Creating a Sustainable Exercise Routine

The warmer weather is here and that generally comes with people wanting to increase their physical activity (hooray!). However, what we often see is that people do not know where to start. They tend to go 0-100 and end up either getting hurt or getting discouraged that they cannot maintain their new routine. Does this sound like you? If so, this blog is for you. We will explore how to create a sustainable exercise routine to set you up for success this summer.

Top Tips for Creating a Sustainable Exercise Program:

• Take baby steps
  • It’s important to start small. Even if you feel like you could run X amount or lift X amount of weight, we do not want to set ourselves up for burnout. The key is to gradually progressively overload, meaning slowly challenge yourself over time. We want to minimize soreness and pain in order to maximize compliance. If a workout leaves you exhausted and extremely sore, you probably aren’t going to continue doing it as planned for the rest of the week. 
• Set small goals
  • Like gradually progressing, you want to set small, achievable goals for yourself. Too often people think too “big” and lose the fact that shavings make a pile. Strength and endurance do not drastically increase overnight. The neurological changes that occur with strengthening a muscle tend to appear around the 6-week mark. This is when most people start to FEEL stronger. However, actually seeing an increase in muscle size takes even longer, closer to 8-12 weeks. Do not give up if you don’t see immediate changes!
  • If weight loss is your goal, this is certainly something that needs to be slow and steady in order to be sustainable (eg. 1 lb/week).
• Do something you truly enjoy 
  • At the end of the day, if you do not enjoy what you are doing, you are unlikely to be consistent. Your exercise routine has to be fun and meaningful to you. If you don’t like traditional gyms, exercise outside. If you don’t like pilates, yoga, or Zumba, do not force yourself to do it because it works for someone else. There are so many ways to introduce activity into your life and truly enjoy it. Talk to your physical therapist to see what options are out there in your neighborhood and what may work best for you!
• Take rest days
  • Rest is JUST as important as exercise in order to see results. Our muscles need time to recover and repair. Our joints need time to rest before taking on impact again. Rest is vital to performance and longevity in sports and exercise. Always prioritize it!
  • A good place to start is to plan just as many rest days as exercise days. For example, planning your workouts every other day instead of on consecutive days. As you build more and more tolerance to the activity, you can incorporate rest by using a “lighter training day” 1-2x/week and an additional 1-2 full rest days. 
• Plan workouts with a partner
  • This is a great way to keep you accountable! When you must show up not only for yourself but also for someone else, you are way more likely to attend your workout on the days you just aren’t feeling it. These days will happen, and when they do, having someone that’s relying on you to be there will make all the difference. 

Starting and sticking to an exercise routine can be daunting at first. But it should be FUN and it should be tailored to your current abilities for optimal compliance. Reach out to us today to learn more about how we can help you achieve this! We want to help you feel your best this summer!