I Worked Out Consistently for 100 Weeks Straight. Here’s What I Actually Learned.

Spoiler: It’s not what the fitness influencers on Instagram are telling you.

The other day, I logged into Strava and realized I had hit 100 weeks in my workout streak. It wasn’t something I initially set as a specific goal, but once I hit about 50 weeks in the streak, I admittedly wanted to keep it going.

While I wish I could tell you I unlocked some secret formula for unlimited motivation, that’s just not the case. But I did learn some genuinely helpful things along the way.

Let me preface this post: I don’t think 100 weeks is some magical number. I didn’t start the streak for followers (I have a whopping 58 followers on Strava). And I’m not saying everyone should do this. I simply learned some helpful personal lessons from it and want to share them with you.

Here’s my honest debrief.

1. Consistency beats motivation every time

One of the most common questions I’ve gotten from blog readers in the past is “How can I stay motivated?”. These last 100 weeks have reinforced the answer I usually give: “Consistency trumps motivation.”

Motivation is great when it is there (and yes, there are certain tips you can use to enhance motivation). I mean, I love a week where I genuinely feel pumped to take a morning walk or go for an afternoon run or pop into a spin class.

But motivation can be a fair-weather friend. It can fail you when it’s 10 degrees out, or when you’re feeling stressed out, or when your child is home from school for yet another snow day or parent teacher conference or school vacation (just me?).

What has actually kept me going throughout the last 100 weeks is simply aiming for consistency. This doesn’t mean perfection. This doesn’t mean working out every single day. It just means on most days, I’m getting up, putting my clothes on, and deciding to do something, even if motivation isn’t particularly strong that day.

2. Setting a streak can be encouraging but also dangerous

Tracking a streak can be very motivating. There is something satisfying seeing the number go up week after week. (Kind of like when you’re trying to save money and you see the amount in your bank account go up week after week.)

But I’ve also realized streaks can be dangerous. You can start to believe that you should keep the streak going even in situations where maybe you shouldn’t (for example, injury or sickness). It can lead to feelings of disappointment if you aren’t able to meet the goal you may have set.

I was close to breaking my streak the week I had my c-section in January. I ended up doing a couple very short walks (like 15 minutes at snail speed, doctor approved) and was happy that it worked out and allowed me to keep it going. But I was initially feeling sad not knowing if I would be able to stick with it. How silly would it have been for me to be upset with myself for not exercising the week that I had *major abdominal surgery*?!

That’s would not have been discipline; it would have been white knuckling through it when the body needs rest.

TLDR: Use streaks as a tool to motivate, not a decision maker for your body.

3. Low intensity movement is still movement

Someone on Instagram criticized me last year for walking outside with my cold brew, saying that it didn’t count as exercise.

I’ll politely disagree.

Any movement is good movement!

There were plenty of days where my workout was a 45-minute brisk walk around the neighborhood while drinking some coffee, because that was what felt good that day. And you know what? Those weeks still count. In fact, those low-key workouts are what made it possible to show up the next week, and the week after that.

Of course, there are benefits to more intense exercise (hello, run training) and strength workouts, and I included many of those sessions too.

But the goal is to simply be moving regularly for life, and low intensity movement is one way I can preserve that.

4. Regular exercise = significant mental health boost

I didn’t start this streak for my mental health. I’ve always been a fitness fan, but I started being extra consistent with my routine in 2024 when I was in the process of applying to be a surrogate and wanted to make sure my body was in the best shape it could be for that journey.

But holy moly – the mental health benefits are where it’s at, my friends!

Of course, I knew from a scientific standpoint that there is a lot of research suggesting regular exercise can reduce the risk of mental health concerns and boost mood. I just didn’t realize how great I feel personally when that consistency is in place.

It’s especially true when I can get outside first thing in the morning and start my day with movement.

More patience, more happiness, less stress = big win.

5. Rest is part of a fitness routine

This one is for my fellow type-A overachievers: rest days are not lazy. The body needs the downtime to rebuild and recover.

My mentality throughout this was always to get in at least one workout every week. That’s it. I didn’t commit to exercising every day, nor did I commit to some crazy hard program.

After 100 weeks, I think it’s a healthy approach to take. Over those 100 weeks, I completed 566 activities, averaging out to around 5 per week.

Some weeks I did have daily movement (and sometimes for several weeks in a row) but those mixed in quite a bit of low intensity activities like morning walks, not daily activities that layered constant stress on the body.

Utilizing low-intensity activity and rest days was key for this streak. Those allowed me to be flexible and listen to my body, and also left me feeling rejuvenated each week. And for those of you training for events or building strength, rest days are key for muscle recovery and adaptation that allow you to progress.

6. Find fitness activities you actually enjoy

Hot take: I’m a running coach, and I don’t think everyone should run. Not because I don’t believe everyone can’t physically do it (you most likely can!) but because not everyone actually enjoys it.

Find fitness activities you have fun with. For me, it’s been mostly morning walks with coffee, running (both road and trail), Spenga classes (20 minutes each of spin/strength/yoga) and swimming. Those bring me joy and allow me to stick with my routine.

On the flip side, I personally hate skiing and snowboarding. If you had told me I had to keep up a 100-week streak doing those activities, I would have a) cried, b) declared us mortal enemies, and c) failed after week two.

Find what works for you, and dive in.

All that said: know that it’s also completely normal to not be head-over-heels-in-love with every single workout, even if you do enjoy the activity in general. Some runs feel a lot more tedious than others. That’s just facts.

But that can be fine, as long as I’m feeling mentally and physically able to complete it – because almost 100% of the time, I feel amazing after.

And if you start a workout and aren’t feeling it? It’s OK to modify it to be shorter or change it up to do something different that day! Don’t feel the Insta-influencer pressure to make every workout some epic empowering experience. Just try to find some joy in the activities you’re doing and stay consistent.

7. You start to internalize this identity after a while

When you build a habit over an extended period, there’s a shift that happens. I can’t tell you exactly when it’ll happen, because I’m sure it’s different for everyone. But at some point, you’ll start to internalize this identity of being someone who just does their workouts.

It’s no longer an effort-filled decision, but simply part of who you are. It’s not because it gets easy – see my thoughts on motivation at the top, haha – but it’s because there’s a mental shift that has engrained the “I get it done” mentality into your brain.

There’s less negotiation, less bargaining, fewer excuses. You just do it (a la Nike).

You ARE a fitness-focused person. You ARE someone that takes care of their body. You ARE someone that shows up even when it’s a little inconvenient.

And that identity shift might be the most important lesson from this entire experiment.

– Chrissy

Registered Dietitian | RRCA Running Coach | USAT Level I Triathlon Coach