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Sustainable change relies on frictionless systems and external accountability.

Social capital can override willpower.

Physical movement is a tool for subjective vitality and long-term cognitive resilience.

We’d like to start by making two assumptions about you, our friendly reader. One: You know that exercise is good for you. Two: You’d often rather eat a bug than go to the gym.

We understand. We have both learned to bring exercise into our routine, but it hasn’t been easy. As introverts, we tend to avoid team activities. We also don’t love doing things that are painful and difficult, especially when other people can see us. But we do it anyway. Why? Beyond not wanting to have to buy new pants, we honestly aren’t always sure. We know the benefits, especially for middle-aged professionals who had their kids later in life. Staying active now means that we can continue to be active as we age.

Our older selves will be stronger, more flexible, and recover more quickly from physical injury. And did you know that exercise also speeds future recovery from anxiety and phobias? It’s true! We have also learned that exercise keeps our brains sharp; while problem-solving speed typically peaks in a person’s 20s, exercise helps to increase cognitive resilience as you age. Plus, regular exercise is positively associated with life satisfaction.

But those are all long-term benefits. While we are all for doing our future selves a solid, there........

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