After chatting with 1000’s of women who exercise regularly and interviewing CEO’s of some of the top streaming workout companies on the market (including Carl Daikeler, CEO of Beachbody, Cathy Spencer-Browning, VP of Programming and Training at MOSSA and Jill Dailey, CEO and founder of The Dailey Method), I’ve compiled the best advice for you, if your goal is to make regular exercise a part of your life.

It’s not lists, plans, tactics, strategies or tips…this is deeper (and different) and exactly what you need to make regular exercise a natural and permanent part of your life.

Here are three simple, easy-to-understand steps you can take that will be a gamechanger (if you’re like most women I’ve talked to) in your approach to fitness.

Step one…

Make exercise/regular movement (whatever phrase sounds the least icky to you) a non-negotiable

Here are some common non-negotiables for women…

Your kids having healthy meals, and a roof over their heads.

People showing you respect.

Honesty from your partner.

A clean house.

Comfy bed.

A good daycare for your toddler.

A reliable car.

A memorable vacation.

These are things that you might fight to keep under any circumstances.

Exercise MUST become important enough for you to make that list. Period.

You have to develop a relentless priority for this.

Does that mean there will be times you miss a workout (or several). Sure. Of course. I mean, your kid eats McDonald’s and cake for dinner sometimes, right?

But, in general, you’re passionate about providing healthy choices for them and you structure your life and actions around making sure it happens. That’s the difference.

This is a decision. Decide that regular exercise is a non-negotiable for you.

How does that change the way you currently think about exercise?

Step two…

Identify as an exerciser

This step is SOOOOO important (you can tell because of all the O’s).

Are you someone who:

• Chooses to watch TV instead of exercise

• Would rather spend screen-time on your phone than exercise

• Regularly puts off recommended health visits

• Makes fun of people who schedule their days around exercise or healthy habits

• Makes fun of yourself instead of taking action to get in shape

• Doesn’t keep promises to yourself about exercise

Here’s what I want you to ask you.

What are the habits of people you know who exercise consistently?

Do you think it’s easy for those people to do that?

Are they not busy?

Do they not have regular circumstances that come up in their life that make a workout difficult to fit into their day?

The difference between a person who’s exercising consistently and someone who isn’t is how they identify.

A regular exerciser identifies as someone who prioritizes their physical health and their actions follow that identity.

Ask yourself daily, what would an exerciser (or a person who cares about their physical health) do today?

A consistent exerciser doesn’t allow time or circumstances to become obstacles for them.

An exerciser chooses exercise over TV or cell phone screen time, they schedule regular healthcare visits for vision, dental and physicals, they don’t allow their ego to get in the way of setting health and fitness goals and they’re integral to themselves with those goals.

The great news is that anyone can do this.

And over time, you’ll naturally take on these habits because your actions will begin to follow your new identity.

But you have to be honest with yourself first.

How do you identify today?

Step three…

Open your mind up to a sustainable solution

Regular exercise is a lifelong decision.

LIFE. LONG.

Not a weekend. Not a 30-day program. Not a when-I-feel-like-it decision.

You get me. It’s a commitment on a massive scale.

How does that feel for you when it sinks in?

Heavy? Daunting? Like the worst news you’ve heard all day?

Important? Interesting? A challenge?

You get to decide.

One of the most important takaways I’ve learned from the experts I’ve interviewed over the years in the fitness industry, is that finding what I call your workout personality is vital to having a workout plan that you can sustain.

Be relentless about finding a way to move your body that you love. That feels good to you. Puts a smile on your face.

And please understand that me or anyone else feeding you a workout calendar is NEVER going to be sustainable long term. That calendar is built around what I think works and is fun. Not you.

What lights me up will never be what lights you up.

Once you understand that you’ll be able to release the idea that somone else is going to be able to make you love exercise.

This is YOUR responsibility.

My company has reviewed 100’s of exercise programs that are all VASTLY different–we’re talking the difference between a Saint Bernard and a Chihuahua–they’re all workouts but they’re all unique.

And everything is NOT for everybody.

But there is something out there that fits you and your needs right now. Promise. You just have to commit to finding it.

Is it good to try out programs and workouts that other people you know seem to love? Of course!

Is it smart to ask for help and recommendations along the way? 1000% yes!

But if you try a workout program and hate it, that means NOTHING about YOU. Move on. Try another one.

Please understand that it’s a huge mistake to avoid learning what you can about programs, techniques, equipment, etc. as you take this lifelong journey.

Please understand that creating a workout routine that works for you is a LEARNING process. (And will change with your seasons of life.)

Would you plant a garden without learning what seeds work the best in your climate? Without knowing when to plant them or how much water and sunlight they need? What can be planted together? Etc.

We understand that projects like gardening require research and time to do them well.

And we need to approach our fitness routine with the same mindset. Like it’s a giant project that’s going to take a lot of effort and understanding to do well.

I often see women who are frustrated after trying a few workout programs, a new piece of equipment or a streaming workout service and still really struggling with exercise consistency. They start to ask, ‘what’s wrong with me? Why can’t I make this work?’

It’s not YOU.

The truth is that it takes work and time. Lots of trial and error.

Have an open mind to learning what will work for you. Accept that this is a process. That’s what leads to consistency and a lifelong exercise routine that you love.

Step four (a bonus)…

Stop making regular exercise so complicated

Remember we’re not trying to write the code for a new software program or build a rocket.

As women we want to do things RIGHT. (Trust me. I get that.) We never want to do anything half-ass and (God forbid) waste our time.

So we tend to make exercise so much more difficult than it has to be. We overanalyze the crap out of everything and then talk ourselves out of taking action that (in this case) is really important.

Truly, you can’t mess this up. Sit with that knowledge. If you’re showing up. You’re doing it right.

There is nothing in this world you can do for yourself that has more benefit in exchange for the effort you put into it, than taking care of your physical health does.

Decide that you’re an exerciser, make your workouts a non-negotiable part of your life, keep an open mind about learning ways to move that make sense for you and fit your unique personality, and keep it simple.

At the end of the day, there are no tips, tactics, strategies or methods that will make exercise a natural, consistent part of your life without taking these steps first.

Other articles for you

The Dailey Method

What a Successful Exercise Routine Actually Looks Like

MOSSA on Demand