotivated days as early as possible. The strategy answers the question: "What could make it easier for me to muster up the motivation for HOMEX training on a bad day?"

For inspiration, here is a list of five possibilities (a-e), including insights from science and examples of what has helped others to keep going.

a) The 5-Second Rule

"Should I exercise, or should I not exercise…" Instead of pondering for a long time whether to start your exercises, apply the 5-second rule. Count down from five and then take action: 5-4-3-2-1- go.

The 5-second rule helps you to spring into action. If you don't act after five seconds, your intention to train is likely to vanish as your thoughts intervene and excuses take root in your mind.

Reference: The 5 second rule, Mel Robbins

b) The Night Before

Trick yourself. Arrange the chair in the evening and lay out the elastic training band. Then everything is ready in the morning. Put on your training clothes first thing after getting up. Small rituals help, so you don't have to overcome yourself to train anew each day.

c) Reminding Yourself of the Good Reasons

On bad days, it can help to remind yourself of your motives for daily training. You can complete the following sentences:

• I will start with the daily HOMEX training because I hope that it will …
• I believe I can do HOMEX training because I ...
• My best reason to exercise daily is ...
• I need to strengthen my muscles because ...

d) Contacting a "Sparring Partner"

A short call with your chosen sparring partner Tip 8 might be useful.

e) Writing a Diary

If you are caught by a sad, unmotivated, or exhausted mood, capture this mood in writing, e.g., in a diary. Then let go of this mood and start exercising! Physical training has a positive impact on your mood.

In the Agreement Tip 10 , you can note your personal Plan B to support you on potential "bad days."

How do people who already exercise with HOMEX stay motivated? Here is a selection from our treasure trove of experiences shared by various HOMEX participants (average age 68 years) from the years 2019 and 2020:

I regularly train with HOMEX, …

• because I want to experience the good feeling of having accomplished something physically every day.
• because I want to keep my mood up.
• because I want to keep my muscles and also my brain performance fit with daily exercise.
• because I want to have enough strength to play football with my grandchildren.
• because I want to have enough flexibility to play Lego on the floor with my grandchild.
• because I want to buy grocieries by myself.
• because I want to play tennis with my partner again.
• because I can improve my sleep quality with daily training.
• because I want to avoid further falls with daily training.
• because I want to care for/train my muscles daily, just like I care for/brush my teeth daily.
• because I want to manage climbing the stairs to the 3rd floor so I can stay in my apartment.
• because I want to stay flexible so I can put on my socks by myself.
• because I know I can adjust the exercises at any time.
• because I know I am only committing to myself. I always have the freedom to stop everything.

We conducted in-depth interviews with some HOMEX participants as part of a study on how they managed to motivate themselves for long-term training. The biggest motivational factor was noticing an increase in their strength. They realized that this made them more mobile and independent and improved their overall health feeling. Another motivational factor was successfully integrating training into their daily activities, making it part of their routine.

In the Agreement Tip 10, you can note down your personal good reasons.

We also want to share a positive story about push-ups, an exercise many people find challenging. A 66-year-old HOMEX participant from 2019/2020 managed to increase his strength from 0 push-ups to an impressive 27 floor push-ups within 8 months! And this was achieved "merely" by practicing regularly at home. A personal tip: Start with wall push-ups and don't rush to advance this exercise too quickly.

Every person has 656 muscles. In childhood, our muscles grow about 5 percent per year. During puberty, growth is much higher even without active training, up to 25 percent per year for boys. However, from the age of 30, muscle development steadily decreases. Those who do not regularly promote their muscles can lose up to 80 percent of their former muscle mass, as the human body operates very economically: If the muscles are not used, they regress. But the opposite is also true: If more strength is needed than is available, muscle mass is built up. This muscle building is possible at any age. Especially in old age, everyday activities alone are not enough for muscle building. Targeted and especially regular training leads to immediate noticeable success and measurable positive health effects after six weeks – and not only on a physical level:

Improvement of physical well-being through:

• Improved fitness
• Improved bone health
• Increased flexibility
• Less pain, especially in the back, knees, and hips
• Improved balance
• Safer execution of everyday movements
• Reduced risk of falls
• Reduced susceptibility to injury

Improvement of brain performance through:

• Improved concentration ability
• Improved memory

Enhancement of joy of life through:

• More balanced mood
• Improved ability to relax
• Reduced susceptibility to stress
• Increased self-esteem
• Increased confidence in one's own competence
• Improved sleep quality

Strengthening the feeling of connectedness through:

• Strengthened feeling of security in dealing with other people
• Boosted drive for communication and sociability
• Enhanced feeling of recognition

The WHO has also included in its new physical activity recommendations, based on evidence, that older adults (aged 65 and over) should do muscle-strengthening and balance training on two or more days a week.

Links:

• https://www.hepa.admin.ch/de/bewegungsempfehlungen
• https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240015128

Just ticking off a completed workout can help maintain motivation for regular exercise. Observing progress, such as the number of training days accomplished, either individually or with your sparring partner Tip 8, can be very valuable and motivating.

For instance, you could mark a cross in your calendar for each day you exercise. Alternatively, you could note down completed workouts on a separate piece of paper or in a table on your computer.

You can also use the HOMEX training diary to document completed workouts.

Diary (PDF)

Guide to the Training Diary

Attainable Goals

For many people, it's very helpful to have a concrete goal in mind in addition to good reasons for regular training. A goal is concrete if it is specific, measurable, appealing to you, and realistically achievable by a certain date. It's essential to set goals that are challenging yet attainable. The agreement (PDF) can provide concrete support. So, don't take on too much at first, as small and regular training sessions are more effective in the long run than starting with overexertion followed by training discontinuation.

Small successes motivate and strengthen your confidence. This increased confidence, in turn, boosts your self-esteem and your motivation to continue exercising. And so, the positive spiral turns.

Reward

Thinking up a weekly reward can also be very supportive for daily motivation. It feels good to celebrate achieved goals.

Weekly Review

On Sunday, you can pause and reflect on the past week:

• What went well?
• What I did especially well was...
• What was not so good was...
• For next week, I will adjust the following:...

Examples

• What went well? I found it much easier to start the exercises
• What I did especially well was the boxer, which is my favorite exercise
• What was not so good was the training time before breakfast
• For next week, I will make the following adjustments: 1. I will try the boxer with the green resistance band, 2. I will move my training to 9:30 AM, after breakfast

Being aware of your own strengths can give you the confidence to tackle a change like regular exercise and find the motivation to persevere.

The list Strengths (PDF) features 99 characteristics that people possess. We recommend marking at least 5 strengths that you can recognize in yourself.

In the Agreement Tip 10, you can note down your strengths.

We recommend selecting a trusted person as your HOMEX sparring partner – an ally on your journey. A sparring partner is someone you care about, who is willing to listen to you, and who can at least be reached by phone.

The role of the sparring partner is to listen to you and support you.

Regular contact with your sparring partner can help maintain your motivation for achieving your goals. Tell your sparring partner that you're starting with HOMEX and what your goals are. You can also invite them to join you for a workout. It's rewarding to face this challenge together, celebrate successes, and discuss setbacks. Your HOMEX sparring partner could be a grandchild, a daughter, a neighbor, your life partner, or even your doctor or therapist.

In the Agreement Tip 10, you can note down your HOMEX sparring partner.

Our recommendation: Practice smiling every morning after brushing your teeth – for immediate feedback, ideally do it in front of a mirror.

People who smile tend to remember positive things more. Even a smile that starts off as forced can do wonders. When we are happy, our brain sends our facial muscles the command to smile. Conversely, it works the same way. The mouth sends signals to the brain that we are happy, regardless of whether we actually feel that way or not.

Not only does smiling have a positive effect on your mood and condition, but laughing is also important. Laughter is the immune system of the mind.

Furthermore, laughter is hard work for the body. Laughing involves the facial, neck, intercostal muscles, as well as the diaphragm. In total, especially with hearty laughter, at least 100 muscles are active.

In the agreement, you define from when and for how long you want to try out the HOMEX training.

Additionally, you can record your personal Plan B in the agreement early on. Plan B is then ready for the days when you might falter and will be grateful for having your perseverance bolstered without needing to think too much about it (Tip 3).

We recommend printing this agreement with yourself if possible or writing it down on a piece of paper and placing the paper somewhere you pass by every morning, e.g., in the bathroom. This way, you are reminded daily why you are doing these exercises, and you can draw motivation from it every day.

Agreement (PDF)