Introduction
When people search for the “best” workout program, they often look for the perfect combination of exercises, sets, repetitions, intensity, and frequency. However, there is no single exercise program that is ideal for everyone. People have different goals, preferences, schedules, abilities, and fitness levels.
Research suggests that enjoyment, autonomy, and adherence are important factors in maintaining physical activity over time (Kwasnicka et al., 2016; Rodrigues et al., 2021). Therefore, the best workout program may not be the one that is theoretically perfect. It may be the one that effectively addresses your goals while being enjoyable and realistic enough that you will consistently follow it.
Consistency Matters
Exercise produces benefits through repeated participation over time. A person can have an excellent program, but if they regularly skip workouts or abandon the program after a few weeks, they cannot receive its full potential benefits.
The World Health Organization (WHO, 2020) recommends that adults accumulate 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75–150 minutes of vigorous activity per week, along with muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days per week. Importantly, physical activity can come from many sources, including exercise, recreation, sport, transportation, and other forms of movement.
This means there is no requirement for everyone to follow the same type of workout. One person may enjoy weightlifting, while another prefers cycling, swimming, hiking, or recreational sports.
Enjoyment Can Help You Stay Active
Choosing exercise that you enjoy may increase the likelihood that you continue exercising. Research has found that people’s emotional and enjoyment responses to exercise are associated with exercise behavior and adherence (Rodrigues et al., 2021).
This makes practical sense. If you enjoy cycling, you are more likely to ride your bike. If you love playing hockey, you are more likely to show up for hockey. If you enjoy lifting weights, you are more likely to return to the gym.
Enjoyment gives you a reason to come back.
And repeatedly coming back is what creates consistency.
Having a Choice Matters
Enjoyment is closely related to autonomy, or having a sense of control over your exercise choices. A program that allows people to choose activities they enjoy may be more sustainable than one that feels overly restrictive.
For example, someone who dislikes running does not need to run to improve cardiovascular fitness. They could choose cycling, swimming, rowing, hiking, or recreational sports instead.
Research examining self-selected exercise has found that allowing individuals to choose their exercise intensity can produce favorable enjoyment and self-efficacy responses (Williams et al., 2022).
Your Program Needs to Fit Your Life
Enjoyment alone is not enough. A program also needs to be realistic.
A person may love going to the gym, but if their program requires six 90-minute workouts every week and their schedule only allows three sessions, the program is unlikely to be sustainable. Research on long-term physical activity maintenance has identified factors such as enjoyment, social support, flexibility, time, habits, and environmental circumstances as important influences on adherence (McKay et al., 2024).
When choosing a program, consider:
- How many days per week can I realistically exercise?
- How much time can I dedicate to each workout?
- What types of exercise do I genuinely enjoy?
- What activities do I consistently avoid?
- What fits my work and family schedule?
- What are my primary fitness goals?
Don’t Confuse “Hard” With “Effective”
An effective workout does not necessarily need to leave you exhausted. Exercise needs to provide an appropriate stimulus to produce adaptation, but more intensity is not automatically better for everyone.
Research suggests that enjoyment and emotional responses can vary depending on exercise intensity and type (Rodrigues et al., 2021). For some people, high-intensity exercise is motivating. For others, it may be unpleasant enough that they avoid exercise altogether.
The most effective workout is not necessarily the one that leaves you the most exhausted.
Build Your Program Around You
A practical approach is to consider three things:
What do I need?
Your program should address your goals through appropriate cardiovascular exercise, resistance training, mobility, balance, or sport-specific training.
What do I enjoy?
Choose activities you actually like, whether that is weightlifting, running, cycling, swimming, hiking, walking, hockey, golf, or group fitness.
What can I maintain?
Choose a routine that fits your lifestyle. Three workouts per week that you consistently complete may be more beneficial in the long term than six workouts per week that you repeatedly skip.
Conclusion
There is no scientifically proven workout program that is universally the “best” for everyone. Different forms of exercise can effectively improve different aspects of health and fitness, and the appropriate program depends on individual goals, abilities, preferences, and circumstances.
The research supports considering enjoyment and adherence when choosing an exercise program. Enjoyment, autonomy, flexibility, social support, and practicality can all influence whether people continue exercising over time (Kwasnicka et al., 2016; McKay et al., 2024; Rodrigues et al., 2021).
Instead of asking, “What is the best workout program?”, ask:
“What program will help me achieve my goals while being enjoyable and realistic enough that I will continue doing it?”
The answer will be different for everyone.
The best program for you is the one that you enjoy, can recover from, and will consistently follow.
References
Kwasnicka, D., Dombrowski, S. U., White, M., & Sniehotta, F. F. (2016). Theoretical explanations for maintenance of behaviour change: A systematic review of behaviour theories. Health Psychology Review, 10(3), 277–296. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2016.1151372
McKay, F. H., et al. (2024). Understanding adults’ experiences and perceptions of how to maintain physical activity: A systematic review and qualitative synthesis. BMC Public Health. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39557793/
Rodrigues, F., Teixeira, D. S., Neiva, H. P., Cid, L., & Monteiro, D. (2021). Exercisers’ affective and enjoyment responses: A meta-analytic and meta-regression review. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 128(5), 2218–2244. https://doi.org/10.1177/00315125211024212
Williams, P. A., et al. (2022). The effect of self-selected exercise workloads on perceived enjoyment and self-efficacy in sedentary adults. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(14), 8684. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148684
World Health Organization. (2020). WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. World Health Organization. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-102955
