3 Ways To Establish A Lifelong Fitness Routine

*image from The Strength Co.

One of our favorite questions to ask at Soma VT during our initial consultations is “what does success look like to you in a few months?” We ask this question to help visualize the true action steps that need to be taken to provide the outcomes that someone is looking for.  

Some common answers to this question involve the following:

• “I’m staying consistent and seeing results” 

• “I’m showing up for my training sessions and enjoying them” 

• “I’m getting better at individual exercises and feeling better” 

Most of the answers seem to be centered around establishing a routine that is sustainable and effective.  We wouldn’t have much of a business at Soma VT if we weren’t helping people reach success in some way, so here are three ways to establishing that routine that you’re looking for to build a lifelong relationship with fitness and your body’s capability.   

1 - Find movement that you find enjoyable - Some people love running into a gym, grabbing the smelling salts and trying to throw an 80 pound dumbbell through the window. That’s perfectly fine (minus the broken window) if that’s what you’re into!  

For others, lifting weights isn’t nearly as enjoyable as taking a walk with a loved one or biking the causeway to go find an ice cream cone in the islands. Different strokes for different folks right? What’s important is initially establishing consistent action, whatever that is. Your chances of remaining consistent improve dramatically if you truly enjoy the activity. If it’s weight lifting, rock on! If it’s sunlit walks on the beach, get down there and get walking!  

You don’t need to love every aspect of your training program. For the beach walker, there’s some real value to picking up a dumbbell every now and again. For the window breaker, it may be a good activity to find some relaxing movement (I’m looking at you yoga) to build a more robust and capable body. The emphasis here is that the necessary exercises are layered into a program that is rooted in enjoyment and fulfillment. If you’re breaking windows or perusing the beach at twilight, you want to be doing it for a long time! Make sure you are enjoying yourself most of the time.   

2 - Find someone you enjoy doing movement with - This is where coaching becomes really valuable.  Let’s face it, sometimes our options for movement buddies can be a bit flakey. The last thing you need when you’re trying to establish a positive routine for yourself is your friend saying they don’t feel like taking that twilight walk because they walked earlier in the day without you. Good for them! Your routine is about you. Find someone, a friend, a coach, a loved one, who cares just as much about your routine as you do. That accountability will last you a long time and help you stick with your routine long enough to see results.    

Yes, you caught me. This is a shameless plug for personal training.  Having a coach to hold you accountable simply gives you a better chance at success. You don’t need to have someone holding your hand seven days a week, you need someone who you know is there if you need them, every time. If you have that friend or family member that you can truly rely on to build your routine with and check in when things get challenging, cherish that person with everything you have! 

3 - Measure Progress - No, this doesn’t mean count your calories, weigh yourself weekly, take progress photos, monitor your sleep scores, take video of your exercise performance, maintain a training journal, create an undulating periodized training schedule, test your 3 rep maxes or run a Cooper Test every 14 days.  It could mean that! It could also mean finding one or two things that you really care about and monitoring their improvements.  If you’re seeing rapid progress, that’s great! Why is it happening? If you’re seeing no progress, no worries!  Why aren’t you seeing progress? Having one or two measurables to help you maintain course can help you (and potentially your coach) make faster adjustments to your routine to ensure your taking the right amount of action at the right time.   

There is no hard and fast rule to what measurables to take. Some folks really benefit from measuring every success. Others really struggle with all that data. This is a good time to refer to #1 on this list.  If measuring success is at the cost of your enjoyment, stop measuring or adjust your action plan in response to that measure. Sometimes having your training partner by your side when discussing measurables can be helpful in maintaining an objective viewpoint.  

These are a few ideas that we talk about at Soma VT when discussing how to help folks find their visualized success. For many, it’s as simple as a repeatable routine that drives positive outcomes in their life. It’s important to realize that simple doesn’t always mean easy! Finding enjoyment, having a training partner and measuring your success can help sustain your routine long enough to realize the results that you’re really looking for. 

If you’re ready to begin or pick up again a training routine, reach out to the team at Soma VT.