Starting an exercise programme is rarely the problem. Sticking to it is. Most routines don’t fail because of a lack of willpower, but because the schedule was too ambitious for a normal working week. Below are some practical tips on what it takes to keep exercising all year round.
How do you stick to an exercise routine?
Start small and achievable, link it to a fixed time in your week, and choose something you actually enjoy. These three factors together determine whether your routine will still be going strong in three months’ time, far more so than the intensity of your first week.
A routine is a habit, and habits are formed through repetition, not through intensity. Half an hour twice a week that you stick to for twelve months is more beneficial than five times a week that you give up after three weeks. The rest of this article breaks that down into practical choices.
Why do routines often fizzle out after the first few weeks?
In the first few weeks, a new routine runs on novelty and motivation, and both of these predictably fade away. What remains afterwards is the question of whether the time slot fits into your diary and whether your body can cope with the strain.
This is where things usually go wrong on two counts at once: the schedule was designed for an ideal week (no traffic jams, no sick children, no late meetings), and the starting level was set too high, meaning that muscle soreness and fatigue coincide with the moment the novelty wears off. So plan for an average week, not your best week.
How small should you start?
Small enough that you’ll still do it even on a bad day. For most people, that means two or three sessions a week lasting twenty to forty minutes, at a level where you can still function normally the next day.
Exactly what ‘small’ means depends on your starting point. The practical test is simple: only increase the duration or intensity once your current frequency has been maintained for a few weeks in a row without any catch-up sessions. Expanding before that rhythm is established is the classic reason why a routine falls apart. How long it takes for a fixed time slot to become second nature varies greatly from person to person. We explain why in our piece on how you form new habits.
When is the best time to schedule your workout?
At the time when it’s least likely to be disrupted by the rest of your life. For many people, that’s early in the morning or straight after work, but the best time is, above all, the time you can stick to consistently.
Put it in your diary as a fixed appointment rather than something you’ll do ‘sometime that day’. A fixed time means one less decision to make for each session. Physically, there are minor differences between the morning and the evening, but these don’t outweigh the importance of consistency. We’ve explored this further in our article on the best time to train.
How do you choose a form of exercise that you’ll stick with?
Choose based on what you enjoy and what works for you logistically, not on what theoretically yields the best results. The workout you do three times a week beats the one that looks better on paper but which you end up skipping.
Think about four things: do you prefer to exercise alone or with others, indoors or outdoors, with a strict schedule or with flexibility, and how long does it take to get to where you train? Travel time is an underestimated routine-killer. If you’d rather start outdoors, you’ll find inspiration in this overview of workouts you can do outside.
Why is strength training useful alongside cardio?
Cardio and strength training target different things: endurance and muscle strength. A routine that includes both is more varied and stays interesting for longer than one consisting solely of running or weights.
In practical terms: two strength sessions and one or two cardio sessions a week is a workable balance for most people. Strength training doesn’t have to mean going to the gym. Bodyweight exercises (squats, push-ups, lunges, planks) are enough to get you started, and they don’t require any travel time.
How do you avoid doing too much too soon?
Don’t increase more than one thing at a time, and plan your rest just as carefully as your training. An injury in week four will usually set you back more weeks than the gains you’ve made from building up too quickly.
In practical terms: in a week when you’re training for longer or more frequently, keep the weight the same, and in a week when you’re lifting heavier weights, keep the volume the same. Also pay attention to technique: well-executed repetitions with less weight are more productive than sloppy ones with more. Two rest days a week aren’t a missed opportunity; they’re part of the programme. If you’re training outdoors in hot weather, bear in mind your pace, the time of day and your fluid intake: you can find out how to manage this in our section on exercising in hot weather.
How do you track your progress?
Measure things directly related to your training: the weight you can lift, the distance you cover in one go, the number of repetitions, or how quickly your heart rate drops after exercise.
These figures change in line with what you’re actually training, so you’ll notice changes more quickly. Write them down. A simple log (on paper or in an app) shows that things are actually changing even in weeks when it feels like they aren’t, and that’s exactly when you need that information.
What do you do if you miss a week?
You pick up where you left off with your last normal session, or slightly below that level, and you don’t try to catch up. A missed week is a break, not a failure, and you should treat it as such.
The biggest problem with a missed week comes from what people do afterwards: either training twice as hard to ‘make up for it’ (risk of injury), or stopping altogether because the streak is broken anyway. Instead, plan a single low-intensity session to ease back in. After a longer break of more than three weeks, deliberately start one step below where you were.
Where does nutrition fit into your routine?
Nutrition follows your training, not the other way round. Eating regularly and in sufficient quantities, with protein spread throughout the day, is more practical for most people than focusing on the exact timing around a training session.
Consistently eating too little makes training harder and makes it more difficult to keep going. How much protein you need depends on your body weight and how much you train; you can find the calculation method in our piece on how much protein you need per day. Don’t forget to drink, even during indoor training sessions: we explain what happens if you don’t drink enough in this article on fluid intake.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum rest period between two strength training sessions?
For the same muscle group, most programmes allow for at least one day’s rest. If you’re training different muscle groups, you can train on two consecutive days, provided you don’t find that your performance in the second session is consistently worse than in the first.
How many times a week should I train to build up a routine?
Two to three times a week is enough for most beginners to establish a routine without it taking over your week. You can always increase the frequency once you’ve been following that schedule for a few months.
Is variety good for a routine, or can it actually be disruptive?
Variation within a fixed time slot works well to combat boredom. Variation in the time slot itself is counterproductive, as you’d then have to decide all over again each week when to train.
What should I do if I really can’t be bothered?
Make a deal with yourself that you’ll just do the first ten minutes. In most cases, you’ll end up finishing the session anyway, and if not, you’ll still have kept the routine going.
Protein in your daily routine
A neutral protein powder (whey protein or vegan) is a practical way to add a portion of protein to a shake, yoghurt or porridge, without having to plan a whole meal around it. Our protein powders have a short list of ingredients, and are available in whey protein, casein and vegan varieties. Which type suits you best depends mainly on your diet and your taste preferences.
