1. Set SMART goals

   • SMART Goals stand for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound goals. These parameters are defined to ensure that you likely attain your goals in a certain time frame, and eliminate generalities. 
     1. S stands for specific: this helps you think through what you’re actually trying to achieve, what steps need to be taken to achieve the goal, etc. 
     2. M stands for measurable: this helps quantify your goals and makes it simpler to track progress. Goals can often be ongoing, so having benchmarks can help set deadlines and a more solid timeline. 
     3. A stands for achievable: this helps you analyze whether these goals are realistic in the first place - do you have the right resources/personnel/time/timeline etc? 
     4. R stands for relevant: you think about the big picture here and reflect on why you’re setting this goal, and whether the context is relevant. 
     5. T stands for time-bound: to properly measure success, it’s important to have time-related parameters built in to keep you in check throughout the process. 
   • Having goals with a clear timeline and less guesswork, such as S.M.A.R.T goals will help you maintain your routine and properly achieve them in the long term rather than ineffective goals with short term changes. 

2. Have a game plan

   • It is okay to start slow. The danger of New Year's Resolutions, or an “intense” approach to fitness is wanting to do everything without defined parameters/goals/timelines. Going all in drastically is a major life change, and incorporating something new into your routine takes time and experience to push through to achieve your goals – otherwise it’s easy for the routine to fall through within the first few weeks/months. Your workouts should become as much of a habit as eating meals, or brushing your teeth, so consistently finding some time for fitness in the beginning and getting used to the idea of having it be a regular feature in your day can lead to more efficient long term maintenance. 

3. Shorten your workout 

   • Medical experts say that you should aim for 150 minutes of exercise a week, which amounts to 30 minutes five days a week. A workout doesn’t have to take an hour, or burn 300+ calories. A well structured 15-30 minutes of movement in your day can be truly effective if you’re pressed for time. The key hurdle is telling yourself you’ll make time, and modifying your schedule accordingly to fit in some sort of movement.  

4. Entertain yourself

   • Don’t force yourself to participate in a workout that isn’t interesting or effective for you or your goals. If you have a lack of confidence from failed workouts because you weren’t interested in them, you can enter a vicious cycle of generalizing this to failing the whole effort of incorporating movement. Whether you get your movement in by hiking, running, doing pilates, climbing, dancing, etc., reward yourself for getting in movement and push yourself to achieve new goals in activities that intrigue you. 

5. Have an accountability buddy 

   • Studies show that you work out longer and harder when you have a friend with you to keep you company. A workout partner can steer you in the right direction to push through harder workouts, start a workout on a harder/busier day etc. Additionally, having someone else with you to help track your progress and how hard you’re pushing yourself keeps you accountable and helps assign a tangible benefit to maintain some sort of exercise routine. Having a friend/partner there can boost your motivation and push you to work harder to achieve your goals. This can be hard because you will want to find someone with similar exercise goals, time constraints, etc. but is well worth it once you find the right buddy!

References

• https://www.webmd.com/men/stick-with-fitness-plan
• https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/sep/12/how-to-stay-fit-for-ever-25-tips-keep-exercising-expert-advice
• https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/sticking-with-your-exercise-program
• https://time.com/5105991/how-to-build-self-discipline-to-exercise/

More about the author:

Hey everyone! Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. I am a second-year MD/MPH student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine and Ryals School of Public Health - I will graduate with both these degrees in Spring 2025! I also went to UAB for undergrad and was a dual degree in Neuroscience and Philosophy along the Ethics track, so am a long-time blazer! :) I am currently an intern for the UAB Recreation Center, and am working on increasing access to physical/wellness activity through social media, blog posts, and community engagement for my “MPH Internship.” I want to practice in the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, hence am very passionate about increasing opportunity and accessibility to individuals from different backgrounds to offer equitable health resources for all. I have found an immense appreciation for the benefits of physical activity, and have seen tangible improvement in my mental health, metabolic health, cognition, and overall health - find what activity works best for you and incorporate it into your routine to reap the same benefits! If you have any questions for me specifically, please don’t hesitate to reach out at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..