The number one key to reaching your fitness goals is consistency. Your body is a representation of your habits. Instilling healthy habits into your routine, as basic as drinking more water and walking on a consistent basis, can lead to long lasting results. You don’t have to be perfect with your exercise routine, or diet, or sleep to reap the rewards of consistency. If the majority of the time you are choosing the healthy option, you will be moving in the right direction. The more often you make the choice to move your body, eat quality foods, and get enough sleep, the more quickly you will reach your fitness goals.
The most successful routine and diet is the one you can repeat the most consistently for an extended period of time. If you currently have zero days of intentional physical activity per week, and you are looking to start a workout program that has you working out six days per week, there is a very high chance of burnout and inconsistency. Slowly incorporating one or two days of intentional exercise is the easiest and most consistent way to build the routine you are aiming for. Once those days become a staple in your week, add another day of movement, until you have reached an amount that is sustainable for you in the long term. Remember, if you were doing zero days to start, even one day of thirty minutes to an hour of movement is more than before.
Long term health is about slowly incorporating many small habits into your daily and weekly routine until they become the new normal. Being honest with yourself and starting at a comfortable, maintainable amount will carry you further than any workout challenge or fad diet ever will.
