How To Make A Consistent Workout Plan: A Complete Guide For Fitness

In the hustle and bustle of modern life, it is easy to overlook the importance of physical activity. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 71% of the world's population is physically inactive. This inactivity contributes to an estimated 5.5 million deaths worldwide, making it the fourth leading risk factor for non-communicable diseases. 

But you do not need to fret about how to make a consistent workout plan or develop a long-lasting fitness schedule, as this blog has everything you need to know about. 

Table Of Contents

1. What Is An Effective Exercise Routine?

2. How To Make A Consistent Workout Plan?

3. Tips For Developing A Lasting Workout Strategy

4. How To Establish Regular Exercise Habits?

5. Important Exercises To Include In The Workout Plan

6. The Final Say

7. FAQs

8. References

What Is An Effective Exercise Routine?

It is important to understand that there is no one-size-fits-all exercise routine that can help you achieve your fitness goals or keep you motivated. However, this guide can assist you in creating a consistent workout plan that works for you. You should engage in various exercises each week to maximise the benefits of your daily activities.

To achieve your health and wellness goals, developing a positive mindset and strategies for an exercise program that you enjoy is essential. This includes setting goals, finding activities that you find enjoyable, creating a plan, prioritising recovery, and overcoming setbacks.

To maintain good health in the long run, it is crucial to maintain an exercise routine that you can sustain over time. Consistency in your fitness regimen and a healthy diet and exercise are key.

Also Read: 7 Popular Workouts And Trending Fitness Programs You Should Try In 2024 

How To Make A Consistent Workout Plan?

A realistic workout schedule should be tailored to your fitness level, goals, and lifestyle. However, here is a sample workout plan that you can adjust based on your needs:

1. Set Clear Goals: Be clear about the goals that you want to achieve, like weight loss, weight gain, muscle gain, or just maintaining fitness.

2. Choose Enjoyable Activities: Combine it with exercises you love to make it easier or more effective. It will help you to stay motivated and consistent in your workout journey.

3. Plan Your Schedule: Distribute your time for different workouts for specific days.

4. Incorporate Variety: Do not stick to the same workout, try adding a mix of cardio, strength, flexibility, and other exercises.

6. Set Realistic Targets: It is the most important thing if you are new to workouts.  Work on achievable short-term and long-term goals.

7. Track Progress: It is essential to monitor your progress. You can maintain a workout log or use apps to monitor improvements.

8. Prioritise Recovery: The last thing in a workout plan is the recovery part. It is optional to do exercise all 7 days as it may cause muscle soreness. Allow for rest days to let your body recuperate.

Complete 3-5 minutes of walking and 20 reps of each dynamic movement.

Additional Tips: 

• Do Some Strength Exercises

To relax your muscles or improve flexibility, you can start with some strength exercises. Try to complete three sets of 8-12 reps of each exercise for more effective results.

Also Read: 7 Common Strength Training Mistakes And How To Fix | ToneOp 

• Include Cooldown Stretch

These can be performed to ease muscle soreness, aid recovery, and help bring the heart rate back down. Try to do 3 sets of each exercise for 30 sec.

Also Read: Top 8 Functional Fitness Training Exercises For Beginners

Tips For Developing A Lasting Workout Strategy

So, what does balance exercise involve? Then Physical Activity Guidelines for Indians recommends that all adults include the following exercises in their weekly routine:

• 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week (i.e. 30 minutes every five days)

• Or 75 minutes of aerobic exercise (or both in equal amounts)

• Vigorous training two or more times a week, at least 48 hours apart, to allow muscles to recover

• Balancing strategies for adults at risk of falling

• If all this sounds difficult, remember that the exercise can be broken down into smaller parts. For example, a 10-minute walk can help you reach your goal of 30 minutes of daily aerobic exercise.

• A warm-up should include light activities like spacewalking to relax your muscles and get oxygen-rich blood flowing to them. 

• Stay low and active for 5 to 10 minutes to cool down, then stretch to help prevent stiffness. 

How To Establish Regular Exercise Habits?

Establishing daily exercise habits or having a consistent workout plan can be tough, but to make it a regular habit, you have to perform them daily, and for that, you can follow certain tips to bring it into your routine. Here are some tips for exercising every day:

Also Read: How To Start Your Fitness Journey? Get Moving! 

1. Work Out Together In A Group

People who perform exercises with their friends and family often feel more motivated and can keep up with a  consistent workout plan than those who jog alone. Time cannot be an excuse for performing group exercises, as you don't have to do all the exercises simultaneously. Ten minutes every morning, afternoon and evening has the same effect as exercising for 30 minutes each time.

2. Be Active

Move quickly when walking; This will help you maintain your weight better than walking briskly. What is fast enough? Walk as if you were meeting someone for lunch, but a little late. This is the most important point in keeping up a consistent workout plan.

3. Move Your Feet Before Eating

Go to the gym, take a 20-minute walk with a co-worker, and then have lunch. Pre-meal exercise can help boost your metabolism and increase calorie burning, making maintaining a consistent workout plan easier.

4. Try Using A Pedometer

A pedometer is a simple and inexpensive way to motivate yourself to exercise. Aim for up to 10,000 steps per day. Start by setting a realistic daily step goal, such as 5,000 or 7,000 steps. As you gradually increase your activity level, you can gradually raise your step goal.

Also Read: Strength Training Guide For Beginners

5. Turn Sitting Time Into Exercise Time

Try combining aerobic exercise with sedentary activities you already do. For example, try doing a simple exercise. At the same time, you watch your favourite TV show or set a reminder at work to get up and walk for a few minutes every hour.

6. Enrol In The Class

Check out the schedule of fitness classes at your local or community gym, or schedule a dance or yoga class at a nearby studio. There is a learning curve to help you learn new tasks and stay on track to a consistent workout plan.

7. Reward Yourself

Set some short-term goals and reward yourself for achieving them. Try to focus on a specific activity, such as running a race or walking; This can help you focus on a  consistent workout plan. 

Rewarding yourself for achieving your fitness goals taps into the brain's reward system, releasing dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and motivation. This surge of dopamine reinforces the positive behaviour, making you more likely to continue your fitness journey.

Important Exercises To Include In The Workout Plan

Let's take a deeper look at all the physical activities or exercises you can do under all the categories to follow a consistent workout plan for the long term:

The Final Say

Now you know how to make a consistent workout plan. Setting SMART goals, finding activities you enjoy, creating a plan, starting small, finding an accountability partner, putting recovery first, and learning ways to overcome setbacks can help you create a long-term strategy to help you advance your health goals. be consistent, and make necessary adjustments along the way.

It is important to remember that creating a strong strategy is not a one-size-fits-all. - All procedures. Finding what works best for you may take some trial and error. But by following the ideas outlined in this blog, with more study and experience, you can create an exercise program that addresses your specific needs and goals.

FAQs

1. Does regular exercise help in staying fit and weight loss?

Yes, regular exercise can help in maintaining your health and also aids weight loss by burning out more calories and building muscles. 

2. Can doing only cardio be helpful for fitness?

Performing only cardio exercises can help burn calories and fat, but doing only cardio is suggested for overall health improvement. As suggested by experts, a proper combination of cardio exercises, flexibility activities, strength training, warm-up and cool-down exercises, etc, is always beneficial for overall health.

3. Is 2 hours in the gym too much?

It depends, but generally yes. Most people are beginners or novices. For them, 2 hours of exercise is very tiring. It's best to limit your activity to about an hour. This will help you build stamina.

4. What does a consistent workout mean?

A consistent workout means a routine that you stick to every week that incorporates strength training, cardiovascular endurance training, and recovery.

References

• Make exercise a daily habit – 10 tips | The Nutrition Source

• How To Make Exercise A Habit That Sticks : Shots - Health News: NPR

• Fitness program: 5 steps to get started - Mayo Clinic

• How to Build an Exercise Plan - HelpGuide.org

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