How to Build a Sustainable Workout

It is a common struggle among people to feel like they don’t have the time to work out consistently.

Many routines online seem unrealistic for people who have school and/or work; routines that require working out 6x a week for 1-2 hours at a time. It’s unlikely that using someone else’s workout routine will be fitting for you, so here’s how you can build a sustainable exercise routine to work for your schedule.

Shift Your Mindset

The most important factor in making exercise a daily routine is making sure you have the right mindset about it to begin with. If you view working out as a chore rather than as self-care, it’ll be much harder to make it a priority. Don’t feel pressured to do super intense workouts right from the start. It’s a journey, start with what you can and continue to make progress as you go. You’re not going to see results immediately, so don’t get discouraged after only a few weeks of working out. Think long-term, stay consistent for long periods, not for the results in the mirror but for your overall health and longevity.

Make it Enjoyable

Think about the type of exercise you enjoy. If you don’t like running but still want to do some cardio, try adding an hour or two of a sport you like to your weekly routine. Turning workouts into activities that you enjoy will allow you to look forward to them rather than dread them. The more you enjoy it, the more sustainable it will be.

Design Your Workouts Around Your Schedule

An important factor when building your workout routine is making sure you have the time to do the workouts. For example, if you only have 45 minutes to work out each day during the week, don’t build a routine that is going to take an hour to complete. This prevents you from skipping workouts due to not having enough time to complete them.

Putting the Routine Together

After you’ve decided what times and how many times per week will work with your schedule, it’s time to choose how you’re going to split your workouts. I do a popular split called “push, pull, legs”; this split allows me to work out 6x per week and hit each muscle group twice per week. Find what works for you, for example, if you can only work out twice per week, you may want to do a full-body workout both days so that you can hit all muscle groups. After you decide which split works, research exercises that you can do each day. Write out a schedule of your routine each week so that you have a plan to stick to.

Being consistent in the gym isn’t always an easy task, but by building your own routine around your schedule, it’ll make it far more attainable.

Be Well, Auburn.