Category: Weight Loss

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!

Weight loss and How to Do It Right — Tips from and exercise scientist

13/3/2025

By Ethan Farr, Myotherapist

Weight loss, something that many of us want to do, however even more of us fail to do it, maintain it or just fall off the bandwagon way too early. When it comes to weight loss, there isn’t a one size fits all approach and many of us look for an easy/instant fix but weight loss that can be maintained doesn’t come all that easy and is more nuanced than that. People tend to oversimplify weight loss and say “just eat less” or “exercise more” or even “try [insert] diet” which, yes, all of these can work but I’m here to give you clearer ways you can go about achieving these things to help you hit your weight loss goals.

Firstly let's address this 'eat less' component of weight loss, for those who love numbers and calculating, you can count calories. To do this I would suggest using a BMR (basal metabolic rate) calculator online which will give you an estimated number of calories you need to live and complete day to day activities. From there you can reduce your calorie intake by 10-20%, maintaining that amount each day and you will see weight loss results.

However most of us, myself included, don't have the time or the desire to go through their calories with a fine tooth comb every day and it can potentially lead to unhealthy habits. I found that when I was doing this I developed a bad relationship with food and an unhealthy obsession with calories in versus calories out. Instead, when it comes to diet I find it easier to make small changes and/or add healthier options instead of cutting things out.
Some examples include:

Change soft drinks to their no sugar/diet variety. Soft drinks are full of sugar and they leave you feeling unsatiated, making it easy to over consume calories when drinking them
Add more fruits and vegetables to your meals
Change your highly processed foods (such as take away or junk foods) to more natural foods or homemade options like going from chocolates or sweets to fruits or yoghurts, chips to things like nuts or popcorn
Try to change snacking habits (this was the hardest for me) when you feel like snacking try having some water first and if you’re still hungry try going for fruits and vegetables
Try to keep yourself busy as it is very easy to eat to keep yourself busy or because you’re bored

Next let's look at the 'exercise more' component. While it is true that if you do more exercise you will burn more calories then if you don’t exercise but it’s also important to think about the kind of exercise you’re doing.
A lot of people focus on cardio as the go-to exercise for weight loss, and while cardio can absolutely help, it’s only part of the equation. Weight training, for example, is a game-changer. Not only does it help you burn calories during the workout, but it also increases muscle mass, which in turn boosts your metabolism and BMR even while you're resting. Building muscle helps your body burn more calories at rest, which can help with weight loss in the long run. When it comes to exercise, finding something that you enjoy and can stick to is key.
It's easy to burn out if you force yourself into a routine that feels like a chore. Experiment with different activities—whether it’s cycling, swimming, yoga, or strength training—until you find something that makes you excited to move your body. Unfortunately exercise alone won’t necessarily lead to weight loss as you simply can’t ‘out train’ a bad diet. However, let’s not forget that exercise is great and holds many other health benefits long term and isn’t just a weight loss tool. It improves quality of life, improves day to day movement quality and improves mental health, not to mention it keeps you more independent well into your retirement years and reduces your risk of fall injuries as it helps to maintain your bone density.

Here are some basic movement goals to help you incorporate more exercise into your routine:

10,000 steps everyday (this can be achieved by adding a 20-30 minute walk to your daily routine)
Your choice of activity (bike, run, gym, dance whatever you enjoy) 2-3 times a week for at least 20 minutes
If you’re going to the gym you can reduce the time you need to spend at the gym through supersetting. What this means is instead of resting after a set of an exercise you go on to do another exercise that doesn’t use the same muscle group and alternate between the two. This way you can get a great workout done in half the time
If you’re going from no exercise at all for the last few years, try to make your goals small and achievable. Give yourself time to recover instead of all exercise based goals. Aim to exercise once a week with some recovery/stretching sessions throughout the week then build up once you are consistently meeting these goals

Achieving sustainable weight loss is more than just following a set of rules, quick fixes and fad diets. It’s about making mindful, balanced changes that work for your body and lifestyle. These changes need to be something you can maintain ongoing, not just something you struggle with for 4-8 weeks. Whether you focus on small dietary adjustments, adding more physical activity, or cultivating a positive relationship with food, the key is consistency and finding what makes you feel good. Remember, weight loss isn’t just about numbers—it’s about creating a healthier, happier version of yourself. So, experiment, listen to your body, and keep going, even when progress feels slow. When it comes to weight loss I prefer to look at the direction of change rather than the magnitude of change, as long as you’re continuing to move in a positive direction you’re already kicking goals.

If you're ready to take the next step in your weight loss journey and need guidance tailored to your needs, book an appointment with me today. Let’s work together to create a plan that helps you achieve your goals in a sustainable, healthy way!

How do I start and stick to my exercise plan?

Weight loss and How to Do It Right — Tips from and exercise scientist

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