Maybe You Don't Need Your Old Workout Routine Back

August always feels like the beginning of a routine shift. Vacations start winding down, school is around the corner, schedules start filling back up, and suddenly everyone is talking about “getting back into a routine.”

But lately I’ve been thinking… back to which routine?

My life looks completely different now than it did a few years ago. I have two kids, we’re homeschooling, and I moved my business into my home. My days are vastly different than they used to be, my energy is absolutely different, and of course, that means my workouts are different too.

There was a time when I could plan a workout and just… do it. Imagine that 😂

Now? I do fewer workouts and they’re often shorter than they used to be. Sometimes I feel strong and have a great hour-long lifting session. Sometimes I have 20 minutes and that’s what I get.

I could look at that and think I’m doing less.

Or I can recognize that I’ve built a routine that works for the life I actually have right now.

We’re Always Comparing Ourselves to Who We Used to Be

I see this with clients all the time too. We compare what we’re capable of today to some previous version of ourselves.

Maybe you used to work out four or five days a week.

Maybe you were a runner before having kids.

Maybe an injury changed what you can comfortably do.

Maybe menopause changed your energy or recovery.

Maybe work is incredibly busy right now.

Or maybe summer happened and your normal routine simply didn’t fit.

Whatever the reason, I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to get back to where we were.

But maybe you don’t need to.

Your body still has all of the experience you’ve given it. You still know things about movement that you didn’t know when you first started. You’ve built strength, habits, body awareness, and confidence along the way.

Maybe the goal isn’t to get back to your old routine.

Maybe it’s to figure out what movement looks like in this version of your life.

And that might mean doing less than you used to or doing it differently.

Your Workout Routine Should Fit Your Life

I would much rather see someone consistently do two workouts a week than plan for five, constantly miss them, and spend the rest of the week feeling like they’ve failed.

Movement should support your life.

Your life shouldn’t have to revolve around your workout routine.

That doesn’t mean you can’t have fitness goals or work toward doing more. It just means the routine you create needs to make sense for the time, energy, and life you have right now.

Try This: Build Your “Right Now” Routine

For a minute, forget what you used to do and ask yourself:

• What do I realistically have time for right now?

• What kind of movement would make my body feel better right now?

• What could I actually repeat most weeks?

Maybe the answer is three workouts. Maybe it’s two. Maybe it’s one workout and a couple of 10-minute movement sessions.

Start there.

You can always add more later. But I would much rather see you consistently do less than constantly feel like you’re failing at doing more.

Need Movement That Fits Your Routine?

Not everyone needs, or has time for, a standing personal training appointment. If you want some direction but need the flexibility to exercise on your own schedule, I also create Custom Programs based on your body, your goals, and the equipment and time you actually have available.

Your routine is allowed to change because your life changes.

The important part isn’t getting back to who you were, it’s continuing to take care of who you are now.

💙 Liz

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