If You’ve Fallen Off, You’re Not Alone: Proven Ways to Get Back on Track with Exercise
- tamilee100
- Jun 25
- 6 min read

Many people begin an exercise program filled with enthusiasm, such as with a New Year's resolution, but most of these exercisers stop working out within about three weeks. So many people quit by January 19 that it’s called "Quitter's Day," marking the point when most people abandon their workout routines—only about 9% continue beyond this date. On average, about 50% of people who start an exercise program quit within the first 6 months. After 21 months, the dropout rate can reach 75%. Around 65% of gym memberships go completely unused.
When you start and stop an exercise program, you lose gains in all aspects of fitness, including cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, and flexibility. People often stop exercising because they lack self-management skills, don’t have enough social support, or dislike the physical discomfort that comes with exercising. Many people cite a lack of time (40%), motivation, and competing life demands (job, children, and other obligations).
There are some people out there who are never-miss exercisers; they are dedicated lifelong exercisers who never miss a workout except under the direst of circumstances such as injury or illness. These people will even find a way to fit exercise into their day while on vacation. These folks are rare, accounting for less than 1% of the population.
If you aren’t a member of the never-miss exerciser club, you are not alone and, in fact, you are in good company with 99% of the population falling into the same cycle of starting and stopping an exercise program.
After a period of 10–14 days, your gains will start to diminish, and especially as we age, it is hard to come back from a long lapse of exercise. If the lapse is longer than 4 weeks, you may find you will need to start over again in the base training phase of your workout. If you are coming back from an exercise lapse or just starting out, here is a plan to get back on track with two phases, starting with the base phase, then progressing to the fitness training phase.
The base cardio phase is ideal for those who need to move more consistently to establish basic cardiorespiratory endurance. If you have taken a long break from exercise and can no longer exercise 3-5 days per week for a duration of 20 minutes or more, then you are in this stage of your programming.
You will want to start with an exercise such as walking, cycling, or swimming that works the large muscle groups such as the legs and arms.
Here is an example of a progressive 10-week plan that will help you get back on track.
Base Phase
Week | Frequency (times/week) | Duration (minutes) | Intensity | Notes |
1 | 4 | 60.0 | Zone 1 | 4x15 min bouts of cardio |
2 | 4 | 66.0 | Zone 1 | |
3 | 4 | 72.6 | Zone 1 | |
4 | 4 | 79.9 | Zone 1 | |
5 | 4 | 87.8 | Zone 1 |
Zone 1: An intensity that allows you to talk comfortably and not get out of breath.
Increase duration by 10% each week.
Progress to the fitness phase once you can complete week 5, with bouts of 20+ minutes on at least three days per week.
Fitness Training Phase
Week | Frequency (times/week) | Duration (minutes) | Intensity | Intervals |
1 | 3 | 30.0 | Zone 1 (warm up, cool down, recovery) | 1:3 (30s work in Zone 2, 90s recovery) |
2 | 3 | 33.0 | Zone 1 & Zone 2 | 1:3 (45s work, 135s recovery) |
3 | 3 | 36.3 | Zone 1 & Zone 2 | 1:3 (60s work, 180s recovery) |
4 | 3 | 39.9 | Zone 1 & Zone 2 | 1:2 (60s work, 120s recovery) |
5 | 3 | 43.9 | Zone 1 & Zone 2 | 1:1.5 (60s work, 90s recovery) |
Zone 1: Can talk comfortably.
Zone 2: Speaking becomes difficult and is not comfortable.
Increase duration by 10% each week.
Intervals become more challenging each week.
It is important to work toward this goal to begin with and then progress to the next training phase, which is the fitness phase, and finally the performance phase.
How to Become a Never-Miss Exerciser
People are motivated to exercise for a variety of reasons, and these motivations are divided into intrinsic and controlled motivation. People who are never-missers have developed some level of intrinsic motivation, meaning they get pure joy out of exercising because of social engagement such as friends walking together, challenge, or skill development. These exercisers rarely miss a workout because they are intrinsically motivated. Another type of motivation is controlled motivation, where a person exercises because of something other than enjoyment, such as to please their spouse, to lose weight, be healthy, or look good. This type of motivation may lead to feelings of tension, guilt, or pressure related to participation. To become a never-misser, find a way to enjoy exercise, such as forming a social network of friends to work out with, doing something you enjoy like hiking, cycling, swimming, group exercise, or challenging yourself.
Making It a Habit
Transitioning from being a conscious exerciser to making it an automatic behavior requires the formation of a habit. The more you stick to your routine, the more likely you are to continue to stick to your routine. Making exercise a habit is easier if you have fun or get some pleasure out of your workout. Maybe you just don't like to be physically active and nothing that requires movement sounds fun to you. Find something you have enjoyed in the past. Do you like to dance? Maybe taking up square dancing is your thing. How about ballroom dancing? Are you a social person? Join a group of people who get together and hike or walk daily. Join a group exercise class with like-minded people. Are you an introvert? Perhaps working out at home with a streaming service like Les Mills would meet your needs. Do you have a friend on whom you can count to get together and work out with? The buddy system is a great way to keep one another accountable. Go out for coffee or lunch after your workout together.
And of course, there is an app for everything, so it stands to reason there is an app to find a workout buddy.
Apps to Find Workout Buddies
FitFriends: Connects you with users at your gym based on shared workout interests. Note: Effectiveness depends on the number of local users.
Tag Team: Matches gym partners using detailed profiles, in-app messaging, and event organization features.
FindYourFit: Allows filtering by interests and location, and creates groups for shared fitness passions.
Jimmy: Designed for college students, creating a secure network for finding workout partners based on shared interests and goals.
Social Features in Popular Fitness Apps
Bumble BFF: Includes workout-focused interest badges and meetup features, helping users find workout partners.
MyFitnessPal: Offers community features, including activity feeds and shared exercise diaries for accountability.
Strava Clubs: Lets users create or join activity-based groups and participate in challenges.
JEFIT: Provides group chat and contest features for gym-goers.
Alternative Platforms
Meetup: Popular for finding local fitness groups, hiking clubs, and workout meetups.
Fitness Friendz: A social network for fitness enthusiasts and professionals to connect, find partners, and access resources.
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