How to Create a Workout Routine at Home

This past summer, I finally decided it was time to make my health and daily exercise a priority. I built a workout routine that I could do 100% from home—no gym, no fancy equipment, just me and a plan I could actually stick to. There were a few sneaky barriers that got in the way, but I figured out how to overcome them, set up a simple reward system, and got a little accountability in place to keep me going. Curious how I made it happen?

Inspired by Atomic Habits

If you haven’t listened to or read the book Atomic Habits by James Clear, I HIGHLY recommend it! Clear shares amazing tips for breaking bad habits and creating lasting, good ones. Inspired by his approach, I was determined to make my workout routine a healthy habit, and I used what I learned to set myself up for success. His advice can be applied to ANY routine you want to create for yourself, not just working out.

Make Your Workout Routine Easy

One of the best ideas I picked up from Atomic Habits? Make it easy. I decided to start with just 15 minutes a day, six days a week. No strict plans, no rigid workouts—just a solid 15 minutes of exercise. Every three weeks, I add five minutes to my routine, capping it at 45 minutes.

I taped a calendar right on my wall to track each workout. It’s nothing fancy, and, no, it doesn’t match my bedroom decor, but it’s incredibly satisfying to mark each day completed—and it keeps me accountable.

Reward Yourself

According to Atomic Habits, a huge part of sticking to a routine is rewards. I set up a system that rewards me daily, and I have a bigger reward to look forward to every few weeks.

Daily Rewards: I save my TV time for workouts only. While I’m on the stationary bike, I turn on a show I can only watch while riding. Right now, I’m watching Heartland. During strength training, I treat myself to an audiobook. It’s a little something to look forward to and makes working out more enjoyable.

Big Reward: Every three weeks, if I don’t miss a single workout, I treat myself to a massage. Knowing that a massage is waiting keeps me motivated, even on the busiest days. There have been nights where I’ve had a crazy busy day and could easily skip my workout routine, but I’m squeezing it in before bed—no matter how tired I am—because I WANT that massage!

Now that I’m pregnant, I’m looking forward to being able to say that I exercised 6 days a week throughout my pregnancy. And the prospect of an easier delivery is more motivating than any tv show or massage!

What My Daily Workout Routine Looks Like

Over the years, I’ve learned what exercises work best for me. I try to mix things up to cover all muscle groups, and if I need a reminder, I have a poster on my wall with exercise ideas. Every now and then, I’ll remember an exercise I haven’t done in a while and throw it into the mix.

Here’s an example of my workout routine for the week:

Monday: Upper body and core strength training

Tuesday: Cardio on my stationary bike

Wednesday: Lower body and core strength training

Thursday: Cardio on my stationary bike

Friday: Full body strength training

Saturday: Yoga or full body stretching

This schedule isn’t set in stone; I give myself the flexibility to adjust as needed.

Eliminating Barriers to My Workout Routine

Inspired by Atomic Habits, I took a close look at the obstacles keeping me from working out regularly and tackled each one.

Obstacle One: Changing Into Workout Clothes

Yep, you heard me. Switching into workout clothes was somehow tripping me up. My solution? I just work out in whatever I’m already wearing—usually pajamas! No excuses.

Obstacle Two: Counting Reps

Counting reps? No thank you! Counting reps made workouts feel tedious and distracted me from my audiobook. Now, I do each exercise until it starts to get challenging, then push a little further before switching. No counting needed!

Obstacle Three: Feeling Like I Had to Go to the Gym

With four kids and a husband working long hours, getting to the gym wasn’t happening. Letting go of the “gym or bust” mentality freed me to create a workout routine I could do entirely from home. No commute, no scheduling conflicts.

The key is figuring out what’s holding you back. Once you know, find creative ways to eliminate those barriers.

Final Thoughts

I’m thrilled with how my workout routine is going! In the first five weeks, I went from struggling with pushups to doing 20 full pushups. By removing mental and physical obstacles, creating a manageable plan, and setting up rewards, I’ve stayed consistent for over 16 weeks now—and I’m not stopping anytime soon!

Even while traveling this summer, I made it happen. On a family trip, I found a patch of grass and got my workout in, and when the hotel gym in Vegas closed earlier than expected, I just adapted and did my exercising right in the hotel room.

Sure, a stationary bike and some dumbbells are nice to have, but honestly, there’s so much you can do with just your bodyweight—no fancy equipment required! Making time for my workout routine each day, even if it’s squeezing it in right before bed, has me feeling so strong, healthy, and just good. I’m loving the example it’s setting for my kids, and love the results I’m seeing in my mental and physical health. And the massages every few weeks for a reward are the cherry on top!