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For many, starting a new fitness program is often high on the list of resolutions at the start of each new year. We all know that exercise and physical activity are incredibly important to overall health, but it can be daunting to figure out where to start. Find out how to create your own workout routine with the steps below. 

Define your goals 

Before creating a workout routine, it’s important to clearly define your goals and what you’re looking to get out of your workouts. Are you looking to lose weight? Build muscle? Increase endurance? A combination of all of the above? Having a goal in mind not only allows you to stay motivated, but also allows you to alter your workout routine where necessary to stay on track. 

Want to get super specific? Utilize SMART goals. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. SMART goals can be particularly helpful to hold yourself accountable and actually measure change. Examples of SMART goals include, “I will increase my squat weight by 10 pounds within four weeks,” or “I will jog a mile in ten minutes within six weeks.” 

Consult a healthcare professional 

Before starting a new program, it’s important to consult a healthcare professional, particularly if you have any limiting health conditions or injuries. Take stock of your current activity level and outline your goals. Identifying any physical limitations prior to starting a new program can save you a lot of pain and discomfort down the road. 

Determine what kind of fitness you enjoy 

The old adage goes, “The best workout is the one you enjoy and will do consistently.” If you’re not a runner, don’t force yourself to do it. More often than not, forcing yourself to do a workout that you loathe means that you won’t stick with it long term and you’ll likely end up frustrated all over again when you land back at square one. 

The best way to determine what kind of exercise you enjoy doing – especially if you’re new to fitness – is to try everything. You may find out that you enjoy multiple different kinds of exercise and can then schedule them all into a regular weekly or monthly routine. 

Combining different types of exercise activities is known as cross training, and it has been proven to be incredibly beneficial for the body. Workouts without any kind of variability increase your risk of sustaining an injury from repetitive strain or overuse. An ideal cross-training routine includes some kind of cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and mobility/flexibility work like stretching, yoga, or Pilates. 

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons identifies the benefits of cross training to include full body conditioning, which improves skill, agility, and balance; flexibility in training plans; and the opportunity to continue training while injured. Most importantly, cross training also reduces the risk of injury, which is accomplished by working certain muscle groups while others rest. Additionally, variety in your workouts is important for mental stimulation and prevents you from getting bored. 

Schedule your workouts 

As with anything, consistency in workouts is important and oftentimes is half the battle. The CDC reports that adults need at least 150 minutes of moderately intense physical activity per week – which shakes out to five 30-minute workouts each week – plus two days of muscle-strengthening activity each week. Of course, these are baseline suggestions, so it’s even better if you have the time and ability to exercise for longer and exceed that target each week. 

For me, it works best when I physically schedule workouts into my daily routine like they’re appointments. Oftentimes when we’re incredibly busy, self-care activities like exercise, sleep, and alone time are the first to go. As such, I find it beneficial to prioritize my physical health and wellness by scheduling my workouts ahead of time. 

Experiment with the time of day that you complete your workouts during and determine which works best for you and your schedule and then stick to it. Some people find it easiest to wake up early before work and get it done first thing in the morning, while others prefer to hit the gym on the way home at the end of the day. 

Additionally, when scheduling workouts for the week, ensure that you’re including enough flexibility to allow for rest days. Rest days are equally if not more important than the rest of your workouts because they allow vital time for your muscles to recover and grow, and help to prevent injuries. Experts recommend taking at least one day off from your daily workout routine each week. Benefits of rest days include better mental and physical health, fewer injuries, less muscle soreness, and stronger muscles. 

If even on your rest day you’re still itching to move, it may be beneficial for both your mental and physical health to partake in active recovery, otherwise known as light activity to get enough blood flow to your muscles, but not so much that you further tax them. 

Active recovery can include gentle stretching, taking a walk, swimming, yoga, or even getting a massage or other body work. Ultimately, the goal of a rest day or active recovery day is to finish feeling refreshed and ready to take on your workouts the following day.

Structure your workouts 

After deciding what kind of exercise you’ll be doing, make sure you structure your workouts well, with a warm-up routine to get your muscles ready to work and a cool-down routine to promote muscle healing and health. Your warm-up doesn’t have to be terribly involved, depending on what you’re doing. Typically five to ten minutes of movement like brisk walking and dynamic stretching will do the job to prepare your muscles for the workout ahead of them. The same can be said for a cool-down – five to ten minutes of slower activity and static stretching can go a long way to promote muscle recovery and prevent soreness the following day. 

Adjust as needed 

It may be helpful to track workouts using a fitness app to see track metrics like how long you’re working out each week, intensity, track progress, and stay motivated. As you get stronger or meet your goals, be sure to create new goals and adjust the intensity, duration, or kind of exercise to continue to challenge yourself. If it’s taking you longer to meet your goals than you anticipated, don’t sweat it. Be flexible with yourself – missing a workout here or there isn’t going to make or break progress. As long as you’re staying as relatively consistent and feeling good, then you’re doing something right.