How to Stay Consistent With Working Out. 5 Actionable Tips to Ensure You Don’t Miss a Workout!

If you’re wondering how to stay consistent with working out, you’re not alone. Whether you are someone who loves the gym and has been working out for years, or you are trying to get into it and build a consistent routine, we have all experienced life getting in the way, making it very difficult to stick to your routine and even stay motivated. Whether it is work, family, or even injuries, setbacks, and obstacles will come and get in the way of your process, but there are things you can do to mitigate them as much as possible. And in this blog, we will discuss 5 actionable steps to help you get back on track!

1. Schedule Your Workouts in Advance

This may sound obvious, but having a structured schedule will make a huge difference in your ability to accomplish your day’s goals. Google Calendar can be a wonderfully helpful tool. Input all the tasks and responsibilities you have in your day, and from what time to what time, even before thinking of working out. This will give you a clear visual of what your day looks like, so you can choose a block of time that actually works for you and your daily schedule. Set up this calendar for monthly, weekly, or daily use. Whatever makes sense for you.

2. Work Out Early When Your Schedule Is Packed

Even with a clear vision and a daily calendar, you will not always be successful because, again, life gets in the way, and that hour block you had reserved gets overtaken by something else you cannot ignore or postpone. So another tip is to just get it out of the way early in the morning. This will not work for everyone, as not everyone can wake up early to work out. Still, if you can, this will help you start your day on the right foot by accomplishing your daily workout goal, and it ensures that even if the day gets busy, crazy, or packed, it does not matter to your fitness goals because you already completed the workout. Personally, I am not a morning person, but when I know I won’t be able to work out later in the afternoon, whether I have plans with my wife or I have work to do, those days I force myself to wake up early (5:00 a.m.) and get it done. I know my other commitments are important and I can’t neglect them, but the commitment I have with myself is also important, so I have to make the extra effort for myself.

3. Be Flexible With Your Workouts

Be flexible. Not every workout has to be perfect. Part of learning how to stay consistent with working out is understanding that sometimes all you might be able to do is 30 minutes instead of an hour. Maybe you were planning to do a great leg workout and were excited to use the hack squat machine or the barbell to squat, but when you got to the gym, it was full, and all that was open was a couple of dumbbells and a leg curl machine. You have only an hour, so you can’t afford to just wait. Well, grab those dumbbells and start doing some lunges, Cossack squats, split squats, and get on that machine and do some drop sets. The point is, don’t just turn around and skip a workout because what you wanted to do isn’t possible; be flexible. If all you can do is some push-ups that day, well, that’s all you will do. Some movement is better than none (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2023), and consistently sticking to your routine is much more beneficial than skipping a workout. Research on exercise habit formation suggests that repeating physical activity in consistent contexts and using recurring cues can strengthen habit automaticity, making the behavior easier to repeat over time (Kaushal & Rhodes, 2015).

4. Find a Workout Partner for Accountability

Get a training partner! Having someone you have committed to going to the gym with will make a huge difference on those days when you feel less motivated and are willing to use any excuse to miss the workout. Having a person you work out with will not only help you stay motivated and, with the right partner, train with more intensity, but also make it harder to skip or cancel because that guilt will keep you from wasting their time or letting them down.

5. Don’t Let One Missed Workout Derail You

Lastly, do not be overly harsh with yourself for missing one workout. One workout will not make much of a difference in the grand scheme. If one day you are really not able to get a workout in, it is okay! It is not the end of the world, and it does not mean you have failed. If you are constantly missing workouts, that’s a different story, but missing one workout once in a blue moon will not matter. So, to recap: plan and plan thoroughly. Make that schedule. I promise it will make a huge difference in how you manage your time. Get it done first thing in the day so you get ahead of any hiccups that might show up later. Have a workout partner who will help you and keep you accountable. Be flexible. Some workouts might have to differ from the original routine, and that is okay. Consistency matters more than perfection!

If you want to learn more about nutrition, working out, tips, and tools to reach your goals, click this link to read more of our blogs. Lift and Live!

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, December 20). Adult activity: An overview. https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/guidelines/adults.html

Kaushal, N., & Rhodes, R. E. (2015). Exercise habit formation in new gym members: A longitudinal study. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 38(4), 652–663. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-015-9640-7