Category: Exercise Science

How do I start and stick to my exercise plan?

8/5/2025

By Ethan Farr, Myotherapist

Starting an exercise plan can be exciting, but sticking to it can be tough. Whether you're a beginner or looking to get back into a routine after a break, it can feel challenging to maintain motivation, avoid obstacles, and keep up the momentum. The good news is, with a little planning and a strategic approach, you can set yourself up for success. Here’s a few tips that I use to help get you started—and stay—on track with your exercise plan.

1. Set Clear, appropriate and Realistic Goals
Before you jump into any fitness routine, it’s essential to know why you want to exercise. Are you aiming to lose weight, build strength, increase flexibility, or just improve your overall health? Understanding your goals will guide your workout choices and help keep you motivated.
Setting up proper goals is a skill and it isn’t as easy as just “lose weight” or “exercise more” to set yourself up for success, make sure your goals are SMART goals:

Specific: Instead of vague goals like "get fit," aim for specific outcomes like "run 3 miles" or "do 10 push-ups."

Measurable: Track your progress with quantifiable milestones, such as "lose 5 pounds" or "work out 4 days a week."

Achievable: Set goals that challenge you but are within your ability to accomplish.

Timed: Give yourself a timeframe. For example, "I will run a 5k in 3 months" or "I will lift 20 pounds in 6 weeks."

By breaking down large objectives into smaller, manageable chunks, you can make steady progress and stay motivated. A tip I would give you is start by making a long term goal. This is usually a goal you want to achieve in a year. This could be something like running a marathon in a year's time or lose 15-20kg and maintain that weight over the year. Once you have this goal in mind make 3 smaller short term goals that over time will get you achieving this broader long term goal. For example if your long term goal is to run a marathon in a year your short term goals could include: 1. Complete 3 runs a week for the next 3 weeks, 2. Be able to run 5km without stopping in 4 weeks time, 3. Ensure I am doing 2 recovery and stretch sessions lasting 20minutes a week for the next 3 weeks. This helps to ensure you stay motivated as it makes each week count and it’s not just something you have heaps of time to get ready for so you can afford to put it off everyday.

2. Start Small and Build Gradually
If you’re new to exercise or even if you have just taken a large break, it’s tempting to dive into an intense routine right away to try and meet your long term goals as soon as possible, but this can lead to burnout or even injury. Instead, start with manageable activities and gradually increase intensity as your body adapts.
For example:

Begin with walking or light jogging if you're starting a cardio routine.

Start with bodyweight exercises like squats, lunges, and push-ups before progressing to weights or resistance bands.

Focus on consistency over intensity. A few short sessions a week is a great way to build momentum without overwhelming yourself.

It's better to come out of a workout happy and with plenty of energy in the tank rather than waking up the next morning to sore to follow your next workout

3. Create a Flexible Routine
Consistency is key, but life tends to get in the way. Having a flexible exercise routine makes it easier to adjust and keep going, even when things get busy.
Here’s how to make your plan adaptable:

Set a weekly schedule: Aim for at least 2-4 sessions per week. Choose times that work best for you, whether that’s early in the morning or after work.

Mix things up: Keep your routine varied by alternating between cardio, strength training, flexibility, and rest days. This prevents monotony and helps target different muscle groups.

Be flexible: If you miss a session, don’t stress—just get back on track the next day. It's more important to stay consistent over the long term than to aim for perfection.

4. Find Activities You Enjoy
One of the biggest hurdles to sticking with an exercise plan is the feeling of dread before each workout. If you’re doing something you truly enjoy, it won’t feel like a chore, and you’ll be more likely to stick with it.
Take some time to explore different types of exercises and find what excites you the most. Whether it’s dancing, cycling, swimming, yoga, weightlifting, or hiking, try to make your workouts something you look forward to instead of something you have to force yourself to do.
If you enjoy a particular activity, you’re far less likely to skip it or give it up. Plus, you can always mix it up to keep things fresh. If you feel like your current routine has become a bit monotonous, try switching it up with something new to reignite your motivation.

5. Track Your Progress
Seeing improvement, no matter how small, can be incredibly motivating. Tracking your progress not only helps you celebrate your wins but also shows you how far you’ve come, even on the days when you feel like you're not making much headway.
There are a few ways you can track progress:

Fitness apps: Apps like MyFitnessPal or Strava can help you track your workouts, nutrition, and overall progress.
Journaling: go old school and keep a simple fitness journal to write down what exercises you’ve done, how long you’ve spent, and any notes about how you felt.
Progress photos: Sometimes, the changes in your body aren’t always visible from one day to the next, but after a few weeks or months, you’ll notice the transformation.

As you track your progress, remember that progress isn’t always linear. Some days will be better than others, and that's okay. Celebrate the small victories—whether it’s an extra minute of cardio, a heavier weight lifted, or the ability to do an exercise you couldn't do before.

6. Focus on the Benefits, Not Just the End Result
While your end goal might be to lose weight, build muscle, or run a marathon, it’s important to focus on the many benefits you’ll experience along the way, such as improved mood, better sleep, increased energy, and reduced stress. When you shift your mindset to appreciate these immediate benefits, the process becomes more rewarding.
By focusing on how great you feel after a workout rather than fixating on the long-term outcome, you'll be more likely to enjoy the journey and stick to your plan.

Sticking to an exercise plan doesn’t have to be difficult, but it does take intention, planning, and the right mindset. By setting clear goals, starting small, staying flexible, and focusing on the process rather than perfection, you can make exercise a consistent and enjoyable part of your life. Remember that progress is personal, and the key is to keep moving forward, no matter how small the steps may seem to be.

Ready to level up your fitness goals? Book a session with Ethan, our expert sports myotherapist and exercise scientist!

What is sports myotherapy and exercise science?

10/12/2024

By Ethan Farr, Sports Myotherapist & Exercise Scientist

Sports Myotherapy is a specialised form of manual therapy that focuses on the assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries commonly encountered in athletes of all levels including young athlete development, elite and sub-elite level athletes to even your weekend warriors and general gym goers.

As a Myotherapist with a degree in Sports and Exercise Science, I'm the ideal sport focused therapist to help you move through a comprehensive rehab plan that considers your sport, your fitness, the other demands of your lifestyle including work, family and social life.

Sports Myotherapists like myself utilise a combination of hands-on techniques, such as deep tissue massage, trigger point therapy, stretching, dry needling, cupping and corrective exercise, to address muscle imbalances, alleviate pain, and enhance athletic performance.

Sports Myotherapists work closely with athletes to identify underlying biomechanical issues, design personalised treatment plans, and provide ongoing support to optimise recovery, improve performance and prevent future injuries, making it an integral component of athletic training programs.

Exercise science is a multidisciplinary field that explores various aspects of human movement, physical activity, and exercise performance. It encompasses disciplines such as physiology, biomechanics, anatomy, kinesiology, psychology, and nutrition to study how the body responds and adapts to exercise and physical activity. Exercise scientists investigate topics such as the physiological effects of exercise on different systems of the body, the mechanics of human movement, the psychological factors influencing exercise behaviour and performance, and the role of nutrition in supporting physical activity and athletic performance. This field is crucial for understanding how exercise can be utilised for health promotion, athletic training, rehabilitation, and performance enhancement across diverse populations.

Exercise science provides valuable insights into the biomechanics, physiology, and pathology of the human body during physical activity, which can inform myotherapy treatments in several ways. Understanding the principles of human movement and functional anatomy allows myotherapists to assess movement patterns, identify muscular imbalances, and pinpoint areas of dysfunction contributing to injury. Additionally, knowledge of exercise physiology enables myotherapists to tailor treatment interventions to enhance tissue healing, improve muscle strength and endurance, and optimise neuromuscular control. By integrating exercise science principles into myotherapy practice, therapists can develop comprehensive treatment plans that not only alleviate current symptoms but also address underlying causes and promote long-term musculoskeletal health and performance.

Experience working in fitness and with athletes provides valuable insights that can significantly inform myotherapy treatments. Firstly, familiarity with various athletic activities and sports-specific movements allows myotherapists to understand the specific demands placed on the body during training and competition. This understanding enables them to tailor treatment plans to address the unique biomechanical stresses and patterns of movement associated with each individual sport, thus optimising treatment outcomes. Moreover, working with athletes offers exposure to a wide range of musculoskeletal injuries and conditions commonly encountered in sports and fitness settings. This hands-on experience enhances a myotherapist's ability to assess, diagnose, and treat injuries effectively, drawing on practical knowledge gained from working with individuals across different sports and fitness levels.

If you want to see the difference a sports myotherapist/exercise scientist can make to your sports rehab, return to match fitness and improved peak performance, book yourself an appointment with me at www.simplewellness.com.au/treatments-bookings or call us on 03 8204 0970. I would love to have the chance to help you be better than you thought was possible.

How do I start and stick to my exercise plan?

What is sports myotherapy and exercise science?

Meet Our Team

Archives

Categories