How to Make a Steady Routine for a Workout

Exercise is important, but unfortunately just knowing that is not enough to make an impact on your body. Getting in a steady amount of exercise each week can be demanding but is essential to your overall health. The key to creating a steady workout routine is finding activities you enjoy, making a space in your schedule to do it and then not feeling guilty about taking the time for yourself to go and do them. When you exercise, you feel better overall, and become more productive in other areas of your life.

Step 1

Decide on your fitness goals. Focus on activities, such as running or cycling with some weight training if you want to lose weight. Do more intense weight training if your goal is to bulk up your muscles.

Step 2

Look at your current schedule and determine when you can reasonably fit in a workout of approximately 30 minutes, four to six times a week. Be realistic about when you can workout. Practice patience with yourself during the beginning of your workout routines. Trying to do too much too soon can lead to quitting before you really get a chance to experience the benefits of your workout program.

Step 3

Create a chart to track your progress. A notebook with the days and times of your workout or a planner with the activities and time written in works fine. Adjust your schedule accordingly if you find that you are taking the opportunity to exercise at a different time of day or are going shorter or longer in your sessions.

Step 4

Include a 5 to 10 minute warmup session in each of your workouts as well as 10 minutes for cooling down. Warmups include some basic stretching and calisthenics as well as a short walk or jog. A cool-down exercise can also be a relaxed walk or some basic stretching exercises.

Step 5

Attend a class or two that fits into your schedule, perhaps one that you can do on the way to or from work. Classes can make a workout more fun and you may be more motivated to attend a class if you like the other poeple in it.

Warnings

Consult a doctor prior to beginning a new program. Start your routines slowly to reduce your risk of injury.

Tips

Consult a fitness coach or personal trainer to make sure your goals can be met with the amount and type of exercise you are doing. A trainer can suggest exercises that make your workout more efficient.

Things You'll Need

Notebook
Pen