Why Consistency Matters In Your Exercise Routine

When it comes to getting the most out of your workouts, we at Rock Solid Physical Therapy & Performance want to emphasize that consistency, more than one exceptional session, is key. Whether your training is running, Pilates, CrossFit, or team-sports-based, making exercise a regular part of your week can deliver meaningful improvements in strength, endurance, body composition, and overall health — while long gaps, infrequent workouts or inactivity pose real downsides. Here’s a breakdown of what the research shows, and how you can apply it.

Why frequency (and regularity) matters

Research from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that for aerobic activity, most adults should aim for 3-5 days per week of activity — with intensity and duration adjusted accordingly (Citation). They note that frequencies less than three days per week may blunt improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness (Citation).

In resistance training, a meta-analysis found that training a muscle group twice per week tends to yield better hypertrophy (muscle-growth effect size ~0.49) than once per week (~0.30) when volume is not equated (Citation). Another review found that when volume is held equal, frequency differences are small—but still, splitting the work into more frequent sessions may offer practical advantages. (Citation).

What this tells us: scheduling exercise regularly throughout the week (instead of, say, once a week or less) gives you more consistent stimulus for adaptation — better cardio fitness, better muscle strength/growth, and more efficient recovery.

What about once per week (or very infrequent) workouts?

Certainly — something is better than nothing. For example, one study of older adults (65-79 yrs) found that doing one set of upper & lower body exercises once weekly improved strength significantly over 9 weeks — and the difference compared to twice-weekly wasn’t statistically significant in that timeframe. (Citation). That suggests that even minimal exercise can produce benefit.

Also, a study reported that people who packed the recommended weekly amount of moderate-vigorous activity into only 1-2 days (“weekend warrior” style) had similar disease-risk reduction as those spreading it out (Citation).

But – the caveat: the improvements are generally smaller, slower, and the margin for error (missed sessions, fatigue, injury) is narrower when you only train once per week. You are giving yourself less frequent signal for adaptation, and more days where you’re inactive.

Intensity & how much is enough

Recommended guidelines say: for healthy adults, accumulate 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity most days of the week or 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity three times a week (Citation). Moderate intensity means you can talk, but not sing; vigorous means you’re breathing hard and talking is difficult (Citation).

For resistance training: major muscle groups should be worked at least 2 times per week according to ACSM (Citation).

So in practice:

• For running or cardio: aim for 150+ minutes per week of moderate intensity (for example 30 min × 5 days) or 75+ minutes of vigorous intensity (for example 25 min × 3 days).

• For strength/resistance: ensure you’re lifting or doing body-resistance work targeting all major muscle groups at least twice weekly.

• If you train team-sports or CrossFit: many of these already combine aerobic + strength components — so ensure you’re engaging 3-5 days/week (or more) and not just a single session.

Applying this across different exercise styles

Running / endurance cardio:
If you run only once a week, you may maintain some base fitness, but you’ll likely plateau. By running 3-5 times per week (or alternating with interval sessions, tempo runs, recovery runs) you stimulate greater improvements in VO₂, endurance and metabolic health. The ACSM guideline of 3-5 days/week applies. (Citation).

Pilates / core & mobility work:
Pilates is fantastic for core strength, posture, movement quality. Doing it once a week is better than none — but doing it 2-3 times per week helps reinforce neuromuscular patterns, stabilizations, and mobility gains. Inconsistent sessions can mean you lose progress, or the body reverts to old movement patterns.

CrossFit / high-intensity functional training:
Because of the high intensity and complex movement patterns, consistency matters even more. Hitting 3-5 sessions/week (or adjusting depending on your training age and recovery) ensures you build strength, technique, conditioning, and avoid overdoing a single session and then dropping off for days. Also, varying intensity (some moderate, some vigorous) helps optimize adaptation and recovery.

Team sport training (basketball, football, etc.):
Team training often combines strength, speed, agility and endurance. If you train only once a week, you’ll struggle to improve skill, conditioning and muscular adaptation in the retention phase. By training multiple times per week (even if some are lighter or recovery sessions), you build coordination, sport-specific readiness, and muscular resilience. Also, the body becomes more efficiently conditioned to the demands of sport.

Detrimental effects of long inactivity or very low-frequency exercise

When you skip exercise for prolonged periods (weeks or months), or only exercise very infrequently (e.g., once per month or less), you face several risks:

• Loss of cardiovascular fitness: VO₂max declines, endurance suffers, you may feel winded more easily.

• Loss of muscle mass and strength: “use it or lose it” applies — muscle atrophy sets in.

• Increased risk of metabolic disease: insulin sensitivity drops, body-composition shifts (more fat, less lean mass).

• Reduced movement quality / mobility: joints and soft tissues adapt to inactivity and may stiffen, increasing injury risk when you jump back into activity.

• Psychological / behavioral risk: the habit loop breaks, making it harder to resume consistently; you may feel the workout is too hard so you drop off again.

So essentially, long gaps create a deeper “reset” you have to come back from.

Encouragement: it’s never too late

Here’s the good news: whether you’ve been inactive for a month, a year, or more — you can restart, and meaningful benefits begin quickly when you adopt a more consistent routine. Start gradually, choose a frequency you can stick with (even if it’s 2–3 times per week), mix modalities (running, Pilates, strength, sport) and build from there. At Rock Solid Physical Therapy & Performance, we’re here to help you safely resume and progress.

By committing to multiple sessions per week (rather than relying on a single, heroic workout), selecting the right intensity (moderate to vigorous depending on your level), and staying consistent, you’ll maximize your fitness gains, protect against decline, and improve your overall health and movement quality.

Bottom line: consistency beats occasional brilliance. Make your exercise routine a regular rhythm, not a one-off event — your body, your performance, and your health will thank you. Let’s make it happen.