Elevate & Energize: Cultivate healthier habits to better support your goals

As we move through the seasons of life,

many of us set goals with the best of intentions. We want to move more, feel stronger, sleep better, manage stress, or simply create more balance in our days. Yet despite our motivation, sustaining these changes can often feel challenging.

What if achieving your goals wasn't about finding more willpower, but about creating habits that naturally support the life you want to live?

Research increasingly suggests that long-term success is less about motivation alone and more about developing sustainable habits that align with your values, routines, and environment. The good news? Habits can be intentionally cultivated—and movement and mindfulness are two of the most powerful tools available to support that process.

Why Habits Matter More Than Motivation

Motivation is often what gets us started, but habits are what keep us going.

Research on physical activity habits shows that behaviours become more sustainable when they are repeated consistently within stable contexts. Over time, these actions require less conscious effort and become more automatic, reducing our reliance on fluctuating motivation levels. Habit formation interventions have been shown to strengthen physical activity behaviours and improve long-term adherence to movement routines (Ma et al., 2023; Hagger, 2019).

This means that instead of focusing solely on outcomes such as losing weight, increasing flexibility, or improving fitness, we can shift our attention toward creating small, repeatable actions that support those outcomes.

Rather than asking: "How do I stay motivated?"

Try asking: "What habit can I create that makes this goal easier to achieve?"

Start Small to Build Momentum

One of the biggest misconceptions about habit change is that we need to make dramatic transformations overnight.

In reality, research consistently demonstrates that habits develop through repetition and consistency. Small behaviours practiced regularly are often more effective than ambitious routines that are difficult to maintain. Physical activity habits become stronger when behaviours are performed repeatedly in familiar contexts and linked to existing routines.

Examples might include:

• Five minutes of morning mobility before coffee

• A 20 minute Ascend Online class after work

• Three mindful breaths before opening your laptop

• A short evening stretch before bed

These actions may seem insignificant in isolation, but they create momentum. Momentum builds consistency, and consistency builds lasting change.

Create an Environment That Supports Success

Our environment plays a significant role in shaping our behaviours.

Research on behaviour change and choice architecture suggests that small environmental adjustments can significantly influence physical activity participation. When healthy choices are easier and more visible, we're more likely to follow through on them.

Consider:

• Setting out your yoga mat the night before

• Scheduling movement sessions into your calendar

• Creating a dedicated space for exercise or mindfulness

• Keeping a water bottle visible throughout the day

These simple cues reduce decision fatigue and make healthy choices more accessible.

The Missing Piece: Mindfulness

While habits help us create consistency, mindfulness helps us create awareness.

A growing body of research suggests that mindfulness practices can positively influence physical activity participation by increasing self-awareness, self-regulation, and connection to bodily sensations. Mindfulness may also support greater enjoyment of movement, which is an important predictor of long-term adherence.

When we approach movement mindfully, we begin to notice:

• How our body feels before, during, and after exercise

• Which types of movement genuinely energize us

• The difference between pushing ourselves and supporting ourselves

• The relationship between stress, recovery, and performance

Mindfulness shifts movement from something we "have to do" into something we get to experience.

Movement as a Form of Self-Connection

Research grounded in Self-Determination Theory has found that people are more likely to maintain exercise behaviours when they feel a sense of autonomy, competence, and personal meaning. In other words, we are more likely to continue moving when the experience feels rewarding and aligned with who we are—not because we feel pressured to do it.

This is one of the reasons why finding movement you genuinely enjoy is so important. Movement doesn't have to look a certain way.

It might be:

• A strength class that helps you feel empowered

• A pilates session that improves your posture and stability

• A gentle yoga practice that helps regulate your nervous system

• A mindful walk outdoors with your dog

The most effective movement practice is often the one you'll continue returning to.

Bringing It Back to Ascend Online

Our goal has never been perfection. It's about helping you build sustainable practices that support your health, energy, and well-being for the long term.

Whether you're joining a live class, completing an on demand workout, practicing yoga, building strength, or taking time for mindful movement, each session is an opportunity to reinforce habits that support your goals.

Remember:

You don't need to overhaul your life overnight.

You don't need perfect motivation.

You don't need to do more.

You simply need to continue showing up.

One movement session.
One mindful breath.
One small habit at a time.

Because lasting transformation isn't built through perfection—it's built through repetition, awareness, and the willingness to begin again.