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10 Ways to Stick to a Workout Plan

Whatever your reason for getting serious about exercise—to lose weight, sleep better, boost your energy, or just be healthier—the key is consistency.

by eHarmony Staff

Whatever your reason for getting serious about exercise—to lose weight, sleep better, boost your energy, or just be healthier—the key is consistency. And for most of us, that’s the hard part: staying at it and maintaining our commitment to exercise regularly. If you’ve had trouble sticking to your workout plan, you’re not alone. Lots of people get bored with exercise, become discouraged when results don’t come more quickly, or are easily sidetracked by the daily demands of life.

Here are some tips to help you stay motivated and committed:

Tip #1: Set simple and attainable goals.
One surefire way to doom your exercise regime from the beginning is to expect too much out of yourself. It can be really discouraging when you fail to achieve a goal, so allow yourself to go slowly at first, and set your sights on targets you know you can reach. You can make your objectives more challenging down the road, but until you get into a consistent, ongoing, and sustainable routine, work on achieving what you know is possible for where you are right now. After all, five consistent 25-minute workouts in which you feel successful are going to be worth much more than one 60-minute workout that’s so challenging it makes you quit.

Tip #2: Schedule it.
Think of your exercise times as part of your week. Schedule them the way you would doctors’ appointments that you wouldn’t miss. And once you’ve written the exercise “appointment” into your calendar, commit to keeping it because you know it’s important for your health.

Tip #3: Find a buddy.
Exercising with a friend can make all the difference. An obvious reason is that it’s more fun to have someone to hang out and laugh with while you’re sweating and gasping for breath. But a friend also offers accountability on those days when you’re less inclined to head to the gym or go for your run. Knowing someone else is counting on you makes it a lot easier to take that first step out the door.

Tip #4: Motivate yourself visibly and tangibly.
Find something that will act as an incentive to keep you going even when you’re not excited about exercising—an invitation to your class reunion, an advertisement for the place you’ll be visiting on your vacation, a picture of yourself when you were trimmer and in better shape. Then display it prominently, where you’ll see it frequently. Put it on your fridge, or on the dashboard of your car, as a reminder of why you’ve made this commitment to yourself and to your health.

Tip #5: Set up a reward system.
Promise yourself that after you’ve exercised consistently for a certain amount of time (two weeks? three weeks?), you’ll reward yourself in some way. Maybe you’ll buy something you’ve wanted, or have friends over for a movie night, or plan some sort of special event for yourself—like taking in a show or attending a game you’ve wanted to see.

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