The STEPN Guide to a good workout routine

5 min readSep 22, 2022

Let’s get started

If you’re starting from zero, there are a lot of things to consider. What workout do you want to do? How often do you want to do it? Where do you want to work out? Who do you want to work out with? How intense of a workout will it be? And do you need to buy any equipment or apparel to support your workout?

It can be overwhelming to start out, but here at STEPN we’ve gotten really good at breaking down problems to their most important challenge. See, people have run millions of miles on our app, so we think it’s safe to say that they know a thing or two about getting into a good workout routine. And to figure out what helps, we’ve talked to our loyal STEPNers and gotten some tips and tricks from them.

And you know what we discovered? The most successful people all have one thing in common….

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We’ll let you in on the secret: Consistency

I know. Sounds simple, right? Yes, but simple isn’t easy. Consistency is the most important part of developing a good workout routine. It doesn’t matter how hard you train if you’re only training once in a blue moon. It doesn’t matter if you find a great workout buddy if you don’t commit to working out with them on a consistent basis. And even the kind of workout that you choose isn’t as important as showing up, time in and time out, to do that workout.

Without consistency, you aren’t able to enjoy the fruits of exercise. Your body has a harder time adapting and recovering if your workouts are abrupt and inconsistent. And forming habits is much more challenging. It’s like starting up a car and then stopping it every few blocks — it simply doesn’t make sense.

Alright, so how do you develop a good and consistent workout routine? Well, remember how we talked to our loyal STEPNers about their tricks? We’ve gathered some of their stories and today we’re sharing them with you, in the hopes that you can gain some inspiration to get into a good fitness routine.

What’s that? You say you already have a pretty solid workout routine? That’s fantastic — but everyone gets bored now and then. If you’ve already found your stride, that doesn’t mean you won’t find some useful nuggets in here to freshen up your workout.

Start small

This is a common piece of advice that we’ve heard across the board. Often, people get so excited about adding a new and healthy habit to their lives that they overdo it. They tell themselves they’re going to buy a bunch of new equipment, pick up a brand new hobby, and become their local expert. Or, they dedicate themselves into a complicated, two-hour new workout that they’ve heard rave reviews about.

Unfortunately, this often ends up in the same way. There’s an initial spike of excitement, but then that first push of energy dies away, and our fancy new equipment sits in the garage, collecting dust. Or we realise that — while New-Year-resolution me was brimming with optimism, middle-of-the-year me actually doesn’t have the energy to do a difficult HIIT four times a week, every single week.

That’s why it’s incredibly important to keep things simple, especially in the beginning. Why? Well, willpower is a depletable resource. It already takes a considerable amount of energy to incorporate a new habit into your daily routine — your brain doesn’t need to expend a bunch more on a bunch of other new things to keep track of. Taking this into account, it’s best to start small and build bigger.

We’ve seen this happen countless times in STEPN.

Darren, who’s used STEPN for almost a year, said that he used to never work out before he found the app. But after having the financial incentive to nudge him out the door, he thought — alright, I can do a 5-minute walk every day. A few months later, and those 5 minutes have become a 45 minute jog, four times a week! Small changes can lead to massive ones, and when you allow the time to slowly build up instead of diving into the deep end, you can build a much more consistent routine.

Make it fun

This is another important building brick of consistency. We’re simply wired to do things that are enjoyable and appealing to us. Exercise, in and of itself, often doesn’t seem that way. So it can be very useful to build fun and playfulness into the routine.

What are some examples?

Donna, a STEPNer of over half a year, tells us that she promises herself a little chocolate treat at the end of every STEPN run.

Jerry, another loyal STEPNer, told us that he bought himself a brand new pair of sneakers that he was excited to use every time.

Colby said that STEPN itself has naturally made his workout so fun and thus consistent, since he can see the streaks that he completes by logging in everyday and using his daily energy.

Find a Community

Setting goals and sharing those with a community can also provide another fun incentive for your brain to work towards. We’ve seen countless STEPNers share their 500km and 1000km milestones on our Discord, and the support from the community makes it even more fun as a group!

Still struggling to get started? You can even join weekly workouts with Tyson, Head of the STEPN Ambassador Program to help kickstart that healthy, active lifestyle in a fun, engaging way. And who knows you may even make a friend for life on the journey.

Conclusion

All this being said, don’t forget to take the time to listen to your body and allow time for recovery. It can be possible to be too consistent… running for two hours everyday isn’t what most people need… in fact, doing too much can make your body prone to injury and make your muscles and joints sore. Don’t forget to plan in time between sessions for your body to rest and recover. And most of all, make sure you’re having fun!

Team STEPN