For many, exercise routines are hard to create. Exercising from home can be even more difficult. However, creating a routine that sticks, actually comes down to only a few simple adjustments. Here are our top tips!

Small steps to start

For many, the thought of adding an exercise routine to their day is overwhelming. If this is the case for you, consider starting with a small routine. This may include adding one or two exercises each day. For example, if you want to start adding a cardio routine to your day, consider a walk around the block each morning with a few stretches afterwards. If you want to focus on building strength, start by determining a specific area you’d like to work on. Find 1-2 strength building exercises for that area and add those to your day. Once you start building a rhythm, your confidence will increase and so will your capacity. Then you can start adding on as you feel comfortable. Eventually building up to 30-60 minutes of activity.

Determine your ideal frequency and schedule to set your routine

Your workout doesn’t have to happen every day for it to be considered a routine. An optimal work out frequency to create a routine is 3-4 times each week. It can be beneficial to outline which days of the week will be easiest for you to schedule in time and if possible, even what time(s) will work best. If you’re a visual person, it can be helpful to write down the times/days you plan on exercising on a calendar. This can also serve as a great reminder as long as your calendar is easily accessible. If 3-4 times per week doesn’t feel feasible to start, try 1 time the first week and add a slot each week until you feel comfortable.

Set Goals and track your progress to solidify your routine

The final tip to creating a routine that sticks is to set goals and track your process. When you start adding new activities to your day, it can feel like you’re just going through the motions. It can be hard to see your progress right away. Creating achievable goals and determining ways to track and measure your progress will make or break your ability to create a routine. The key is to create goals that you can reach in a timely fashion. Goals that are too large and lofty can end up in disappointment and throw a routine off before it even has a chance to start. For example, a starting goal may be to build your frequency up to 3 times/week within 3 weeks. Be sure to find a way to track your progress for achievable changes, perhaps by writing down your daily exercises in specific terms. The more specific you can be in your tracking, the easier it will be to see gains. In many cases, you may see progress on paper before you see it physically. It can take weeks to months to see changes in your body, so knowing that you’re getting stronger and faster or building endurance through tracking can help you to stay focused.

These tips should allow you to start, set and solidify your exercise routine or any routine. Always remember, if you fall out of a routine, you can hop back into it at any time. If you’d like some assistance in setting up a routine for a specific injury recovery or rehabilitation, reach out, we’d be happy to help!