How to Get Back Into a Fitness Routine With the Help of Katie Austin

The SI Swimsuit model and trainer has great advice for reestablishing a movement regimen.

Katie Austin.Ivan Apfel/Getty Images

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Healthy habits are often hard to form. There are certain activities and practices that we’ve all tried and failed—and perhaps tried again—to make stick. It’s not easy, but it doesn’t have to be completely impossible—especially with Katie Austin’s help.

We sat down with the California-based fitness instructor earlier this month to talk all things fitness in 2024 and beyond when it comes to forming habits that will last. She has a lot of great advice for making practices stick in our day-to-day lives, much of which is applicable (and extremely important) for introducing regular fitness regimens into our schedules.

Austin admits that getting back onto the wagon after time away from the mat is hard, but it doesn’t have to be with the right mindset and approach.

How to get back into movement after time off

“The biggest thing to do is just start,” Austin tells us. “A lot of the time, we think so much. How are we going to get back to it? How many minutes? What are we going to do? How are we going to plan it?”

The first step, then, is to quiet your thoughts and jump in. All of that time spent thinking about the task at hand, Austin says, you could be putting toward simply getting started. Ultimately, getting back into a fitness routine is about “feeling better.” So, even if you start small (for example, with 10 minutes of movement per day), that’s better than not starting at all. You can build from there, according to the 30-year-old.

In addition to starting small, consider going back to the basics. “Starting with that foundation is key,” Austin says. That way, “even if you do get off routine ... it’s easy to get back on the wagon.” By making it into a habit, you ensure that you’re not having “to motivate yourself every single day” to get up and move.

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Try this at-home fitness platform

If you’re in the market for those foundational classes, you’re in luck: Austin has a whole series on her platform, titled “Building the Fitness Foundation,” which is dedicated to teaching the basics. Even if you’re a fitness veteran who has found yourself out of routine for a few weeks or months, it could be worthwhile to go back to the beginning. The practice will, according to Austin, make fitness a more sustainable habit.

Her platform features “hundreds of workouts”—including cardio, strength, Pilates and low-impact moves—that make working out almost “mindless.” You can just “press play and follow along,” she assures us. Plus, every workout is designed to be taken “anywhere in just five feet of space.”

Ranging from beginner to advanced, her routines on The Katie Austin App are really meant for anyone and everyone. More importantly, they provide “variety” to keep you engaged and to prevent you from “plateauing” physically. So, if you’re getting serious about fitness for the first time or are trying to ramp back up after time off, Austin’s platform is a great place to start.

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