Creating a Workout Routine
There are a few things that have helped me lose 50 lbs (!!!!!!!) in the past year, and I plan on getting to all of them in due time. It involved a lot of hard work, practice, and a deep dive into my relationship with food. The first/most important step in my health journey was FINALLY creating a workout routine. I’ve been asked a lot about it, and here it goes!
For years, I have had “create a workout routine” on my intentions for the year list. Every time I tried to create this habit, I would get a few weeks in and lose steam. The collapse usually had to do with getting off track with eating and letting life/stress get in the way of my health.
The three main things that helped me create a workout habit:
- Starting off slow to build a routine
- Checking in with others
- Tracking progress
1. Building the routine:
It took me far too long to realize that getting in the requisite 30 mins x 3 a week was unrealistic for me. I would make excuses throughout the week (too tired/didn’t have the time/missed the opportunity to, etc!) and by the time Friday rolled around, I would have only one workout under my belt and WHO WANTS TO WORK OUT EVERY DAY DURING A WEEKEND? Definitely not me.
Instead of giving myself the goal of 30 x 3 times a week, for the first month of my plan, I decided to try to work out on my elliptical machine for 15 minutes a day, every day. If I wasn’t in the mood to do elliptical, I did one of my favorite workout videos and danced! What I know about myself is that it takes me about 15 minutes of doing something to get into a good rhythm/hyperfocus state.
If I went past 15 minutes, GREAT! If I didn’t, that was fine too. The point was showing up and making the effort. After the first month, I increased my workouts to 22 minutes which sometimes turned into magical numbers like:
22:22
33:33
44:44
55:55
(I’m motivated by angel numbers)
It took me a little over 2 months to make the routine stick. After month two, I got to the point I actually CRAVED working out and could see a big difference in my energy level and how my body felt when I didn’t work out.
2. The Power of Accountability:
Checking in with others who share the same goals has also been key to my success. I’ve been involved in my friend Sam’s book club for over a year now, and what I learned in showing up and doing the work is that there is power in community and accountability. One of the books we read was A Road Less Traveled
, by M. Scott Peck. What he said about discipline really made me think-
“Self-discipline is self-caring.”
Basically- DISCIPLINE IS SELF-CARE!
I had expressed interest in creating an exercise routine at the group level because I got tired of doing things on my own and failing.
Sam became my accountability buddy because he also wanted to create an exercise routine.
We agreed to the 15-minute plan.
(here’s my Fitbit Versa
that I use to track my workouts!)
We started sharing our progress via texts to encourage each other to stay on track. He worked out in the mornings while I worked out in the afternoons/late evenings. Getting a snippet of his progress at the beginning of the day was the push I needed to complete my workout for the day. We both shared our efforts at group level and it encouraged a few of our friends in the book club to move their bodies too. I also check in with my friend MC who loves to dance too!
YAY, FRIENDSHIP!
3. Tracking Progress:
I don’t think I’m alone when I say that I like to see the results of my hard work. My initial goal wasn’t to lose weight- it was to find the discipline to make exercise a regular part of my life. It was also to use the elliptical machine that collected dust over the pandemic!
I hung up my monthly printable calendar on the wall I face while I worked out and filled in each day I completed a workout with a colored pen. Every month had a different color. I used whatever pen was nearby, so the different shades have no significance. I didn’t write down the length of time- just that I did it. I wanted to see how many days in a row I could accomplish my goal of at least 15 minutes.
As you can see, I started this practice in June of 2022.
After the first month, I gave myself a rule that would keep me on task.
I would try not to go more than two days without exercise if I could help it.
There was a week in December when I went three days without moving, and I felt like SHI,T so I would say my rule works!
