How to Reset Your Fitness Routine

Holidays, days out, warmer weather and changes to our usual schedules can all mean that exercise looks a little different during July and August. Perhaps you’ve exercised less than usual, your normal routine has disappeared completely, or you’ve simply been enjoying the summer and fitness hasn’t been quite as high on the priority list.

However, September has always felt a little like a fresh start. The holidays begin to come to an end, routines start returning to normal and suddenly there’s an opportunity to get back into some healthier habits.

The important thing, though, is not to feel as though you have to start from scratch.

You don’t need a dramatic new fitness plan, a strict diet or a promise to exercise every single day. Instead, a fitness reset can simply mean taking a look at where you are now and gradually rebuilding a routine that works for your life.

So, if your exercise has slipped a little over the summer, you are probably thinking how to reset your fitness routine? Well here are a few simple ways to get moving again.

Don’t Try to Make Up for Lost Time

One of the easiest mistakes to make after a break from exercise is trying to do too much too quickly.

Perhaps you haven’t worked out for three weeks, so suddenly you decide you’re going to exercise every day. However, after a few exhausting sessions, you’re tired, sore and wondering why getting back into fitness feels so difficult.

Instead, give yourself time.

If you were exercising four or five times a week before your break, you don’t necessarily need to return to that immediately. Start with two or three manageable workouts and gradually build from there.

After all, you haven’t failed because your routine changed. Life changes, and sometimes our exercise routine needs to change with it.

Start With Something You Enjoy

If you’re struggling to find motivation, don’t make your first workout back something you dread. Instead, choose something you actually enjoy and, importantly, something that feels manageable.

Perhaps that’s Pilates, a dance workout, a walk outside, strength training or a gentle yoga session. Alternatively, if you simply want an easy way to get moving again, our 20-Minute Toning programme is a great place to start. With short, full-body workouts, it’s easy to fit into your day without feeling like you’re taking on too much too soon.

Once you’ve rebuilt the habit, you can begin adding more variety and structure to your week.

That’s one of the advantages of having so many different types of workouts available on InstructorLive. You don’t have to force yourself into one particular style of exercise. Instead, you can explore different programmes and find something that suits both your fitness level and how you’re feeling that day.

Put Exercise Back Into Your Diary

During summer, our usual routines can become much less predictable. However, as September approaches, a little more structure can actually be useful.

Therefore, take a look at your week and decide when exercise realistically fits.

Perhaps you’ve got 20 minutes before work on a Tuesday and Thursday. Maybe Saturday morning works better for a longer session. Alternatively, you might prefer exercising during your lunch break.

There’s no perfect time to work out.

The best time is the one you’re most likely to stick to.

What’s more, because InstructorLive workouts are available on demand, you can fit exercise around your routine rather than having to organise your day around a fixed class time.

Don’t Forget Everyday Movement

Getting fitter isn’t only about completing structured workouts.

In fact, simply moving more throughout the day is important too. Current UK guidance recommends reducing prolonged periods of sitting and breaking them up with activity, alongside regular aerobic and strength exercise.

Therefore, look for opportunities to move that don’t necessarily feel like a workout. You could take a walk at lunchtime, use the stairs, get up regularly if you’ve been sitting for a long period or spend some time gardening.

Individually, these things might not feel significant. However, added together throughout the week, they can make a real difference to how active you are.

Create a Balanced Routine

Once you’re moving regularly again, start thinking about variety.

It’s easy to find one workout you enjoy and repeat it every time. However, different types of exercise offer different benefits.

Cardiovascular exercise can help improve your stamina and heart health, while strength training helps maintain muscle and supports everyday movement. Meanwhile, Pilates, yoga and mobility work can help develop control, flexibility and balance.

In fact, current NHS guidance recommends adults include strengthening activities on at least two days each week alongside regular aerobic activity.

Therefore, rather than asking yourself what the “best” workout is, think about creating a mixture of movement across your week.

Give Yourself Something to Work Towards

Finally, having a goal can give your routine a little more purpose.

However, it doesn’t need to be about weight loss or changing how you look.

Perhaps you’d like to feel stronger.

Maybe you’d like to complete three workouts each week.

You might want to improve your balance, walk further without feeling tired or simply feel more energetic.

Whatever you choose, make it achievable.

Then, once you’ve reached it, set another one.

Fitness doesn’t need to be one enormous transformation. More often than not, it’s lots of small improvements that gradually add up.

The Takeaway

If your fitness routine has slipped over the summer, don’t worry.

You haven’t lost everything you’ve worked for, and you certainly don’t need to punish yourself with an intense new training plan.

Instead, use the change of season as an opportunity to reset.

Start gradually, choose exercise you enjoy, put some structure back into your week and remember that everyday movement counts too.

Most importantly, create a routine that works for your life now, rather than trying to recreate one that worked six months ago.

Because getting back into fitness isn’t really about starting again.

It’s simply about taking the next step.