How To Stay Consistent With Fitness

I have always loved the feeling of working out, but even I have to work to stay consistent with my fitness practice. Just because I have a Pilates studio in my house doesn’t mean I always feel motivated to use it! No matter your personality type or goals, sometimes you simply need help to stay on track; these tips will help you to show up and keep moving and motivated. 

Sure, You Can Do It Alone…

With the help of books and the internet, anyone can learn to do Pilates or lift weights on their own. As a fitness professional, I would advise those people to still get some training from a qualified person first. They will teach you good form and variations of movements so you don’t hurt yourself. Avoiding injury is one reason to see a coach or trainer, but another great one is that they will help you stay consistent with your workouts and progress faster. 

I was actually having this very conversation with another Pilates teacher today. We both found that during the COVID days of closures and restrictions we (obviously) fell out of routine and worked out on our own. It went well for a while, but soon we lost momentum. I personally lost consistency in all of my workouts and even meal prep and planning. 

I used to go to a Pilates class once a week and do occasional workshops. That fell off. I stopped doing the strength exercises that I disliked, which are pretty much the ones that I need the very most. If you’ve let your good habits fall to the wayside, know that you aren’t alone. It’s so normal that even your Pilates teacher has to find ways to stay consistent with fitness. 

The Accountability Trick

That same Pilates teacher and I have recently hired our own coaches. Even though we both know what to do and how to do it, it’s nice to have the accountability aspect. When you have a coach or teacher who is watching for you to sign up for classes or checking in with you through an email or text message, you’re going to be more apt to show up and do the thing that they are there to teach you. You’ll also be much more likely to do the hard things (the things that you might normally skip over).  

Not only do I have a new coach who is helping me with my strength and running goals, I also have help with my nutrition and I’m enrolled in a Pilates course. Each week, we learn more and dig deeper into different Pilates exercises. Of course I know the exercises, but some I may skip over if left to my own devices. The course requires me to keep up with my practice so I don’t fall behind and won’t be able to do the advanced exercises that I know are coming. 

Ways To Stay Consistent With Fitness

Having support or someone checking in on you is a great way to stay consistent with fitness, be accountable, and do the things you have a hard time motivating yourself to do. Some ideas that I’ve seen work for all types of people are:

1. Join a challenge that offers accountability check-ins.
2. Sign up for a series of lessons or a course. 
3. Pre-book your classes at the gym or studio you visit.
4. Sign up for an intro class (like my Introduction to Pilates) that will get you started so you can move into classes or work out on your own.
5. One-on-one coaching, either in person or online, where the coach will check in with you once a week. 

These tips will not only help you stick to your plan, but are fun ways to get out, try new things, and meet like-minded people. Which one will you try?