Remember learning how to ride a bike? A lot goes into the first few lessons. The new rider must get over their fear and learn what feedback is important to react to: when to turn, when they are actually off balance and in danger of a fall, and when to be calm, rolling with those bumps in the road.

The first pedal takes so much more effort than all the rest, and it’s not just the fear of picking your feet off the ground. It actually takes more energy to get yourself moving than it does to keep yourself moving. You might recall Newton’s first law of motion from primary school: An object at rest will stay at rest. An object in motion will stay in motion, unless acted on by an outside force. Getting an object to start moving requires overcoming the inertia that keeps it at rest. Once it’s moving it only takes a little encouragement to keep going.

Getting back into healthy habits is just like getting that bike to move.

The beginning takes a big initial investment that’s much larger than those you’ll have to make once you’re feeling at home in your routine again.

The good news: Old habits come back quickly. Just like riding a bike!

By: Thomas Doyle // Kenzai Head Trainer & Member