The Well
How to Stick to a Workout Routine
When Life Gets Busy
By the second Friday of January, also known as ‘Quitter’s Day’, most people have already given up on their New Year’s fitness goals. Not because they’re lazy, but because life became busy again.
If you’ve ever been swept up in the loop of setting ambitious goals, being fully on board for the first week or two, and then life decides to derail your exercise routine, you’ll understand that feeling of frustration we’re talking about.
One small change in your schedule can completely wipe out the time you blocked out for exercise. Sick children, traffic jams, or maybe you receive the classic ‘I hope this email finds you well’ as you find yourself halfway out of the front door.
Before you know it, one skipped day turns into a week, you’re back where you began, and the guilt sets in. We’re here to put a different spin on this all-too-familiar cycle with a system you can easily put into practice to keep your workout plan alive: Measure, Move, Recover, Repeat.
Start smaller than you think
Part of the reason most people struggle to stick to a workout routine? The goal is too big. Committing to an hour-long home workout or gym session every day is impressive, sure—but realistic? Not for most of us. Scaling back your ambitious fitness plan into small, manageable actions gives you the power to actually stay consistent over the long haul. That’s how you build habits that stick and see real progress without feeling crushed.
Pick one or two ‘anchor’ actions that are short in duration, fit into your busy schedule, and don’t require you to drive to a gym (who has time to battle with traffic?) If it’s something small enough that you can do it when you’re tired, it counts as a win, and it’s enough to keep momentum going.
Short daily workouts, even just 5–10 minutes, add up over time. And the beauty is, once these small actions become part of your routine, you can scale them up without feeling like your fitness plan has turned into a full-time job.
Attach it to something you already do
Anchor actions should tie in with your existing habits so you can say to yourself, “After I [existing habit], I’ll [movement].” This is called habit stacking, and it works.
By linking a new habit to one you already do, you’ve made a pre-agreement with your brain about when and where your exercise happens, hijacking the systems your brain already uses efficiently instead of asking it to create something entirely new. Pretty interesting stuff. Here are a few examples you can start with:
- After morning coffee → 5 minutes of stretching
- After logging off work → walk around the block
- After the kids’ bedtime → short home workout session
- After your train stop → take the stairs instead of the escalator
These small, time-efficient workouts add up over time, without needing to join the 5am club. If you can, anchor a weekly check-in to measure your fitness progress. Just once or twice a week is enough, after brushing your teeth or after your morning shower. If you can spare 20 seconds, you’ve easily covered another part of the system.
Have a Plan B for busy days
To be clear, we’re not suggesting you ditch your ambitious fitness plan altogether. If you’ve set goals and you’re smashing them, more power to you. We’re suggesting you have a Plan B for the days or weeks when life decides there’s no time for Plan A.
- Plan A: Your ideal week. Three gym sessions, 10,000 steps per day, and an evening stretch or recovery session.
- Plan B: A busy week. Two 30-minute home workouts, light movement, and a bigger focus on nutrition, hydration, and sleep quality.
Life will sometimes rear its ugly head and interrupt your plans, but having that Plan B tucked away is what keeps the habit alive. It’s not a step back, it’s a small step forward. When life gives you a moment to breathe, you can take bigger strides again.
Look after your body so you can show up again
Another roadblock that can stop you in your tracks is muscle soreness. When you start a new exercise routine or increase training intensity, the unfamiliar load causes microscopic muscle tears. Your body, being the ultra-smart biological system that it is, springs into action, recruiting cells to rebuild muscle fibres and adapt them for future stress.
Soreness can make daily life harder, making quitting feel practical. But this is actually your body’s window for growth and adaptation. Adding short recovery anchors into your routine can help you leave sessions feeling more energised and less sore.
- Stretching after movement
- A few minutes with a massage gun on tight areas
- Planned rest days focused on light movement
- Compression massage for legs or joints that need it
Recovery does more than prevent soreness. It lowers your risk of injury, resets your nervous system, and improves mobility over time. Sleep, nutrition, protein intake, and hydration all contribute as well.
Notice more than just the number on the scale
For a long time, many people have measured fitness progress by weight alone. If you’re guilty of this, remember you are no more or less worthy when that number changes. Real progress comes in many forms. It’s about how you feel in your own skin, showing up for workouts, fuelling your body well, and keeping your Plan B alive when life gets in the way. That is forward movement.
Here are a few non-scale markers to track weekly progress:
- Reps or sets: Can you do more push-ups, squats, or hold a plank longer than last week?
- Weight lifted: If using dumbbells or resistance bands, are you progressing?
- Endurance: Can you jog, row, or cycle longer or faster?
- Energy levels: Feeling more awake or alert during the day?
- Sleep quality: Falling asleep faster, or sleeping more deeply
- Muscle soreness: Recovering more quickly
- Clothing fit: Clothes feeling looser or more comfortable
Weekly weigh-ins can still be useful if your goal is fat loss or muscle gain. A reliable body analyser scale can give insights into muscle mass, hydration, and body composition, helping put short-term changes into perspective.
You haven’t failed, you just paused
Letting your workout routine slip due to life commitments doesn’t equal failure or laziness. It means you’re human. Jobs, families, and responsibilities bring unexpected interruptions. This isn’t derailing you; it’s simply a pause. Lean into your Plan B actions after a low-movement week, then gradually return to Plan A. That in itself is a small victory. You didn’t quit - you adapted and restarted.
Tools that make it easier to keep going
Massage guns
Massage guns can help target tight muscles with different attachments, reducing post-workout soreness. A few minutes on key areas can make it easier to return to movement and stick with your exercise routine.
Compression massage
After intense activity, compression massage supports circulation and reduces swelling and muscle tension. If leg or joint soreness tends to interrupt your workouts, compression sleeves can help alongside rest and light movement.
Bathroom scales
For those who like to track fitness progress, a reliable body analyser scale is a useful way to check in without judgement. Some models provide insights into muscle mass, hydration, and trends over time, helping put short-term changes into perspective.
Massage guns are fast, effective tools that can improve your range of motion, relax sore muscles, and even reduce stress. You only need to commit a few minutes every day, making it the perfect addition to include in your cycle of measure, move, recover, repeat.
measure • move • recover • repeat
If your routine slips, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. Progress comes from small, consistent actions, even when life gets messy. Focusing on nutrition, recovery, and habit stacking keeps your fitness plan alive and motivation strong. Measure how you feel, move in ways that fit your schedule, recover with purpose, and repeat. That’s how workout routines actually stick.
Disclaimer: This blog is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional or fitness expert before starting a new exercise routine, fitness plan, or making significant changes to your diet or lifestyle. Individual results may vary. The tools, products, and methods mentioned are examples to support recovery, habit building, and fitness progress and are not essential to achieving results.
