Exercise 5 days a week

I think it counts as a habit if you do it regularly. You don't have to do something every day. Some people go to church every week, once a week on the same day. That's a habit. So if you resolve to exercise 5 days per week, then make that your habit. It helps at first to make the days and times the same, but it is not necessary to keep the same days and times if you find that you need to adjust it for your schedule, just be sure not to skip one. For me, I want to ramp up my running again so I plan on running 3 times per week for 60 minutes. I am choosing Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5 pm. I will not adjust this for at least a month. This will ensure that I make it a habit and a part of my weekly routine. Once it is part of my routine, then I can be reasonably confident that if I get a schedule conflict, I will just run at a different time that day, but not actually skip any of the days that I plan on running. "Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today." My grandmother used to say that to me whenever I would rationalize a procrastinated activity. In any case, I hope that helps. It's just my opinion, but the importance is that if you choose to do it 5 days per week, do it those 5 days.

The main thing is whether it's connected to a "trigger" ... something that immediately precedes the habit that triggers it. For example, if you habitually go running right after work, that can be a habit. And if you only work 5 days a week, the trigger only happens 5 days a week, and then so would the habit.

The connection between the trigger and the habit is what makes the habit strong ... if the connection isn't strong yet, the habit isn't strong.

I agree completely with Soukyan.

I like the trigger idea that Leo mentions as a way to make habits easier to maintain.

5 out of 7 days sounds like a habit to me.

If your schedule requires you to sleep at different times on different days but you always brush your teeth before you retire, is it a habit or not?

T Rex

I'd like to thank everyone who had replied either by voting or by leaving a message.

Soukyan and Leo, you're obviously right; routine makes tasks significantly easier to do. About two weeks ago I started recording my weight daily and in order to do that I created a routine, tying it to using the bathroom in the morning. I haven't skipped one yet. Of course, exercising requires more time than I have in the morning. (I know I could get up earlier, but that would be another habit, wouldn't it?)

For now, I'm going to stick with strength training after work on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and cardio after work Thursday and Saturday first thing in the morning (that will be the hardest one). I'll post later this week on how I'm doing.