One of the coolest parts about fitness is how naturally it evolves with your life. Your interests shift, you pick up new hobbies, you drop old ones, you enter new seasons; and all of it plays into how you train. Recently, instead of resisting those changes, I’ve found so much freedom in letting my routine grow and shift along with me.
Overall, this fall has reminded me of something simple but important: Your fitness should feel joyful. Whether that joy comes from chasing a specific goal or simply moving your body in ways you enjoy, there’s no “right” way to train. And with the new year coming soon, it’s essential to keep this in mind.
Let Your Goals Change When You Change
This fall I picked up swimming completely on a whim…and completely fell in love with it. I didn’t expect it to stick, but now it’s something I want in my routine forever.
And that’s the thing—your goals will naturally change as your interests change.
Maybe your joy is running after a big PR. Maybe it’s casually climbing with friends. Maybe it’s doing three different sports a week because it keeps you excited. Whatever lights you up is what you should lean into.
Movement is medicine. If it makes you happy, it matters.
My Current Fall Routine (and Why It Works for Me)
This season of life has been full and chaotic in all the best and most overwhelming ways, so my fitness routine for fall has been all about consistency, stability, and staying active without training for anything in particular.
Right now, my typical week looks like:
- Run 1–2x a week
- Lift 2x a week — upper/lower split (sometimes I swap the upper body day for climbing)
- Swim 1x a week
- Abs, yoga, or walking whenever I want or need a lighter day
- Mostly, just showing up and moving through a time where everything else in life feels like it’s constantly shifting
It’s simple, sustainable, and something I genuinely look forward to, even when life feels like a lot.
If you want to compare it to where I was earlier this year, check out my summer weekly training vlog that feels completely different from what I do now.
What My Summer Routine Looked Like
My summer training had one clear focus: running my first 5K. Pretty much everything else I did was to support that goal or was just for fun. (The 5k went really well by the way).
Here’s what my week usually looked like then:
- Running 2-3x a week – definitely my main focus
- Full body lift 1x a week
- Climbing 1–2x a week, mostly just to enjoy it
- Biking commute or for fun 1–2x a week
Comparing summer to fall, the biggest shift was going from training for something specific to moving for consistency, joy, and stress relief.
Looking Ahead: My Plan for Early 2026
Early 2026 is about to be a huge life transition for me, and naturally, my training will shift right along with it. With some big changes coming, here’s the routine I expect to move into:
- Climbing more often, since I’ll be at Summit all the time
- Hang boarding to finally push past my climbing plateau
- Running 1–2x a week just to maintain the base I’ve worked so hard for
- Swimming 1x a week, because I’m not giving that up
- Lifting 2x a week (an updated upper/lower split that’s more tailored to support my climbing goals)
My main training focus will shift to improving my climbing—and everything else will either support that goal or simply be in my routine because it brings me joy.
Your Routine Doesn’t Have to Be Optimized to Be Worthwhile
Sure, none of these routines are perfectly optimized for one specific sport. And when I’m training for my Banff half marathon next summer, I’ll probably shift into a structured training plan specific to running.
But right now?
I’m moving in ways that make me happy; I’m staying active in a time that feels unpredictable; and I’m doing the things I love, in the amounts that feel right.
And for me, that’s what really matters.
Your fitness can shift. It can evolve. It can look different from season to season. The best routine is the one that fits your life, not the one that looks perfect on paper.