Each January, millions of people decide it’s time to get serious about their fitness and health. But, too often, that ambition turns into an all-or-nothing plan that flames out by February.
The truth is, starting a fitness routine that sticks isn’t about hype or self-control — it’s about creating something doable. “The most sustainable approach is starting smaller than you think you need to and prioritizing consistency over intensity,” says Lisa Kelly, doctor of physical therapy at WAVE Physical Therapy & Pilates in Cincinnati.
That means ditching the idea of the “perfect” workout plan and focusing on movement that actually fits your life, interests, and schedule. “Momentum leads to motivation — not the other way around,” says Natalie Ribble, CSCS, chief of staff and head coach at Seattle Strength & Performance.
To help you build a routine you’ll enjoy enough to stick with, I spoke with three fitness experts and drew on my 13 years of experience covering fitness and physiology. With this knowledge, I’ve put together seven key tips and recommended the most effective products to help you get started on a sustainable, affordable fitness journey.
1. Be realistic and build movement into your life
All our experts agree: The biggest mistake people make come January is trying to launch the perfect program. “Most people don’t need a perfect or heroic plan. They need a plan that survives the reality of their time-crushed lives,” says Juliet Starrett, certified master nutrition coach and cofounder of mobility-focused strength program The Ready State.
Starrett suggests starting with a dose of movement you can repeat on your busiest week, not your easiest. “If you have 10 minutes to move, that still counts. Even if you only have five minutes, do a quick movement snack like sit-to-stands, air squats, a short carry, a few mobility drills, and move on with your day,” she adds. These “exercise snacks” add up, and all work to improve your fitness and cardiometabolic health.
Need a little more guidance — or just a daily reminder to add in some movement? We love the two mobile apps below for the exact kind of exercise snacks Starrett is talking about to get you up and moving, even if just for a few minutes.
7 Minute Workout iOS App
The 7 Minute Workout app delivers quick, science-backed, high-intensity bodyweight routines with voice guidance, video demos, and no equipment needed — making it easy to squeeze in a full-body workout anytime, anywhere.
Moova Mobile Fitness App
Moova only asks for three minutes of your time to get up and move regularly throughout the day. The app helps you create a routine and provides a visual guide to short bursts of movement — such as stretches to offset hours spent sitting at a desk.
2. Start with walking
Rachael Schultz/Business Insider
All three of our experts agree: Walking more is one of the easiest places to start. It’s free, low-impact, easy to fit into your day, and simple to track.
Although you hear a lot about the dream of hitting 10,000 steps per day, research published in JAMA shows that American adults who log 8,000 steps cut their risk of dying from any cause by 51% compared to those who get only 4,000. Eventually, you want to work that number up — the same study showed people who hit 12,000 steps per day had a 65% drop in risk.
Your goal: Add 2,000 steps per day to your current count. Once that feels natural, add another 2,000 steps. You can start in small ways: take a stroll after eating, turn one meeting a day into a walking meeting, or just start wandering around your house during calls, Starrett advises.
All you really need to work this into your routine is some supportive footwear. We’ve tested the best walking shoes and recommend the Asics GEL-Nimbus 27 as a top option, alongside some more casual pairs you can wear to work if you’re able to walk on your breaks.
It may also be nice to have a step tracker, like the budget-friendly Fitbit Inspire 3, for reminders to get up throughout the day, and a good pair of workout headphones, like the sporty Powerbeats Pro 2, to help you get in the zone.
Asics GEL-Nimbus 27 (Women’s)
This high-cushion shoe has a rather rigid footbed, offering a great blend of arch support, shock absorption, and stability for the tendons of your foot. The upper is well-ventilated and roomy for hours of comfortable walking, and the sockliner very soft around the ankle.
Asics GEL-Nimbus 27 (Men’s)
Supportive shoes are crucial for keeping your joints and tendons healthy as you up your mileage — and the Asics GEL-Nimbus 27 are one of the best we’ve tested for most people. They’re lightweight, stylish, and ultra-supportive, featuring adaptive cushioning and stability technology that keeps feet fresh and pain-free.
Rykä Devotion X Walking Shoe
These affordable sneakers have nearly every feature podiatrists like in a walking shoe and costs less than $100. “These have been my go-to walking shoes for a year straight,” writes senior associate style editor Gabrielle Chase. “The cushioning feels so soft and light.”
Vionic Uptown Loafer
The arch support and super flexible soles on these collapsible loafers make them the most comfortable walking shoes on our list.
Amberjack Loafer
Easy to slide on, sleek enough to wear to the office, and as comfortable as sneakers, these classy loafers have insoles that mold the arch support with your body heat, an anti-slip athletic outsole, and a supportive heel cup.
Fitbit Inspire 3
The Inspire 3 may be one of Fitbit’s most basic watches, but it still packs a powerful fitness-tracking punch with tons of trackable activities, advanced health features like skin temperature sensing, and a comfortable, lightweight design.
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 Earbuds
The Powerbeats Pro 2 are excellent fitness earbuds with secure ear hooks, great sound quality, and built-in heart rate monitoring. They also deliver solid noise-canceling and use the same H2 chip found on the latest AirPods.
3. Choose activities you already enjoy
ClassPass
The number one question at the start of a fitness journey: What type of workout is going to make the biggest difference?
“Ultimately, the best workout is the one someone will do consistently enough to allow the body to adapt,” says Kelly. And that really means one thing: Find the type of workout you actually enjoy. Examples can be:
Walking with a friendPowerliftingHikingDanceBoxingGroup classesPilatesTeam intramural sports
Try one of the apps or programs below, all of which let you trial different workout types so you can see what you enjoy most without a big commitment.
ClassPass 1-month Trial
For a monthly membership, you get flexible access to thousands of local workout studios and gyms, including yoga, Pilates, boxing, and dance studios — great for getting a taste of different workout styles. All memberships also provide access to on-demand videos from top instructors for a range of home workouts.
Nike Training Club Fitness App
If you’re not sure where to start, the NTC app offers a wide range of workouts from strength to yoga to pilates to mobility, all at different skill levels and with different equipment required (including bodyweight), so you can trial and error till you find a workout style that fits.
Obé Fitness App (Monthly Subscription)
Obé offers on-demand and live fitness classes tailored to women, featuring fun music, lively colors, and motivational instructors. In addition to the expected classes like sculpt and pilates, Obé also offers on-demand skills labs to help you perfect your squat or pushup form — all from the comfort of your own home.
4. Build up your home gym
Amazon
Fitness doesn’t require expensive memberships or equipment, Kelly says. You can make real progress in your health, mobility, and basic strength by just walking, doing bodyweight exercises, and doing a mobility routine. That said, if you enjoy lifting weights or want to get stronger, you’ll probably want to either join a gym or buy some gear for home use.
“We are huge fans of building out a lean home gym. There are 1,000 workouts people can do with just a set of dumbbells, a kettlebell, and a jump rope,” Starrett says.
Better yet: Snag adjustable dumbbells or adjustable kettlebells, which are more expensive initially but can grow with you as you get stronger (and take up way less space), Ribble advises.
Kelly adds that resistance bands are highly adaptable, joint-friendly, and portable — as well as pretty affordable. Another smart purchase: A yoga mat to support floor-based movement, mobility, and recovery.
Here are some great gym products that meet the guidelines our trainers set above.
TRX FIT Suspension Trainer
With the adjustable straps anchored to a door or bar, this suspension training system lets you use bodyweight and gravity to train the entire body and build strength, balance, flexibility, and core stability.
Gaiam 10mm Fitness Mat
This extra-thick yoga mat offers 10mm of foam for cushion and support while you do mobility work, Pilates, or any workout on the floor.
FitRx SmartBell Dumbbell
Save space without compromising growth with these dumbbells, which have 10 plates for 15 different weight configurations from 5 to 52.5 lbs.
Bowflex SelectTech 840 Kettlebell
Kettlebells are a great tool to build both strength and cardio at once. This BowFlex adjustable kettlebell can deliver 8 to 40 lbs of resistance in one tool.
Loocio Jump Rope
This basic jump rope is made with steel wires coated in strong PVC, has ergonomic foam handles and built-in ball bearings for fast jumps, and is adjustable to fit anyone 5’4″ or taller.
Theraband Resistance Bands Set
Resistance bands can be used for everything from physical therapy to strength training. We love Theraband because they’re made from quality latex that doesn’t snap easily, the design is highly versatile to use flat and long or tied in a loop, and they’re clearly color-coded so you can increase the difficulty as you get stronger.
“If you can add community — in-person or virtual — to your fitness routine, it gets even easier to stick with because social support is consistently linked with higher physical activity,” Starrett says.
Additionally, most major fitness trackers — including Fitbit, Garmin, Apple, and Samsung — all feature a community aspect in their apps, allowing users to join challenges such as walking 26.2 miles this month or compete against friends and family within the same ecosystem.
If you’re embarking on this journey solo, consider joining a training app that offers a virtual community, such as the three listed below.
Future 1-Month Subscription
This app puts a real, certified personal trainer in your pocket, pairing you with someone who builds customized weekly workout plans based on your goals and schedule — and who stays in regular contact to keep you accountable.
Peloton All-Access Membership
Peloton offers several membership options, including plans that do and do not require Peloton equipment. The All-Access Membership ($50/month) gives you unlimited access to Peloton’s full library of live and on-demand classes at home or on your Peloton equipment (Bike, Tread, or Row).
FitOn Wellness Platform
Offering free, on-demand workouts and personalized fitness plans — including no-equipment-needed home workouts — FitOn also lets you join challenges with friends or strangers, compete on leaderboards, and join live classes.
6. Forget the timeline, but note and celebrate your progress
Rachael Schultz/Business Insider
Instead of setting specific “end dates” for your goals, Ribble recommends celebrating milestones of consistency. “Commit to goals that can be accomplished on a continual and consistent basis, then mark milestones with personal incentives,” she says.
We love habit-stacking apps, like Streaks, to check off what you accomplish every day. And while you don’t need any fancy gadgets, a reliable fitness watch, like the Fitbit Charge 6, can really help you track your consistency.
We’ve tested a lot of fitness wearables, and generally recommend a Garmin for anyone looking to train for a race, a Whoop for anyone focused on sleep and recovery, a Fitbit when you just want the basics like steps and sleep quality, and a smart ring if you want health data without the pings on your wrist.
Fitbit Charge 6
The Charge 6 boasts a more expansive feature set than the budget-friendly Inspire 3, catering to both fitness amateurs and enthusiasts. While it’s a pricier option, it’s still an amazing value for such a capable fitness tracker.
Oura Ring 4
The Oura Ring is one of the most well-respected of the original smart ring brands and a great option for fitness fans who want to avoid bulky smartwatches. We particularly like it as an unobtrusive option for sleep tracking.
Garmin Vivoactive 6
The Vivoactive 6 tracks everything you need to be healthier and more fit with a highly accurate heart rate monitor, 80+ activity modes, a long battery life, and Garmin Coaching. We also live its approachable price tag for a fitness smartwatch.
Whoop 5.0 Activity Tracker
The Whoop 5.0 tracks your movement, sleep, and heart rate to deliver data on how hard your body worked yesterday and how well you have recovered now. This is a great approach to gauging whether you can push harder without getting tied up in calories or mileage.
7. Don’t forget about recovery
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While starting your fitness journey is certainly about movement, that’s just one part of your day. “Many people struggle with fitness not because of a lack of motivation, but because their recovery systems are overloaded,” says Kelly.
Two additional supportive habits to focus on, according to Ribble: sleep and hydration. “Consistent sleep and wake times, getting seven to nine hours of sleep a night, and practicing good sleep hygiene can do wonders for our health when it comes to stress, blood pressure, and risk of early mortality,” she explains. The same goes for hydration. Increasing your water intake can help improve your performance, mental cognition, energy levels, and immunity.
Mobility is also an area that people consistently overlook. “It’s crucial to spend time in positions that keep your joints healthy and mobile,” Starrett says. Her app, The Ready State, provides mobility programs tailored to your lifestyle and capabilities.
Here are some of our favorite sleep products, as well as items I found to help level up my hydration game.
Hatch Restore 3
The Hatch Restore 3 now features phone-free controls and enhanced sound quality, offering you even more ways to personalize your sleep routine with over 50 sounds and 18 light colors, while minimizing screen time for a better night’s rest.
Snooz White Noise Machine
White noise can help you sleep more soundly, and we love the Snooz because it’s a simple design that uses a real fan to create comforting, soothing sounds.
The Ready State App
The Ready State app offers guided mobility and movement training — developed by experts — via personalized video sessions, mobility tests, pain-specific routines, and on-demand drills you can do anywhere.
SIEROZUR 64 oz Glass Water Bottle
This oversized water bottle has single-handedly elevated our daily hydration. One fill covers the whole day, hourly time markers keep me on track, and the handle makes it easy to carry around. It’s glass, so it has no microplastics and is easy to clean.
