Get Active for Life: Issue #11

Consistency is king

September 30, 2025

In this issue:

  • Consistency is King

  • Sian’s story

  • Tip: Habit Stacking

  • and more…

Hello there,

The Unsexy Secret to Getting Fit

Here’s the reality. We’re all secretly hoping for a magic bullet. That one perfect workout, that one life-changing diet, that one burst of superhuman motivation that will finally transform us into the effortlessly fit person we see on Instagram.

But what if the real secret to getting and staying active isn’t a dramatic transformation at all? What if it’s something much quieter, much less glamorous, and, dare we say, a little bit boring?

Welcome to the wonderful world of consistency. It’s the unsexy, un-marketable, un-Instagrammable truth at the heart of every single long-term health success story. Consistency is the act of showing up, especially when you don’t feel like it. It’s the five-minute walk when you planned for 30. It’s the handful of stretches you do while the kettle boils. It’s the choice to take the stairs when the lift is calling your name.

We often fall into the “all-or-nothing” trap. We think if we can’t do our full, perfect, hour-long workout, there’s no point in doing anything. But recent science is proving that idea wrong. In fact, tiny, regular bursts of activity which are sometimes called “exercise snacks” are incredibly powerful. Research from 2025 shows that just a few minutes of vigorous activity spread throughout the day can dramatically lower your risk of heart disease and mortality. Your body doesn’t know you’re not in a fancy gym; it just knows it’s moving.

Building a habit of movement isn’t about a 21-day challenge. Studies show it can take anywhere from two months to nearly a year to truly form a new habit. So, if you’ve tried and “failed” in three weeks, you didn’t fail, you just stopped at the beginning. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s persistence.

This week, let’s make a pact to embrace the “good enough” workout. Let’s celebrate the messy, imperfect, real-life ways we can move our bodies. Forget the magic bullet and fall in love with the simple, powerful act of just showing up. One small step at a time, we build a chain of consistency that is stronger than any single burst of motivation.

🕺 Interesting People

Sian’s Story

Why Exercise Became More Social as I Got Older (And Why That Matters)

"From hating team sports to becoming a CrossFit coach in her 40s - Sian's journey proves it's never too late to find your passion and follow it."

Sian's story will resonate with anyone who ever felt like exercise "wasn't for them" because they struggled with traditional sports. Her 20+ year journey from teenage discovery to career transformation shows how exercise can evolve from personal wellness to professional passion.

Her inspiring journey includes:

  • Growing up thinking exercise meant team sports (and hating them)

  • Discovering running for pure joy at boarding school in England

  • Building a 20+ year habit that became "like brushing my teeth"

  • Completing 8 marathons - never fast, always for enjoyment

  • Exploring boot camps, Bikram yoga, Pilates, and finally CrossFit

  • Recognising exercise as "cheaper therapy than a psychologist"

  • Understanding how social connections become more important with age

  • Making the bold decision to step back from accounting to pursue coaching

  • Following passion over societal expectations in her early 40s

Key Transformation Quote: "Once you get a bit older, you prioritise what you love."

Mental Health Wisdom: "There's nothing a run can't solve. No matter how bad I'm feeling, you're never gonna regret it. It's my therapy. It's cheaper than a psychologist."

Community Insight: "The social connection side has become more and more important over the years. You don't just miss the physical health benefits, it's the connection to your friends and the community you've built."

This isn't about perfect fitness or dramatic transformations. It's about finding what brings you joy, building community around movement, and having the courage to follow your passion regardless of age or what others might think.

What lights you up?

📝 Health & Wellness News

What we’ve been reading this week

🚶‍♀️ Micro-Workouts, Major Benefits

New research from 2025 is confirming that you don’t need long workouts to see significant health improvements. A European study found that just 10-15 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per day can reduce all-cause mortality by 40-50%. Even short, 1-2 minute bursts of vigorous activity three times a day showed a nearly 50% reduction in cardiovascular disease mortality risk.

🧠 Machine Learning Predicts Who Will Stick to Exercise

Researchers at the University of Mississippi are using artificial intelligence to crack the code of exercise adherence. Their 2025 study analysed data from 30,000 people and found that three key factors consistently predict who will maintain an exercise routine: how much time someone spends sitting, their gender, and surprisingly, their education level. The research could help fitness professionals design more personalised programs that people actually stick with.

🐢 Consistency Over Intensity is the Real Winner

An editorial in the British Columbia Medical Journal highlights a crucial message for long-term health: consistency beats intensity. The piece points to research showing that the health benefits of physical activity are gained whether the movement happens in one long session or in shorter, sporadic bursts throughout the day. This supports the idea that every little bit of movement truly counts towards your weekly goal.

🥨 'Exercise Snacks' Are the New Coffee Break

The concept of “exercise snacks”—short, 30-second to five-minute bouts of movement—is gaining scientific backing. A 2025 review suggests this approach is a time-efficient way to improve physical activity levels, especially for sedentary populations. Instead of a full workout, you can “snack” on exercise throughout the day to boost your fitness.

Sources: ScienceDirect

🗓️ The Power of a Consistent Workout Time

Struggling to stick with exercise? A 2023 study suggests that picking a consistent time of day to work out could be a key strategy. The research explored the feasibility of prescribed, consistent exercise timing as a way to help inactive people build a sustainable routine, suggesting that a predictable schedule can help automate the behaviour.

Sources: PMC

🤔 How Long Does a Habit Really Take to Form?

Further challenging the 21-day myth, a 2025 guide from ACE Fitness explains that habit formation is a highly individual process. Citing research, the guide notes that while habits can start forming in about two months, the full process can take up to 335 days. This underscores the need for patience and persistence when building a new exercise routine.

Sources: ACE Fitness

👍 Actionable Tip of the Week

What exercise can I do whilst my coffee is brewing?

Habit Stacking

One of the easiest ways to build a new habit is to peg it to an existing one. This is called 'habit stacking'. You're taking advantage of a behavior that's already wired into your brain and using its momentum to carry you into the next action. The formula is: "After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT]".

For example: "After I brush my teeth in the morning, I will do ten squats." Or, "After I pour my afternoon cup of tea, I will do five minutes of stretching." The key is to choose a current habit that is absolutely solid and make the new habit short and specific. It removes the need to find time or motivation; the cue is already built into your day.

Try this today: Identify one rock-solid daily habit (like your morning coffee). Now, pick a 1-5 minute movement you can 'stack' directly after it. Write it down and give it a go for the rest of the week.

❝

It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.

Tony Robbins

😊 Fun, Quirky, Interesting

The other side of Health and Life

🎨 Exercise Makes You More Creative, Science Confirms

A fascinating 2024 study published in Nature found that people who are habitually more physically active don't just have better bodies—they have more creative minds too. Researchers tracked 156 people with mobile sensors and discovered that those who moved more throughout the day were significantly more likely to engage in creative activities like cooking original dishes, making music, and coming up with innovative solutions to everyday problems.

🎵 Your Playlist Can Actually Make You Stronger

University of Alabama researchers have discovered that music doesn't just make exercise more enjoyable—it literally changes how your muscles work. Their studies show that the right tunes can alter how hard muscles contract, help them resist fatigue, and increase overall effort. But here's the catch: the music has to be personalised to your taste. If you listen to music you don't like during exercise, it can actually make your performance worse.

🧊 Cold Water Swimming May Rewire Your Metabolism

A comprehensive 2022 review of cold-water immersion studies suggests that regular exposure to cold water might do more than just wake you up—it could transform your body's fat composition and improve insulin sensitivity. The research indicates that cold water exposure may reduce body fat, particularly transforming it into metabolically active brown fat, potentially offering protection against cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes.

🥰 Dogs Who Love The Gym

Need a smile? This compilation of dogs 'working out' alongside their owners is pure joy. From pups trying to do push-ups to others enthusiastically spotting their humans, it's a hilarious and heartwarming reminder that movement can be play.

Link: YouTube

Thanks for reading!

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Disclaimer: The content of this newsletter does not constitute medical advice. You should always take the advice of a qualified health professional as required.