Healthy habits don’t start overnight, and they don’t happen by accident. Forming habits takes time, dedication, and consistency. Just as playing a musical instrument requires daily practice to master, meeting your health and fitness goals requires discipline.
Staying consistent with your workout routine can be a challenge, especially when life gets busy. We’ve compiled a few tips to help keep you dedicated, even when you lack motivation.
5 Ways to Stay Consistent with Your Health and Fitness Routine
Let’s face it: there will be days when you just don’t wanna hit the gym. If you only work out on days you’re motivated, there’s a good chance you won’t hit those fitness goals. Consistency is all about doing the work, even when you don’t feel like doing the work.
Staying consistent doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are five simple ways to stay consistent with your health and fitness routine.
1. Have an Accountability Partner
Accountability partners are one of the most effective tools in a successful health and fitness journey. Around here, we call them “Swole Sisters:” friends and fellow gym mates who push you both in the gym and in life. When you know your Swole Sister is waiting for you at the gym, you’re much more likely to show up, even on days when you just want to stay home.
Not only will Swole Sisters motivate you to hit the gym, but studies show that people who exercise with an accountability partner lose more weight and inches than those going it alone. So, if you don’t have a Swole Sister, it’s time to find one. You’re more likely to stay consistent when you hold each other accountable.
2. Remind Yourself of Your “Why”
It can be tough to get yourself to the gym, particularly if you’re worn out, worn down, or feeling defeated. On those days when you want to throw in the towel, remember your why. What’s behind your health and fitness goals? Are you trying to create a healthy lifestyle? Set an example for your loved ones? Reach new personal records you never thought possible? Enter a competition?
Whatever your reason, keep it at the forefront. Every time you want to skip that workout, think of your “why” and remind yourself that consistency is the only way to get there.
We wrote a blog on “finding your why,” which you can read here.
3. Follow a Schedule
Failing to plan is planning to fail. If you don’t have exercise built into your daily routine, it’s far too easy to blow off that workout. Look at your calendar and schedule time each day to devote to health and fitness. Make it a standing appointment, just as you would with a team meeting at work or a weekly date night with your partner.
Schedule time to move your body – and keep that appointment with yourself. Even if you only have time for a quick 20-minute lift session, setting a schedule helps keep you consistent throughout the week.
4. Reward Yourself
Give yourself rewards for maintaining a consistent workout schedule. Set specific and measurable goals, then assign rewards to each of those goals. Perhaps it’s some new workout gear if you hit your monthly workout goal, a massage when you hit that PR, or something as simple as earning a nice warm bath after each 60-minute workout session.
When you lack motivation, those rewards could be the push you need to get you back on track.
5. Dress for Success
One of the easiest ways to remain consistent in your workouts is to dress the part. If you feel like skipping today’s workout, make yourself get dressed for the gym. The simple act of putting on your favorite workout clothes can be all the motivation you need.
Consistency is the key to success, whether in the gym or in your everyday life. Creating healthy habits takes time and dedication. What are your favorite tips to help keep your workout routine consistent?
