Move Happier: Tips for Regular Exercise, How Walking Helps You Think, Plus Can Your Garden Be an Accountability Partner? (Bonus)

Summary

Happier with Gretchen Rubin — Move Happier: Tips for Regular Exercise, How Walking Helps You Think, Plus Can Your Garden Be an Accountability Partner? (Bonus)

Original Air Date: July 12, 2026
Hosts: Gretchen Rubin, Elizabeth Craft
Guest: Sarah Fain

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Episode Overview

In this special crossover bonus episode, Gretchen Rubin (author and host of "Happier") teams up with her sister Elizabeth Craft and Elizabeth’s "Happier in Hollywood" co-host Sarah Fain. Bringing together listeners from both podcasts, the trio dives into the theme of building regular movement and exercise into daily life—especially with the ongoing "Move 26 in 26" challenge (26 minutes of movement every day in 2026). They candidly discuss obstacles, share practical tips, laugh about their own habits and shortcomings, and highlight the power of community and accountability. The tone, as always, is supportive, real, and gently motivating—full of “happiness bully” energy.

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Key Discussion Points, Insights & Notable Moments

1. Identifying Obstacles to Regular Movement

(04:13–19:39)

• Prompt: Gretchen introduces the “try this at home” for the week: "Identify your biggest obstacle to movement."
• Sarah’s Obstacle:
  • Wants to walk more, but "my obstacle is time. I have a very weird schedule. It's different every day... I just haven't figured out how to master my time yet." (05:16 – Sarah Fain)
  • Her daughter’s lack of regular schedule has disrupted her routine.
  • Gardening has become a form of "accountability partner": "I do feel accountability with my garden. The garden is my accountability partner." (06:35 – Sarah Fain)
• Elizabeth’s Challenge:
  • Determined to complete 100 Orange Theory classes in 2026, wants to increase from twice to three times a week.
  • Struggles due to soreness and inconsistent summer scheduling: "It makes me really sore and achy ... And then two, it being summer, it does feel like the schedule is so all over the map." (09:52 – Elizabeth Craft)
• Strategies Discussed:
  • Put movement on the shared calendar for accountability. They discuss the power of visible, scheduled commitments: "If I put Beach Walk on the calendar, it's more likely to happen." (07:57 – Sarah Fain)
  • Recognize and adapt as routines change; don’t be too self-critical.
• Gretchen’s Perspective:
  • Emphasizes giving credit for “non-traditional” movement but also encourages building new routines on top of the foundation.
  • Discusses shifting from ambling to more purposeful walking during her visits to the Met museum.
  • Raises a quirky observation about how audiobooks and podcasts affect walking pace.

Notable Quotes:

• "The garden is my accountability partner." (06:35 – Sarah Fain)
• "Put it on the calendar and just see what happens." (12:06 – Gretchen Rubin)
• "Just to give yourself credit for it, you're doing something that's social, it's nature, it's early morning ... But it has meant that you've lost this flexible slot that you used to have." (13:04 – Gretchen Rubin)

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2. Accountability, Scheduling, and Using Your Environment

(19:39–30:54)

• Accountability tricks: Both Sarah and Elizabeth are “obligers” (from Gretchen’s Four Tendencies framework) and do better when movement is scheduled and shared.
• Family Adaptation: Discusses how families adapt to scheduled exercise and routines if you stick with it, despite initial protest: "If you stick to it [scheduled exercise], people will get used to it." (18:46 – Gretchen Rubin)
• Listener Community: Invitation for listeners to share their own obstacles and solutions.

Notable Quotes:

• "Having things on the schedule and accountability works. It's just making that step to do it that's really the hurdle." (17:46 – Elizabeth Craft)
• "The way we start is often the way we continue ... our habits form so quickly, and they are such cement once they form." (32:06 – Gretchen Rubin)

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3. Deep Dive: Gretchen’s Tips for Making Exercise a Habit

(22:46–29:25)

Gretchen shares a treasure trove of practical advice, peppered with real-life examples:

• Start on Mondays: “I always exercise on Monday ... Monday sets the tone.”
• Time of Day: Used to advocate for AM, but now says “do it at the time that works for you” due to chronotype variation.
• Lowering the Entry Bar: "If you put on your running shoes and the door shuts behind you, it counts as a run.” (25:01 – attributed to their father)
• Making It Pleasant: Buy comfortable shoes/clothes; convenience matters a lot.
• Be Realistic About Evolution: Let your approach evolve as your needs and interests do; don’t get stuck in an old identity.
• Don’t “Kid Yourself”: Only count movement you’re truly doing.
• High Standards, Self-Compassion: "We wanna hold ourselves to a high standard, but then have self-compassion ... it's that tension. Expect a lot, but also don't get too upset if you don't live up to expectations." (28:56 – Gretchen Rubin)
• Social Ties: “Tying it to socializing is really important ... I’m so much more likely to do it if people want to do it with me.” (29:36 – Elizabeth Craft)

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4. Major Takeaways: The Power of the “Loop” (from Take a Hike segment)

(34:28–38:38)

• “Take a loop”: A favorite productivity and mental health tip from Elizabeth and Sarah. Originating on the Disney studio lot, they recommend a short, casual walk around the block or workspace:
  • “Whenever there's a break and we need to clear our heads, we just take a walk around ... Just getting outside and doing a loop just is so refreshing.” (34:58 – Sarah Fain)
  • More productive than expected—walking sparks ideas and problem-solving.
• Remote Loops: The idea of a long-distance “walking meeting” via phone, even when apart.

Notable Quotes:

• “The most productive parts of our day is when we're taking loops.” (35:23 – Elizabeth Craft)
• “It’s more refreshing to go outside. ... The treadmill desk is fantastic. But there is something about actually being outside.” (37:43 – Gretchen Rubin)

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5. Final Encouragement and Listener Challenge

(38:41–39:21)

• Listener Challenge: Identify your own obstacle to movement and try the Move 26 in 26 challenge—even if joining midyear.
  • “Remember, you're never behind. The best time to start move 26 in 26 was January 1st. The second best time is now.” (39:12 – Gretchen Rubin)

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Time-Stamped Highlights

• 03:43 – Sarah Fain introduced as co-host (and Gretchen playfully notes her last name, “Fain”, is Old English for “happy”).
• 05:16 – Sarah details her movement goal and challenges.
• 09:06 – Elizabeth discusses her Orange Theory target and roadblocks.
• 12:06 – Gretchen urges Elizabeth to check cancellation policies and schedule accordingly.
• 16:10–17:03 – Discussion: does speeding up audiobooks/podcasts make you walk faster?
• 18:46 – Gretchen explains how families adapt to set exercise routines.
• 22:46 – Gretchen’s list of favorite habit-forming tips for exercise.
• 25:01 – The famous running shoes advice from their father.
• 34:28 – Take a Hike: "Take a loop" segment explanation.
• 35:23 – Elizabeth explains why looping is both relaxing and productive.
• 37:43 – Gretchen on why walking outside matters.

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Tone and Language Snapshot

The episode is candid, practical, self-deprecating, and supportive. There’s gentle ribbing—Elizabeth acknowledges Gretchen’s “happiness bully” tendencies, Sarah and Elizabeth confess to obliger weaknesses, and everyone is honest about the reality of busy, messy lives. Advice is rooted in lived experience: real obstacles, imperfect solutions, and a focus on what’s manageable and sustaining.

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Notable Quotes

• “The garden is my accountability partner.” (06:35 – Sarah Fain)
• "If you put on your running shoes and the door shuts behind you, it counts as a run.” (25:01 – family wisdom)
• "Put it on the calendar and just see what happens.” (12:06 – Gretchen Rubin)
• "It’s more refreshing to go outside ... The treadmill desk is fantastic, but there is something about actually being outside.” (37:43 – Gretchen Rubin)
• "We wanna hold ourselves to a high standard, but also don’t get too upset if you don’t live up to expectations." (28:56 – Gretchen Rubin)
• "The best time to start move 26 in 26 was January 1st. The second best time is now." (39:12 – Gretchen Rubin)

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Practical Tips Recap

• Schedule movement and make it visible/accountable.
• Give yourself credit for small efforts.
• Invest in comfortable gear.
• Allow your movement routine to evolve with your life.
• Use social support and shared calendars.
• Try “taking a loop” (solo or with others) to energize body and mind.
• Use the “fresh start” of a new schedule to anchor habits.

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Listeners are encouraged to share their movement obstacles, solutions, and experiences with the hosts—and to join the ongoing community challenge. The ultimate message: start where you are, experiment, and move happier—one walk or loop at a time.

Transcript

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[Gretchen Rubin]

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[Gretchen Rubin]

You can focus on exercise, nutrition, all the things you're supposed to do for your health, but if you are not sleeping well, it is very hard to

[Elizabeth Craft]

feel refreshed, especially when you wake up overheated in the middle of the night. That completely affects my sleep, which is

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[Elizabeth Craft]

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[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah, and I also love that it automatically starts when you get into bed so it feels seamless. Visit www.sleep.me Gretchen to get up to $255 off your Chilipad 2.0 with code Gretchen. This special offer is available for happier and only for a limited time. Order it today with free shipping and try it out for 30 days. You can return it for free if you don't like it with their sleep trial. Visit www.sleep s l e e p.me Gretchen and see why cold sleep is your ultimate ally in performance and recovery. Hello and welcome to Move Happier. It's a bonus episode of the Happier with Gretchen Rubin Podcast. We created this for the move 26 in 26 challenge where we are challenging ourselves and listeners to move for 26 minutes a day, every day in 2026 and today just to have a little fun. We're doing something different. As listeners know, Elizabeth is not only my co host here on Happier, she is also the co host of Happier in Hollywood, the podcast she hosts with her longtime writing partner and friend and somebody I've known since childhood because she grew up in Kansas City with us, Sarah Fain. So today we're bringing our two podcasts together for a deep dive into more movement during the summer. I'm Gretchen Rubin, a writer who studies happiness, good habits and human nature. I'm in my little home office in New York City. And joining me today, well, for one from Los Angeles is my sister, Elizabeth Craft, who goes by Elizabeth for the purposes of happier but then assumes her other name, Liz, for Happier in Hollywood.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes, that's me, Liz. Elizabeth Craft, a TV writer and producer living in la. And with us is my co host of Happier in Hollywood, Sarah Fane.

[Sarah Fain]

I'm Sarah Fane, a TV writer and producer living in Ojai. I am so excited to be here with you two today with Liz, Elizabeth and you, Gretchen.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Oh, this is so fun. I've always listened to Happier in Hollywood, but today I'm part of the conversation and I need to point out to people that fain your last name, F a I n is sort of an old English word for happy. I knew it in the phrase like oh, fain would I be to see thee again or something. But it really means happy. So it's very appropriate that you have the name happy.

[Sarah Fain]

It's fate.

[Gretchen Rubin]

It's fate. It's nominative determinism, ye olde English style. So this week, our try this at home suggestion is as you think about your move 26 and 26, and if you are finding it hard to stick to it or do it every day or even if you're doing it, but maybe, you know, as the year drags on and we're getting to the halfway point, identify your biggest obstacle to movement. Because often we know exactly what we want to do. We want to swim more, we want to walk more, we want to do yoga every morning, we want to stretch every evening. But one thing that we talk about all the time is that it really helps to identify the exact problem. Because once you identify the problem, you can much more easily spot the obstacle. And it's not always what you think. So Elizabeth and Sarah first talk about what is the shape of your move 26 and 26. What do you think your obstacles are? Sarah, you go first. What's your goal and how's it going?

[Sarah Fain]

My goal Is to walk 26 and 26 and in general, just walk more. And my obstacle is time. I have a very weird schedule. It's different every day. I don't know how to predict it. This is the first time in my daughter's life I haven't had regular childcare. So I also have more just driving her around responsibilities. And I just haven't figured out how to master my time yet.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Well, it's interesting because I know on Happier in Hollywood, you were talking about how in the fall, Violet's gonna be back in a regular school schedule. And that that is gonna really give you a lot of new structure. But right now, you're in less structure than ever before.

It sounds like.

[Sarah Fain]

Exactly. And it makes it really challenging.

[Gretchen Rubin]

And let me ask you this. When you walk, does it seem like a big chore, like something you have to cross off your list, or does it feel like, oh, I do sort of enjoy this. It's just that it constantly gets floated down to the bottom of my to do list. Cause I have so much else going on.

[Sarah Fain]

It's that it down on the to do list for sure.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Right. Well, I have a question, which is Sarah's really into gardening now, so that counts.

[Gretchen Rubin]

I see where you're going.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Doesn't that count as moving 26? Because it seems like every day you're out working in the garden.

[Sarah Fain]

And I do feel accountability with my garden. I feel like that's. The garden is my accountability partner.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Right. Yes.

You can get an app that's like a fake garden because people don't want to let their little virtual plants die. So you have an actual garden that would actually die if you didn't take care of it. But here's the thing. I think sometimes with move 26 and 26, you want to add something to what you would ordinarily do. So, yeah, you've got the gardening, so that's a good, solid foundation. But then you want to build on it. But then on the other hand, you maybe don't want to be too hard on yourself because you have to make time for your gardening. And you do make time for your gardening.

[Sarah Fain]

Yes. One thing I was thinking about that I wanted to ask you about is maybe adding, like, one longer walk in the week that's on the schedule. Is that something that might be. If I literally put it on the calendar. I'm going to go to the beach. I live so close to the beach. I should just go for one beach walk a week for mental health and to hit my goal.

[Gretchen Rubin]

There's no wrong way to do it. I think that Sounds great. I think putting it on the calendar is really good. Even day to day. I will often note it on my calendar just so that I make sure it's like go to the Met because I have to do that every day. But sometimes you just forget something even though it's incredibly important to you and you've been in the habit of doing it. One day I forgot to floss and I didn't floss for like two years. How did that happen exactly? It's a mystery.

[Sarah Fain]

And Liz and I share a calendar, so I feel like she puts Orange Theory on the calendar and if I put Beach Walk on the calendar, it's more likely to happen.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Okay, that's some obliger energy.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes. We can hold each other accountable.

[Gretchen Rubin]

But also going to the beach, I don't know about you, but I have this feeling of wanting to use things up or wanting to feel like I'm living up to everything the world is offering. And for me, if I didn't go to the beach, I think it would weigh on my conscience. How is it that I'm not going to the beach? And so that would be another reason to want to do that beach walk is then you're like, oh, now I am using the beach. I am appreciating the beach. So that'd be even more reason to do it.

[Sarah Fain]

Absolutely. Because when I go, I love it.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes.

[Sarah Fain]

Well.

[Elizabeth Craft]

And now Sarah Violet is old enough to stay home by herself for an hour.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Whereas before, I think if you'd tried to go on a beach walk, you would have had to bring her, which sometimes she want to go, sometimes she wouldn't. That becomes a whole push pull.

[Sarah Fain]

Yes.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Whereas now you can just say, oh, on Wednesday at 5, I'm taking a walk on the beach and you can

[Gretchen Rubin]

come if you want and if you don't, you can stay home.

[Sarah Fain]

Yes.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Well, how about you, Elizabeth? How's your summer movement goal going?

[Elizabeth Craft]

Well, I mean, in general, I think I'm doing really well with moving 26 in 26, but I, as you know, really want to do 100 orange theory classes in 26. So that's a big part of it for me. One thing I really want to do this summer is go to Orange Theory three times a week. Whereas before I've been going twice a week and I have not managed that. Now I think there's kind of two reasons why I'm having trouble with it. One is it makes me really sore and achy. I really put my all into it and then my legs just feel like two Logs for, like, two days. So I'm sore. I have to kind of almost forget about that before I go back.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Elizabeth Craft]

And then two, it being summer, it does feel like the schedule is so all over the map. Even though our schedule is always all over the map, I think summer just adds to that feeling. And so I don't have these specific times I'm going. And so I don't know. It's an obstacle.

[Gretchen Rubin]

I agree. Going from twice a week to three times a week feels like a major

bump up in schedule pressure.

[Elizabeth Craft]

The reason I want to do this is two things. One, I want to get some numbers toward my hundred. Amp up my numbers.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah.

[Elizabeth Craft]

And then also because I'm expanding my horizons here, I joined this summer a strength challenge at Orange Theory, which is setting this goal to improve my strength between, like, June 1st and the end of July. And so obviously doing more classes will add to that, especially because I hadn't been doing three. So it really will be a difference in what my scan shows at the end of it.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Sure, sure.

Well, also, the thing is, let's say

you did it three times a week,

four times, probably for like a year.

If you did it twice a week,

you'd be like, oh, my gosh, this is so much easier than doing it once a week. That it does give you that psychological boost.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes.

[Gretchen Rubin]

How does that work? Could you put it on the schedule

a week in advance or that's just not realistic.

[Elizabeth Craft]

No, I could, but I think. I feel like I don't always know what our schedules.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Certainly you've got a lot of.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Granted, I could cancel 24 hours or 12 hours in advance, but I don't know. Something keeps me from doing that. I should do that.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Okay, you're right. Okay. Can I happiness bully you?

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes.

[Gretchen Rubin]

The first thing to do is to

find out what is the cancellation policy.

Is it 12 hours or 24 hours?

Because that's a huge difference.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yeah, I think it's 12 hours or maybe even eight hours.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Okay, well, look it up. Cause you're not sure. Yeah. Because then that gets into this whole thing. Like, every time you do it, you're gonna have this uncertainty in your mind. You should know, because if you do it three times a week, you're probably gonna end up canceling more.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Right.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Just because you're gonna put it in the slot. That feels the most tenuous.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes.

[Gretchen Rubin]

So it probably could be bumped. So you wanna know what the policy is? Because you don't wanna stress yourself out 24 hours in advance. If you don't only need eight hours in advance. That's a big difference.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Right.

[Gretchen Rubin]

So I would say do that and then I would just say put it on the calendar twice and just see what happens.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Okay. Like two weeks.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah. Two classes in and just see. Now, I will say that you've added the Trail and Talk every Friday, so that is something really valuable that you've added to your calendar. But that's another slot that is predetermined and it's very early in the morning, so probably doesn't conflict with a lot of things. But it is something that. Then you gotta organize around that if you want to do it and you're finding it really valuable.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes, you're right. And then Trail and Talk is every Friday morning at 7. I'm doing Fryman Canyon with a group of women. And yes, I used to do Orange Theory often on Friday afternoon.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Oh, there you go.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Because we usually don't go out Friday night. And so, yes, that is definitely a time that has fallen away because I'm just too tired.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Sure.

[Elizabeth Craft]

After doing Fryman in the morning to then go to Orange Theory, so that's an issue too.

[Gretchen Rubin]

But so just to give yourself credit for it, you're doing something that's social. It's nature. It's early morning, it's earlier morning than you would usually do. So there's a lot of good things about it. But it has meant that you've lost this flexible slot that you used to have. So it makes sense that you're trying

to figure this out.

[Elizabeth Craft]

But you're right, I think, Gretch, if I put it on the calendar and I'm sore, I'll still go and I'll just say, oh, well, you know, if I'm a little sore, I just won't push myself so hard. But then once I'm there, probably the soreness goes away once you're moving and it'll be fine. But it's hard to make myself put it on the calendar when my legs are really tired.

[Gretchen Rubin]

But can I just say I'm really impressed that you're pushing yourself so hard that you're sore every time.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Well, I mean, I think I'm just not very strong, but thank you. Yeah, it's a great exercise.

[Gretchen Rubin]

When I compare your exercise to my

exercise, you're so much more ambitious than I am.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Well, I'm trying, Sarah.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Aren't you? Do you think that her commitment to

Orange Theory is one of the least. Liz. Things about Elizabeth.

[Sarah Fain]

Oh, and it's so amazing.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes.

[Sarah Fain]

Identifying how many. Of a certain thing she wants to do every year. And then actually doing that to me is incredible. And, yeah, Orange theory is the last thing I would have thought you would do. Although you did always love aerobics classes.

[Elizabeth Craft]

I did. I was an aerobics person.

[Gretchen Rubin]

So was I. I love a class.

[Elizabeth Craft]

I love a class.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah.

[Elizabeth Craft]

And I'm fine with being the worst person in the class.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Sarah, I'll walk to the beach with you.

[Sarah Fain]

Yes, exactly.

[Gretchen Rubin]

And Elizabeth will sign off to Elizabeth.

[Sarah Fain]

Tell her to have fun. Enjoy.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Send us a photo.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Okay.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Gretch, what about you and your move? 26 this summer.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Okay, well, listen, this is so much

less ambitious than yours.

My 26 and 26 isn't necessarily always in a straight 26 minutes. So one thing I've been doing is, so I go to the Met every day except Wednesday when it's closed. And when I'm there, I'm just puttering around, daydreaming. But then I thought, for the last 10 minutes, I'm not speed walking, because that would be super annoying to people. But I'm walking purposefully through the Met so that I am getting a little bit more quicker walking. Because one thing about walking is you want to do it faster. Like, I tend to just amble same. I'm convinced. I used to be a fast walker, and my daughter Eleanor was such a slow walker. I walked her to school for years. And I'm convinced that that just sort of reset my. My default and that I could raise my default back to where it used to be if I just got in the habit of it. So that's part of the reason I'm. I'm trying to do this. So I've been doing that, and I love that because it's a completely different way of experiencing the Met. Strangely, when you're walking through it, you're just covering a lot of ground. I just notice things in a different way. So that has been very enjoyable. I'm doing that really well. And I walk so much in New York. I'm really trying to walk f. I have to constantly remind myself to do that. I think I'm doing a good job of that. I do feel like I will catch myself walking slowly and then walk faster. Here's a funny question to you two. You listen to audiobooks and podcasts all the time.

Both of you.

Do you listen at one time speed or do you listen faster one time? How about you, Sarah?

[Sarah Fain]

I listen at one time speed, yes.

[Gretchen Rubin]

A lot of people are just completely baffled. They don't understand how anybody does it. I don't understand why people want to speed things up, but I wonder, if I did it, if I would walk faster.

[Elizabeth Craft]

You probably would, which is part of

[Gretchen Rubin]

why I don't want it to be sped up. I don't want to add to sort

of the franticness of life.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes. Because I have thought if I listen to music on a dog walk, let's say, instead of a podcast or a book, I'd probably walk faster.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes.

[Elizabeth Craft]

But I just love audiobooks and podcasts too much to do that.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah. So you and I both, we prioritize the listening experience because we're not using it as a prop for exercise the

way you might use music as a prop for exercise. But maybe for walking faster, I should experiment because, again, if my hurdle is

I just naturally drop my speed slower, maybe that's good.

[Sarah Fain]

I bet that would work.

[Gretchen Rubin]

I'm interested to try. Well, listeners tell us, have you experimented with just speed?

I mean, I haven't really thought about this as, like, a factor in things.

Some people just want to get through more material. But I don't know. For me, part of the pleasure is

the listening of it. I don't know.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Well, yeah, to me, it's like the parasocial relationship.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes.

[Elizabeth Craft]

And so if someone's talking really fast, I feel like that takes away from my parasocial relationship.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah. Interesting.

The one thing about you two is

you're both obligers, and you're very keyed into your obliger ness, which is really great, because obligers, once they plug in that accountability, it's just so effective.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yeah. Well, I'll point out Sarah does Politics Bodies every Friday afternoon. And again, because it is on the schedule, we never schedule a meeting if we can help it. I mean, occasionally during that time. So we know having things on the schedule and accountability works. It's just making that step to do it that's really the hurdle.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Okay, but can I point something out, though? Generally about this is that sometimes when people are trying to get into something, like, let's say that they haven't had a Pilates class or something like that in the schedule forever, and they want to start doing it, and their family is like, oh, my gosh, it's so inconvenient. Mom's taking Pilates, whatever. If you stick to it, people adapt.

You don't say to yourself, gosh, Sarah,

this is always in our way. You're so inconvenient. Why is this? You get used to it, and it just. You sort of unthinkingly adjust your thinking and like, sometimes it gets bumped, but usually it's fine and people get used to it. And I think sometimes people back down

too fast because other people who are

mildly inconvenienced for the first time protest and then they're like, oh, I can't impose this on all these other people. If you stick to it, they'll get used to it, they'll figure it out, they'll find a way. And so sometimes people just don't want to be inconvenienced at all and they will complain anyway. Listeners, if you are doing the move 26 and 26 challenge, what is your obstacle? If you've identified your obstacle, how have you surmounted your obstacle? This is something, I mean, getting exercise, getting movement into the day, I think is probably one of the number one, maybe the number one thing people want to do better. And it's just we all need to learn from each other because it's just, it's time and energy and that is hard to have. So let us know on Instagram threads, TikTok, Facebook. Drop us an email at podcastretchenrubin.com or go to happiercast.com for everything related to this episode.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

All right, coming up, we've got a deep dive into tips for getting regular exercise.

[Elizabeth Craft]

But first, this break.

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[Gretchen Rubin]

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[Gretchen Rubin]

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[Elizabeth Craft]

Okay, Gretch, we are back with a deep dive. You have accumulated many, many tips for how to get more regular exercise.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Okay. Yes, because we know the research people who exercise are healthier, more energetic, they think more clearly, they sleep better, they have delayed onset of dementia, they get relief from anxiety and depression, they're more creative. But it can be, as I was saying, it can be hard to have the habit. So here are some tricks that I have used over the years. I'm not using all of them now, but they have worked for me in the past. And then Sarah and Elizabeth, I want you to pipe in on anything that you have found particularly useful. So one of mine, okay, for years, always exercise on Monday because I feel like Monday sets the tone and also it gives you that good feeling of you've started strong.

[Elizabeth Craft]

That's good.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Okay. Now this one I used to really firmly believe in, but I've changed my mind, which is, if at all possible, exercise first thing in the morning.

[Elizabeth Craft]

I never exercise in the morning. Well, I do when I hike. I exercise in the morning, but I always go to orange sleep or in the afternoon.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Well, you hike in the morning because of the heat, right?

Yes.

Right. One of the Reasons. So weather is one, but another one is a lot of times that's the time that's the least likely to get interfered with. So it's good to get it over with and it sets you up for the day because it's just really good for your body. But I do think, especially for night people or people who are not really strong morning people, it's just very hard to exercise then. So before I understood the importance of chronotype and that people really are morning people or night people, I was very much always trying to tell people to do it in the morning. But now I'm like, do it in

the time that works for you.

Sarah, when do you exercise? What's your preferred slot?

[Sarah Fain]

My preferred slot is morning, but my Pilates teacher, her opening is in the afternoon, so I would rather do it first thing Monday morning, but we actually do it last thing Friday afternoon.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Okay, well, there you go.

[Sarah Fain]

But it's actually good because it transitions me into the weekend.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Oh, that's.

I think of it that way.

That's a good way to think about it.

Okay, this next one, Elizabeth, you will

know about this one, which is to give yourself credit for the smallest effort. And this was because our father's line was, if you put on your running shoes and the door shuts behind you, it counts as a run.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes. And so many listeners have emailed us that Dad's line about that resonates with them and that they use it to get themselves out the door. And then, as we know, once you're out the door, 99 times out of 100, if not more, you're gonna do the thing.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Well, it's like you saying, I'll go to Orangetheory, but I won't push myself that hard. But then you get there and you just do it the way you always do it.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Exactly.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Okay, now, Sarah, this is one that I think will appeal to you as an overbuyer. Look for affordable ways to make exercising more pleasant or satisfying. To me, this is a good place to spend a little bit more money. If you can get exercise clothes you feel better wearing. If you can afford a more convenient gym, can you think of some ways that you've spent a little money to make exercise more pleasant or satisfying?

[Sarah Fain]

I actually just bought some really comfortable walking shoes. So important, because for me, the beach walk is perfect because it is enjoyable and free. But I want to have really good shoes. So I just bought some HOKA walking shoes that make me really want to get out there. Also. Same for hiking. It's free. It's beautiful, but I want to be comfortable when I'm doing it.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Exactly. Yeah. Shoes are a really good place to invest, practically, no matter what you're doing. Another is to set goals, but don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. And, Elizabeth, this is you and the orange theory. The tension between wanting to be perfect

and then not expecting yourself to be perfect.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes. And setting that goal for 100, but knowing if I don't reach it, it's still great that I did 88 classes,

[Gretchen Rubin]

or whatever it may be. It's a lot more than you would have done otherwise.

This is one that I really struggled with myself, which is to let your approach evolve. For years and years and years, I went to the gym and I saw

myself as somebody who went to the gym.

And then it just didn't work for me for a variety of reasons.

So I stopped going to the gym. But I wasn't doing other forms of exercise because I hadn't acknowledged that.

It just didn't work for me anymore.

I couldn't let go of that identity. And finally I had to say, I am not a person who goes to the gym anymore. Now I'm a person who does other things. But it was really startling to me how much that identity stood in the way of me actually exercising in an updated way. It was hard to let that go well.

[Elizabeth Craft]

And I think a lot of people experience that, like if they are really into tennis, for instance, and that's a sport that some people have to give up because of their knees or whatever, and then they don't exercise because they're not playing tennis twice a week or whatever.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Make it as convenient as possible. Whatever you can do to make it more convenient. I've talked to people who sleep in their exercise clothes so that in the morning they don't have to get dressed. Paying for a gym that's a little bit closer. So it's that much more convenient. It's bonkers how sensitive we are to the slightest little bit of convenience or inconvenience. Here's one that I think is very funny is don't kid yourself. I remember talking to this guy. I was like, how do you get your extras? He's like, oh, I do pickup basketball with my friends. And his wife was there and she's like, you haven't done that in six months. Right, right. In his mind, that was the way he got his exercise. And then one of my really, really good friends, so I turned her on to high intensity weight training because she

was a person who didn't get any exercise otherwise. And she really stuck with it for like five years. She'd had back pain, it went away, it was great. And then she said to me, I'm really just sick of the weight training. I'm going to find a different kind of exercise and I'm just going to switch to that. And I said, that is fine. Once you have been doing that new form of exercise for a month, then drop the weight training.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes.

[Gretchen Rubin]

That was like 10 years ago. And she just said to me literally

the other day, oh, you were the one who stopped me from kidding myself.

There was no other form of exercise

she was gonna do.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes.

[Gretchen Rubin]

So it's just like, okay, what are you actually doing?

And then the final thing is just. And this is coming back to that tension that we were talking about, which is we wanna hold ourselves to a high standard, like move 26 and 26, but then have self compassion for ourselves and not be too hard on ourselves when it doesn't go the way we planned. It's that tension. Expect a lot, but also don't get too upset if you don't live up to your expectations. So yeah. Do you have any to add? Are there any that have worked for you too? Scheduling?

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes. Really putting it on the schedule, I think for us both is hugely important. And without it it's tough.

[Sarah Fain]

And saying it out loud to each other that that is the goal.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Right.

[Elizabeth Craft]

And for me, tying it to socializing is really important. Like my friend Candace always wants to do Freiman and I'm so much more likely to do it if she or other people want to do it with me. Rather than going by myself, could I go by myself and listen to a book or a podcast?

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yes. Will I?

[Elizabeth Craft]

Probably not. But if there's a person there that I'm going to chat with or my new trail and talk every Friday, that motivates me to do it.

[Gretchen Rubin]

That's a really good point. Well, and then you get double benefit. Sarah, you moved to Ohio, I don't know, like three years ago now. Four years ago. How long has it been?

[Sarah Fain]

It's been four years. Yes.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Okay. I think for a lot of people when they have a big move like that, it's very disruptive. How did that.

But sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.

How did that affect your exercise patterns?

[Sarah Fain]

I thought it would be disruptive for the better. I thought it would really change things and I would suddenly be out hiking all the time. In fact, the opposite happened and it was not at all what I expected, which is why I'm so glad that starting in August, Violet's starting high school. She's gonna have a regular schedule. I'm gonna have a regular schedule. And I finally feel like for the first time, I'll be able to do all the things that I thought I was gonna do when I first moved here. So it was very disruptive, but not in a good way.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Okay. Can I give you some happiness bully advice?

[Sarah Fain]

Please.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Okay.

So she's gonna go to school. You're gonna be in this regular pattern.

But I wouldn't expect that these things would automatically kick in or that you will be naturally gravitating towards all the things that you thought you would do. I would really think carefully. What would your ideal be? Your realistic ideal would be put it on the calendar. And the way we start is often the way we continue. And it's very tempting to think something like, well, now we're all getting used to this new schedule, so let me give myself a month, and once the dust settles, then I'll do it the way that I want to continue. But our habits form so quickly, and they are such cement once they form, that if you possibly can't. I know that it's really chaotic at the beginning of a school year, especially if it's a new school, but if you can possibly do at least some of the things that you would like to do right from the jump, so that. That just feels like she leaves at 7:35. You know, when she does this, I do that or whatever it might be. Just think about it in advance and try to get it going as soon as the schedule changes rather than easing into it, because I think a lot of times then we miss the energy of the fresh start and the opportunity to rebuild a fresh habit and get that cement poured in.

[Sarah Fain]

Okay, thank you. Because that's exactly what I needed to hear. And I had been planning on figuring it out and. Oh, the first. But I will now go. Okay. On Monday, I will take her to school. We will record the podcast. On Tuesday, I'll take her to school. Then I'll go for a hike on what? Like, first week of school, I'll dive right in.

[Gretchen Rubin]

And of course, you might have to change it because you won't be able to perfectly predict.

It's just that that fresh start is

so precious, but it's very easy to miss it. Okay, all right.

[Sarah Fain]

I needed that good advice, and I will heed your advice.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Okay, good. I will expect a good report. So accountability.

[Sarah Fain]

Absolutely.

[Elizabeth Craft]

All right, coming up, Sarah and I have a take a hike which is one of our favorite segments from Happier in Hollywood. But first, this break.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

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[Gretchen Rubin]

It's a crossover. So it's time for you guys to do a Take a hike. This is one of my favorite segments in the Happier in Hollywood podcast where you propose something for your mental, spiritual or physical.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes, Emotional, psychological, any kind of health there is. And we've found that most things impact all of the above. So yes, really don't need to distinguish. But we do.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Elizabeth Craft]

So today our take a hike is definitely related to move 26 and 26.

[Sarah Fain]

Our take a hike is to go for a loop. This is something we have been doing since we first started writing together. Whenever there's a break and we need to clear our heads, we just take a walk around. Whatever. If it's a studio lot, we take a walk around the lot. If we're renting an office, we take a walk around the block. If we're at home, we take a walk around the block. Just getting outside and doing a loop just is so refreshing.

[Elizabeth Craft]

And we often find that we actually are more productive while walking than we were in our office or wherever we're working. So we do it for a break. But it actually Often ends up being the most productive parts of our day is when we're taking loops.

[Gretchen Rubin]

I think you started calling it taking a loop when you were on the Disney lot, if I remember, because there they had a very specific loop.

Am I remembering that right?

[Elizabeth Craft]

I think so, yes. And we also were on the Fox lot for years, and we would loop there. And I don't remember what we called it, but it was definitely taking a loop.

[Gretchen Rubin]

But this is a question I've always

wanted to ask you.

So you're out there, you're walking. Do you say to each other and to yourselves, we're gonna talk about work, or do you just talk about whatever you want, but because you've been talking about work and you're at work, you

just naturally return to that?

Are you trying to direct the conversation in any way or you're just doing whatever feels natural?

[Sarah Fain]

Usually we're just doing whatever feels natural. Sometimes we'll be blocked and say, let's take a loop. And something will occur to us because we're moving. But usually it's more just part of the natural flow of things. We just always talk about work, right?

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes, we do.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah.

[Elizabeth Craft]

And I will say one of my least favorite things about the work from home movement is that it does cut down on looping and walking during the day. I mean, when we were on the Disney lot, I mean, we would walk probably four times a day. We would take a 15 to 20 minute walk.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Right.

[Elizabeth Craft]

And we felt very justified in doing so again because it was very productive. So we definitely don't do it as much now, but when we're together, we're much more likely to do it than when we're apart.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Now, do you ever do walk and talks where you just. You're walking in Ojai, you're walking in Encino, and you're just talking with your headphones.

Do you ever do that? Like a long distance loop?

I like that phrase, the long distance loop.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes, yes.

[Sarah Fain]

Like, hey, let's take a long distance loop.

[Elizabeth Craft]

We should do that. We do it on the treadmill desk. We both have treadmill desks, so we might be walking and talking on the treadmill desk, but it is not the same.

[Gretchen Rubin]

No, it's not as being outside.

[Elizabeth Craft]

So I think we should try that. A remote loop. Yeah.

[Gretchen Rubin]

I have a friend who lives in London and we'll do that sometimes. And I'll walk in the park and she walks. I don't know where she walks. She walks somewhere and we just catch up that way. It's not the same as being side to side, obviously. But it is refreshing. It's more refreshing to go outside. You've got the air in your face, you've got the sunlight in your eyes. You're really moving through space. And I think that just feels. I think the treadmill desk is fantastic. But I think there is something about actually being outside.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Oh, I'm curious. You guys try a long distance loop?

[Elizabeth Craft]

Walk on the beach?

[Sarah Fain]

Absolutely. I'll walk on the beach. And you can walk in the Encino Hills.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes. Sounds very glamorous when you put it that way.

[Gretchen Rubin]

So that's the suggestion is to take a loop. Is that the phrase, take a loop?

[Sarah Fain]

Yes.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Take a loop or take a long distance loop and let us know near or far. What worked for you?

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes, we want to hear about all those loopers out there.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah, exactly. Well, that's it for this bonus episode of Happier. Remember to try this at home. Identify your biggest obstacle to movement this summer. Let us know what you discovered, what you tried, if it worked for you. We want to know if you'd like to join us for the move 26 and 26 challenge, where we are challenging ourselves for 26 minutes of movement every day this year. You can find more information at. @haveyourcast.com move26. And remember, you're never behind. The best time to start move 26 and 26 was January 1st. The second best time is now. It's great if you join halfway through.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Thank you to our executive producer, Chuck Reed. Thanks to Sarah Fain and everyone at Lemonada.

[Sarah Fain]

Thanks for having me. It was fun to be here.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Bye.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Bye, Elizabeth. Bye, Sarah. Bye, Chuck. The best time to start a happiness project is 20 years ago. The second best time is now. Sarah, I love seeing your crawfish, or what do you call it?

[Elizabeth Craft]

Klophus.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Your klophus.

[Sarah Fain]

Klophus. Although I like crawfish also. Yeah, I can touch both walls.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Will you send me a video of it? Because I have a little tiny, weird. It's like a very large closet or a very small room. And I'm wondering if I could do something like what you've got.

[Sarah Fain]

Oh, yes, I will. I'll send you one now.

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