How To Stay Consistent in Your Workout Routine
Working out.
A taboo topic. Something that some people love, some people hate, and that most people are always attempting.
For the average person, it's a constant push and pull.
Constant influxes of working out, not working out.
Telling ourselves we have to sign up for a class and then cancel it.
Making it a New Year's resolution to work out more and then fall off two weeks later.
Or oftentimes, you finally get into a good routine and then go on a trip, and you fall right off.
Most people are accustomed to this toxic cycle. No matter what, you always fall off or lose consistency eventually. Busy schedules, change, and lack of motivation/prioritization make it an issue for many.
It can definitely take a toll on you and your confidence.
At least, as a society, I think we’ve evolved past the idea of working out just to be “skinny” or “lose weight.” Strong is the new skinny they tell us now. The benefits of mental health are incredibly stressed. There's more emphasis on being strong and doing weight lifting instead of doing endless hours of cardio.
These messages are all great (and true).
But what if you could escape this toxic cycle of falling on and off working out? Well you can. I certainly did!
It's all about your habits and mental toughness.
In this blog post, I will go through some ways to stay consistent in your workouts.
Remember That Feeling of Accomplishment
Remember COVID Lockdown? Many of us just sat around doing nothing all day. Or doing things in the home like reading, baking, watching tv ect. It wasn't the greatest feeling to sit around and feel like you accomplished nothing or had nothing to do. Or at least that's how I felt.
I was home from college, and then I came home post-college and had some part-time jobs that I was working but not very many hours. I didn't have that many responsibilities on my plate, which was a privilege. But something I could do was work out every single day. So that meant that even if I did nothing all day besides mundane chores/watching TV/reading etc., at least I had worked out. I had done my daily exercise, strength building, cardio, whatever it was. One box to check off the day after creating a very long streak - “Hey, look at me, I worked out 22 days in a row”… something to that effect. Maybe I wasn't doing anything big or crazy with my life, but I was at least moving every day.
I know that’s not everyone's reality. People are busy with jobs, kids, activities, and so on. But especially if you’re in a season with a lot of free time or maybe you're even down, depressed, or in a funk, this line of thinking can be really helpful.
Even if life is not going your way, you’re going through something mentally, and you don’t have much you’re looking forward to or proud of right now…. Having a consistent workout schedule is something to be proud of and look forward to. Trust me.
2. Follow Through & Build Self-Trust
“I'm gonna work out 5 times this week.” “I'm going to go to that pilates class tomorrow morning.” “I’ll finally try that spin class this weekend.”
Flash forward to drinking on a Friday night and sleeping in, not signing up for the class, and losing motivation. We’ve all been that person or know that person. The one that is constantly saying they're gonna make a change and work out [X] times a week and then not following through.
It sucks, doesn't it? You lose confidence in yourself. You almost know you’re not gonna do it when you set the intention. And people around you lose respect for you because they know you are going to bail.
So what if you just… actually did what you said you were going to? And made the hard choices to get there? Don’t think about it as “I may go to this spin class tomorrow,” or Maybe I’ll work out if I feel like it. No, you are GOING to do it. And if anything gets in your wa,y you’re going to overcome it. Don’t even think of it as a choice - You are going to go. Period.
This can include making sacrifices sometimes. If someone invites you to go out Saturday night, but you know if you stay up late, you won’t go to your workout the next morning, you may have to say no. Or someone invites you to go shopping, but working out is still on your to-do list that day… You might have to pass on this one.
Keeping the promise to yourself is sometimes more important than other plans.
But the benefit? The new found confidence in yourself that you can do anything you set your mind to. If you say you’re gonna work out 3 times a week for the entire month and actually do it - BOOM. You are now that girl or guy who does what she sets her mind to and what she tells people she's gonna do.
This translates over to other aspects of your life. Want a new job? You’re gonna be the person to go get one. Want to run a marathon, start a new hobby, or make more money? You’ll make it a priority in your life to achieve those things, too.
The confidence of being that person that follows through on what they tell themselves and others what they are gonna do feels amazing.
3. Something is Always Better Than Nothing
I was that person who never really did home workouts or thought if I wasn't dripping in sweat getting an hour workout in that it didn't really “count.” This line of thinking can really hold you back. Life gets crazy and not everything is going according to your plan. You could miss your workout class, be traveling with no equipment, not have enough time to work out for an hour, it could be snowing outside etc. You’re not always going to have access to the “perfect workout” or the workout that you planned on doing at the beginning of the week.
You need to be able to pivot. Only 30 minutes? Go for a quick run. Or look up a YouTube video of a bodyweight workout. On vacation? Do a short workout in your hotel gym. Go on a walk. Something is always better than nothing. Don’t let not having equipment or the “right clothes or enough time hold you back. If you only work out under the perfect conditions, you are not going to stay consistent when life changes.
4. Adopt the "Just Do It" Mentality
One of the biggest mentality switches to staying consistent is the Just Do It mindset. Basically, don’t say do I feel like working, should I do it today, etc…. Nope, you are just going to do it. It’s not a choice. You are GOING to. Just put on the shoes, grab your stuff, and get out the door. Or put your workout clothes on and turn that workout video on. You're never going to feel like 100% time with discipline; you just have to do it.
5. Find a Workout You Actually Enjoy
It’s your life. No one wants to spend it doing something they hate. Right? It’s a lot harder to force yourself to do a workout you hate than one you actually like {or at least can tolerate}. A big part of staying consistent is finding something you actually like. Don’t think you need to go to a super hard weightlifting or intense cardio class. There are SO many options out there - pilates, dance cardio, hot yoga, running, biking, walking, etc. Try to find something you enjoy and look forward to doing (the endorphins also help!).
Now it’s your turn—give these tips a try and see what works best for you!
All these tips and mentalities have really helped me stay consistent in working out over the past 5 years. Besides being sick (obviously, take time to rest!) and some trips, I’ve pretty much stayed consistent doing a workout 3-5 times per week.
None of this is to say anyone who works out a lot is “better” than anyone or that anyone should feel bad about not doing so - but just from my experience it truly changes your life physically, mentally, emotionally, etc.
Give these tips a try if you are looking to stay consistent in working out in 2025!
