How To Create a Sustainable Workout Routine

Exercising has several science-backed benefits for the human body.

It keeps you fit and focused, reduces the risk of developing diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular problems, increases your stamina and strength, and stabilizes your mood by releasing endorphins.

While several people want to exercise, only a few can develop a consistent and sustainable workout routine.

Exercising is physically challenging, and some individuals can’t keep themselves motivated after experiencing muscle pain and soreness. Similarly, others find it challenging to take out time regularly to exercise.

While these roadblocks can be frustrating, you can develop a sustainable workout routine by following these tips:

What To Know Before Starting

Before you work out, you must assess your goals. Do you wish to bulk, lose weight, or just stay fit?

Your workout regimen and intensity will depend on these goals. Here’s how you can assess your goals:

1. Understand Your Fitness Level

You must know your thresholds: if you can barely do any physical activity, your goal should be first to increase your stamina.

Your workout routine should therefore incorporate a lot of cardio. You should gradually increase your workout time instead of exercising significantly from the start, or you’ll burn out, get injured, and give up soon.

2. Set Realistic Goals

Understand your fitness level and set realistic and achievable goals accordingly, or you’ll risk disappointment.

For example, if you are a beginner, plan to go to the gym two to three days per week instead of going daily.

Set realistic targets for endurance, stamina, and flexibility.

Go for a realistic workout intensity, too: only plan on doing the number of exercises you can manage easily, and gradually increase the number of sets.

Otherwise, you’ll get demotivated or feel too exhausted and abandon your efforts.

3. Consult With a Doctor and Trainer

Before you start working out, meet your doctor or trainer and consult them about your plans. If any exercise affects your health, your doctor will suggest modifications or replacements.

For instance, if you have any pre-existing health condition, like hypertension or diabetes mellitus, specific exercises can be dangerous for you.

And high-intensity exercises like sprinting or weightlifting can increase the risk of stroke in hypertensive individuals as they stress out your cardiovascular system.

Your trainer can also evaluate your fitness level and recommend exercises to start, identify your limitations, and provide guidance on working around them.

They can also recommend a diet plan to go together with your exercise routine, which will help you work towards your goals.

Design A Routine

Once you know your goals and fitness level, you must start working towards them.

Creating a sustainable work routine is difficult, but these tips can help you stay motivated and on track:

1. Balance Cardio and Strength Training

Cardio exercises improve your endurance and heart and lung function. Running, cycling, and swimming are cardio exercises that raise your heart and breathing rates.

Strength training exercises build muscle mass and improve endurance; examples include weightlifting, push-ups, and squats.

Your workout regime should include both cardio and strength training.

You risk tiring yourself out or getting sore muscles often if you include only one type of exercise, which can impact your workout routine’s sustainability.

Including both of these exercises improve your overall physical fitness, reduces your risk of injury, and improves your body composition.

2. Schedule Time For Rest

A significant mistake beginners make is not allowing themselves time to rest and heal.

If you do not allow time to recover, you will burn out and eventually lose the motivation to work out.

When you work out, your muscles may tear. Allow them to rest so they can repair and rebuild themselves.

Without rest, you can become prone to injuries. Severe injuries can even make you unable to work out again.

By adequately resting, you can improve your performance and be more likely to achieve the next day’s goals.

You will also enjoy exercising more and maintain your motivation if you are well-rested.

3. Find Accountability Partners

Many individuals find it challenging to stay motivated on their own, and an accountability partner provides them with a sense of community to help them stay motivated.

Get a friend to work out together with you, or ask someone at your gym to become your accountability partner.

You are also less likely to skip a workout when you work together with someone, as they can motivate you to come when you’re thinking of taking time off.

You can also share goals with your accountability partner and share progress, which can help you stick to your routine.

4. Set Up a Home Gym

Many individuals have a significant problem when working out: they cannot find time to go to the gym. Setting up a home gym can help you stick to your routine.

Assess your budget and space before deciding if you should go for a home gym. Some exercises require complex and large equipment, which can be expensive, while others require minimal pieces.

Oversized equipment may also not fit your space, so opt for portable and easy storage options, such as MAXPRO.

Since gym equipment is expensive, make sure you get durable pieces that won’t need frequent repairs or replacement. They may require more money upfront but will save on maintenance costs in the long run.

Remember that setting up a home gym can be expensive. You should save in advance and build up capital to afford a home gym.

If you don’t have the money and don’t wish to take out a loan, consider rent-to-own options, in which you take home the gym equipment and pay over time until you own it.

Conclusion

Working out is a great way to stay healthy and happy. Exercising improves your mood and helps you avoid several health complications.

Despite these benefits, people struggle to develop a sustainable workout routine: they lose motivation or can’t make time to work out.

Perhaps you are setting unrealistic goals, focusing too much on only one type of training, or sustaining muscle injuries due to intense workouts. Such mistakes can make one get demotivated and destroy their progress.

Allowing yourself rest days, combining different exercises in your routine, finding accountability partners, and setting up a home gym can help you stay on track and reach your fitness goals.