Design a Fitness Routine That You’ll Never Quit

Submitted by Alicia Sanders
Posted on 24 Feb, 2020

If you’re like a lot of people, once or twice in your life you’ve decided that it was finally time to get into shape, made big plans about dedicating yourself to a fitness routine, and then completely abandoned your efforts. It was either boredom, laziness, or just plain lack of time that kept you from following though on fitness plans that really would have led to a healthier and better life.

Now, don’t feel too horrible: there is always time for you to get yourself into shape. The trick is to make sure you find ways to workout that fit within your life already, so that you can minimize the chance you’ll quit. Here are a few fitness ideas that always work.

Find a Work Out Buddy
Nobody likes to work out alone. There’s something about the camaraderie and the shared experience of meeting goals and seeing each other grow that makes having a work out buddy increase your chances of sticking to a fitness routine. Finding a work out buddy can be tough if you’re not the most popular person at the gym, but since most people need to get into shape, odds are that you know somebody who you could convince to join you.

Set Goals That You Can Meet
A lot of people try to do too much when they decide it’s time to get into shape. This is one of the usual suspects for killing fitness resolutions. Taking on too much, or trying to reach for unrealistic goals is a surefire way to wind up either burned out or just burned when you wind up injuring yourself. Don’t try to do too much. Even a little bit of exercise will yield results: once you start to see the results, then you can start to push yourself.

Balance Your Schedule
All work and no play doesn’t make Jack a dull boy, it makes Jack burnt out. Everybody wants to work less and play some more, but for many people a workout routine is something in between those two choices. It can be fun, but it’s also a lot of work. Sometimes your work-life balance can’t handle adding a workout routine to it. Instead of getting stressed out because you don’t have time any more to live, make sure that you have your schedule balanced so that your workouts don’t take up too much of your couch time.

Rewards Program
There’s no harm in making sure that you reward yourself for all the hard work you put into your fitness routine. Looking great is a reward on its own, but when you hit your major fitness goals, feel free to treat yourself to something you can enjoy. Remember, as long as it doesn’t negatively affect your health—no ordering a whole pizza for yourself or anything like that—you deserve it.