5 Ways to Be Consistent With Your Fitness Goals

In the busyness of everyday life, it’s easy for fitness goals to fall off your priority list. As the year goes on, what may have started as a highly motivated New Year's resolution can often turn into a continual cycle of starting and restarting, squeezing in exercise whenever you can and never really gaining traction.

But when it comes to staying consistent with your fitness goals, the best thing you can do is find a workout plan that’s a realistic fit for your life — one you can stick with for a long period of time.

Keep reading to learn five tips and tricks from Matt Sanders, certified personal trainer and fitness nutritionist at the AdventHealth Wellness Center in Celebration, to help you be more consistent with your fitness goals.

1. Start With One Workout Day

Certain goals may require multiple days in the gym week after week for an extended period. While having long-term fitness goals is great, focus on one workout at a time. Figure out what day, time and length works best for your schedule. It's important to remember that reaching your fitness goals is a process. Once you're consistent with one, you can build on it and add a second and third workout during your week, adjusting your schedule as needed.

2. Give Yourself Grace and Time

Forming a new habit doesn't happen overnight. In fact, a meta-analysis on health habit formation published by the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute reports that it takes about 59 days to form a healthy habit. With that in mind, it's important to give yourself grace on your fitness journey. If you miss a workout here and there, that's OK. Maintaining consistency over time is more important than hitting every single workout at the expense of your physical or mental health.

3. Enjoy the Process

While not every aspect of working out may feel enjoyable, try to find moments of joy during each session. Doing this helps to keep you motivated and consistent on your fitness journey. If you enjoy parts of your workout, you're far more likely to stick with it in the long term. Over time, what once may have felt like a burden or a nagging chore may be the very thing you're most excited for about your day.

Examples of Enjoyable Aspects of Working Out

• A physical or mental reward for being consistent
• A specific exercise you like (start with that one to set the tone)
• The allocated time to yourself
• The feeling of accomplishment after finishing a workout
• The gratification of pushing yourself and your limits
• You prefer the style of workout (HIIT, weightlifting, Pilates)

4. Find a Gym Partner or Class

If working out on your own is tough, consider doing it with a friend, a class or even a trainer. Research shows that you're more likely to engage in physical activity when you're part of a group. When physical exercise is built around social interactions, it leads to greater enjoyment of the exercise and a higher likelihood of staying consistent. Exercising with a friend, class or trainer also keeps you accountable and ensures that you're pushing yourself effectively. Our AdventHealth Celebration fitness center offers personal training services to help you stay accountable and consistent in an uplifting environment centered around your well-being.

5. Schedule It With Intentionality

To stay consistent with your fitness goals, schedule your workouts with intentionality. Just like scheduling a doctor's appointment when you're sick is a no-brainer, consider viewing your workouts in the same light. Doing this helps reshape your perspective on working out and allows you to see its many benefits. The truth is, exercising is more than just reaching your next personal best; it's a means to a healthier life in body, mind and spirit.

Your Dedicated Health Partner

It's important to remember that life happens, and you can give yourself grace if you skip a workout due to illness or competing priorities. However, if you start small, find ways to stick with it and learn to enjoy the process, working out consistently can have life-changing benefits that help you feel whole.

Learn more about our AdventHealth Wellness Center in Celebration and find personal training that's centered on you. You have what it takes to reach your fitness goals, and we'll be right by your side every step of the way.

About the Expert

Matt Sanders is an exercise specialist at AdventHealth Celebration Wellness Center with 12+ years of experience. He is an NASM-Certified Personal Trainer and fitness nutritionist with specialties in strength training, golf performance, cardio performance, mixed martial arts and youth exercise. Fill out our personal training interest questionnaire form to request Matt Sanders as your personal trainer.