3 WAYS TO STAY CONSISTENT WITH YOUR WORKOUTS

"I've personally experienced this, where I used to think that I had to put myself through the most grueling and difficult workouts to get the results I wanted. Instead, I ended up with chronic knee pain, I was tired ALL of the time and I wasn't enjoying and looking forward to my workouts anymore...yep, I was regressing, even though I was working out all of the time and hard."

Being consistent with a workout routine is a challenge for many, many people.

There are so many unexpected things that can go on throughout the day and the week that deter us from doing our workouts.

I would argue that most people are not "naturally consistent" or diligent at following an exercise routine or adopting new health behaviours. For most, it probably took repetition, perhaps a dose of accountability 😊, experimentation (finding what works and doesn't work), planning and they accept that the journey is never perfectly smooth nor easy. 

You’ll find this article to be very helpful if you are looking for ways to be more consistent with your workout routine, and these 3 are specifically ones that really helped me and many of our members! 

1. Schedule Your Workouts

Okay I know! If you've been a member for a long time, following me on social media or reading my articles, then you've probably heard me say this so many times - make your health and fitness a priority and a non-negotiable by scheduling your workouts into your calendar - don't just think it either, write it down. Or if you're a member, you can take a snapshot of the weekly schedule, print it out and stick it up on your fridge to aid as a gentle reminder! 

Whatever you do, don't just wake up every day and 'wing it', especially if you're someone trying to make exercise a habit. Plan to succeed! When you're trying to build any habit, you need to be intentional and plan for it, or else it generally won't get done or we'll make an excuse not to do it. Even if your goal to start is just once per week, there is no goal too small, just plan for it!

Scheduling your workouts into your calendar can be as easy as this little process: 

• Allocate 5-10 minutes every Sunday evening to sit down and write out your plan 
• Pick the days that you'll make time for exercise (For example: I'm going to workout on Mon/Wed/Fri at 9am) 
• Write it down or add these days into your calendar and set your reminders 

For even more reasons as to why you should start scheduling your workouts, you can read my article on the power of scheduling by clicking here! 

2. Make it FUN and Feel GOOD! 

This is your reminder that exercise CAN and SHOULD feel good, especially if you are someone looking to improve your relationship with exercise and stick with it lifelong or become more consistent. 

There's a common misconception that exercise needs to be grueling in order for it to be effective, or that we have to do certain exercises that will get us the "best results", even though they're uncomfortable on the body and joints. 

Well my friends, you can officially give yourself permission to kiss any workout or exercise that makes your body cringe or that makes you want to run and hide because I'm here to tell you right now that exercise can feel good, it can be enjoyable and it can most definitely be effective. 

I've personally experienced this, where I used to think that I had to put myself through the most grueling and difficult workouts to get the results I wanted. Instead, I ended up with chronic knee pain, I was tired ALL of the time and I wasn't enjoying and looking forward to my workouts anymore...yep, I was regressing, even though I was working out all of the time and hard.  

Fast forward to today, I exercise for less than 5 hours per week, I don't do any exercises that create discomfort through my joints (or absolutely despise doing), I feel WAY stronger and my relationship with exercise is happier than ever. 

Moral of the story...

Choose gentle sustainability over hard and unsustainable and repeat after me, exercise can be: 

FUN

GENTLE

SUSTAINABLE AND

EFFECTIVE!!!

3. Community: find a tribe that suits your vibe 

Improving your health and fitness doesn’t need to be a lonely journey!

This is one of the biggest reasons why so many people who start a workout routine quit in the first month, they walk into the gym and find:

• No guidance
• No support
• No community
• No accountability
• No motivation

This leaves many people feeling alone, frustrated and on the fast-track to giving up.

The recipe for fitness and consistency success is community!

At MOVEHAPPY, that's one of the reasons why I am obsessed over creating a welcoming community where our members feel supported and motivated, and like we always have their back. Beyond fitness goals, community allows us to find a sense of belonging. It's what can support us through some difficult moments (in or out of classes) and remind us of something essential: we're all in this together. 

When it comes to getting into a consistent workout routine, don’t go at it alone and find your tribe! 

If you’re ready to embrace 💓consistency over intensity💓, would like to be part of a community that always has your back and adopt a workout smarter, not harder mindset, then we’d love to have you at MOVEHAPPY. You can take any of our classes (live or on-demand) for 14-days free by clicking here. See you in class!