Fitness is one of those things that can consume your whole life or have zero part of it. Like most extremes, landing somewhere in the middle is likely where you’ll find your sustainable happy place. Exactly what that medium is, will differ based on the individual but here are 5 simple tips that will make fitness easier for anyone.

Be flexible. Fitness is not one size fits all and finding the workout and routine that works for you takes patience and time. Try things you’ve never tried before (cardio dance is a great recovery workout for me that until I tried it – 5x – I genuinely thought I hated it). Be open to the new paths you’ll cross while you’re exploring the options in your area. Give yourself grace as you get moving. Movement is different for everyone and just because you’re not good at it or you’ve never tried it, or you don’t know anyone, shouldn’t be a reason to not move. Lastly, your routine can change at any moment. Being flexible is key to making a fitness routine that sticks. Whether you’re traveling or just had a baby or you’re recovering from an injury, tailor your routine to support where you are in life and know that what worked for the last 6 months may not work now and that’s ok. The important thing is to just keep going.
Move safely. Do your research. Not all fitness is created equal and finding the workout that meets you where you are in your wellness journey is key to avoiding injury. Finding quality instructors and knowledgeable coaches is critical. Being injured is never fun and ideally, finding the fitness routine that keeps you moving well not just in the gym (unless you’re a pro athlete or in competition) is the routine for you. Also keep in mind that rest and recovery is an important part of moving safely and preventing injury so even if you’re feeling 120% in week 1, make sure to build in some rest days so you’re still feeling 120% in week 10.
Find a buddy. Fitness with friends is great for many reasons. It makes trying new workouts more fun. There’s a level of accountability between the two of you when you’re both working towards a common goal. It’s also a great way to meet new friends. And if competition is your thing, there’s nothing like a little friendly competition at the gym.
Be aware of convenience. As humans, convenience plays a huge part in our habits particularly in which ones we stick with and which ones we don’t. If your gym is 30 minutes from your house and you only enjoy a few of the members, it will be much easier to come up with excuses to skip your workout. If your gym is in the bottom of your apartment complex and all your friends go there, you’ll have more reasons to stay committed. This isn’t to say that a 30 minute drive to your favorite gym with all your favorite people won’t be your perfect fit but evaluate the excuses you do make to bail on a routine and keep those reasons in mind when you’re going to build out your routine.
Have fun. This is the most important factor in my mind. If you aren’t having fun, you aren’t likely to stick with plan longterm. Whether this means throwing in some new workouts (maybe aerial silks, a martial art or maybe even some cardio dance) or dialing back the frequency of your workouts so you can still enjoy life, check in with yourself and make sure that you are enjoying what you’re doing and if you’re not, evaluate what is taking away the fun and see if you can’t make those changes.

All that said, you know what works for you, so listen to your body, trust your instincts (unless they’re telling you to not try something because you’ve never done it) meet new people and have fun finding a consistent fitness routine that works for you!