How to create an exercise plan

When life gets busy, we can sometimes forget to exercise and lose our routine, making it difficult to return to our exercise program.

Creating an exercise plan can help you stay on track. It can act as a reminder, help you manage your time better and foster a sense of commitment to exercise.

Here are some things to consider:

What are your exercise goals?
Are you just wanting to stay active or do you have something specific you’d like to work on such as your flexibility or cardio? It’s good to write down what you want to get out of your exercise. It can help you determine how to structure your plan and what types of exercise are best to achieve your goals.

How much time can you commit?
Consider the commitments you have in your life, such as work and family, any events you have coming up, and time you’d like to keep free for socialising, leisure and relaxation. It’s much more effective to plan your exercise to fit your lifestyle as opposed to creating an ideal but unrealistic plan.

Where do you want to exercise?
You may want to use exercise as a way to get out of the house or maybe it’s more convenient to exercise at home. The types of exercise you can do will vary by location – if you’re outside you could go for a run, but at home you might do yoga. Also think about what places are most convenient to exercise. For example, if you work near a lake or park it might be convenient to exercise there before or after work.

What exercises or workouts should I do?
The more specific you are about how you plan to exercise, the more likely you are to carry out the plan. When choosing workouts, think about what exercises you enjoy, any injuries or physical challenges you have and if you will need any equipment. There are lots of online exercise routines, podcasts, YouTube videos and apps to make the choice easier.

How will I remind myself?
Once you’ve created your exercise plan, set up prompts to remind yourself. You could display your exercise plan visually on a whiteboard or planner, add your workouts to your diary or calendar, or schedule workout reminders on your phone.

As you start your exercise plan, track your progress – you can check off a completed workout, or include details on your progress such as how far you ran. Recording your achievements can help you stay motivated and identify any parts of the plan that you may need to adjust.

An exercise plan is a great way to get organised and maintain your routine.