I’m constantly asked how I work out Consistently every day. Friends and family members want to know.

Like most people I know, I have a career and a family. I juggle community and organizational responsibilities. I have interests, and sometimes I just want to relax.

So with all of that going on, how do I manage to get in a run or Walk or even head to the gym pretty much every day out of the year? In other words, how am I able to do what so many other people aren’t able to do?

What I Don’t Do to Work out Consistently Every Day

To start with, let me share what I don’t do and what I don’t have.

I don’t make an elaborate schedule with color-coded blocks for exercise. I don’t have a Personal trainer or nutritionist that I work with. I don’t have a home gym, garage gym, or gym shed that I use. And I don’t train regularly for events or competitions.

While those things can definitely help you stay committed. They are simply not what keeps me consistent.

I use a Google calendar to schedule work and community activities. Rarely do I use it to schedule my workouts. Its purpose is mostly to help me remember where I’m supposed to be, when I’m supposed to be there, and with whom.

I used a personal trainer for about a week a decade or so ago. I’ve never used one again. For me, I didn’t need accountability that close up to me and that personal. Show me how to use the machines. Tell me what I need to know so that I don’t hurt myself. And let me be.

While I would love to have a nutritionist or a personal chef, I don’t have the money for it. This probably explains why my diet needs so much work. I frequently skip meals. I emotionally eat. I eat too many snacks. I don’t drink enough water, and I drink too much hot cocoa. So yes…I could definitely do better here.

My past does include three half-marathons. However, the last marathon was completed around 2016. So it’s been a while, and I don’t plan on doing another one anytime soon. But I’ll admit that training and competing helps with being consistent because you have a plan and a goal that you’re working toward. And until race day, you’re usually pretty committed. It’s after the race that things fall apart for some people.

So know that you know what I don’t do. Let’s switch gears.

My Tips to Work out Consistently Every Day

ONE: Have alternatives that you can turn to.

In other words, don’t have one thing that you do or that you rely on for physical activity. If you’re an outside person who likes to run, walk, hike, or head to the playground with the kids, what’s your plan for physical activity when it’s pouring or when there are three feet of snow on the ground.

In my case, I have a number of alternatives. I have a gym membership. I have equipment at home, and I like to head outside for runs and walks. Diversity has been the key to my consistent workouts. If it’s too cold for me to run outside, I head to the gym and get on the elliptical or the treadmill. If the gym is closed, I have a water rower at home.

Right about now, you’re probably thinking that those things cost money, and they do. But you don’t have to spend a lot on a gym membership. Plus you can watch workouts on YouTube for free, and you can purchase dumbbells, jump ropes, and other items at discount stores.

The key is to have a backup plan so that you’re not relying on one activity to keep you fit.

TWO: Use Your Time Wisely.

Your workout doesn’t always have to be a scheduled structured event. It helps to take advantage of even small periods of time when you can fit in an activity.

For instance, there are many occasions when my daughter and I need to discuss something relating to her school or work. We have found that we can walk and talk at the same time. We get to spend time together, discuss the issues we need to discuss, and get some needed exercise in. It works for both of us.

I’ve also found ways to incorporate stretching, squats, and leg raises into simple daily activities that I already have to do. Since I work out in the morning, my body is usually not as awake as I would like it to be. As a result, I usually do stretching exercises while I brush my teeth in the morning. When I get to the gym, my body is ready to do what I’m going to ask it to do.

Like a lot of people, I frequently work from home. I have found that it’s easy to do squats while I’m printing or copying documents. It’s also easy to fit in a quick ten-minute walk on my treadmill after lunch. It’s not something I do every day. However, when I feel like I’ve been sitting for a long period of time, it feels good to go for a short walk on the treadmill or even a walk to the end of my street.

I also try to take advantage of slow times at the gym. If I get there early, there are fewer people trying to use the machines. I don’t have to wait or change up my routine, because someone else is on the machine that I want to use. It’s also better because there’s less of a chance that I’ll run into someone who wants to talk to me. I’m there to get my workout in and get out. Time’s important to me.

THREE: Find things that you like doing.

While you definitely want to try new things, don’t feel obligated to take a Zumba class if you’re not a person who’s into classes. Sure, it’s great to try new things and to have a diversified list of activities that you do to stay fit. However, if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, you will not stick with it.

For me, I enjoy running and being outside. I enjoy hitting the streets before the sun comes up. I enjoy listening to the sound of the birds and not hearing the business of traffic. My preference is to get out there before all of my neighbors head outside too. I enjoy the solitude and sound of my breath and of my feet hitting the pavement. I run and walk outside because I love doing it. It is an opportunity for me to recharge and to have some me-time before I have to give to the world.

But I also love weight training too and a number of other activities. In other words, I’ve figured how to do the things that I like doing. Consequently, it easy for me to keep doing them.

FOUR: Don’t judge yourself when you miss a day.

Things happen. Life happens. We get up and try again the next day.

Sometimes we can be hardest on ourselves. We judge ourselves in ways that other people don’t even think about. We beat ourselves up instead of congratulating ourselves for the things that we have done.

What helps me is to focus on the accomplishments. What did I get done today? What can I work on tomorrow? How can I continue to improve myself?

Those types of questions come from a place of personal development and improvement instead of personal judgment. By framing my actions from that perspective, I’m able to focus on what to do next instead of spending my time judging my actions.

Remember, as long as you’re living, every day is a new day to start again.

FIVE: Challenge yourself.

It’s not enough to get up every day and do the same thing over and over again. It’s important to set challenges for yourself. Even small challenges matter.

As I stated before, I’ve run three half-marathons. In the first two races, I finished a few minutes over two hours. I knew that if I tried a third time, that if I really pushed myself I could complete it in under two hours.

So I pulled together an accountability team, and I trained more than I did the first two times. I signed up for a smaller race in a place that had fewer hills. In other words, I got smarter about how to run and where to run. And I succeeded in meeting my goal.

That challenge helped push me to another level.

And while I don’t think it’s necessary for you to run races, I do think that it’s necessary for you to grow as a person in your own way.

SIX: Learn when to step back and slow down.

It’s important to know when to take a break.

Our bodies weren’t mean to go for 24 hours with no break. Our bodies need rest. Our minds need rest.

This means that you don’t have to give it your all every day. Playing soccer in the backyard with your daughter can be just as physically rewarding as another activity. Your fitness doesn’t have to always look like fitness.

You can slow and sometimes, you need to take a break.

These six tips are what I use to help me work out consistently every day.

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