By Tamara Newell

December 2025

If your Pilates routine looks more like a seesaw than a balance beam, change is possible. It’s never too late to create a lifestyle of fitness consistency.

The key to building habits: The Compound Effect

The key to long term Pilates motivation that lasts years instead of days, points toward the compound effect. The compound effect is when you take a small habit and repeat it consistently over a long period of time. In time, results are substantial and far bigger than expected. This approach to health is not only effective, but also enjoyable.

Imagine you’re new to exercise. Your new Pilates routine goal is four times a week. You’re excited and ready for the challenge. The first week goes swimmingly. You feel stronger, energized and the nagging back pain is starting to feel some relief. A few things pop up on your schedule and you make it twice the second week. Struggling to create fitness consistency, you decide you need to catch up on a few things during week three and skip the weekly workout all together. By the end of a month, you’re feeling discouraged and your Pilates motivation is waning.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Most people who’ve struggled building habits have walked this road. Yet, implementing the compound effect can transform your fitness consistency.

Now with the compound effect, imagine you start your Pilates routine small, one a week. Knowing you’ll need to make some room in your week to accommodate this, you book an early morning class and go to bed an hour early the night before. After a year, aside from a few out of town trips, you manage to be consistent with your new Pilates routine. After one year, you’ve completed 45 classes. The first approach with a fast start leading to burnout resulted in six classes. Small, sustainable habits built consistently over a long period of time creates big results.

3 Pilates Motivation Tips to Building Habits

1) Start incredibly small

If adding a new habit seems at all daunting, simplify it. If it’s a new habit, but feels too small, you can always increase it in a few weeks. This not only helps prevent burnout, but creates a strong foundation for building long standing habits, as well as confidence in your ability to keep moving forward.

2) Track your progress

When creating small habits, progress can seem slow, if not negligible. To prevent feeling discouraged, create a visual tracker to remind how well you’re doing with each action taken. This will also visually encourage you to keep forward momentum.

3) Pair new habit with an established one

Teaming up a new habit with your daily routine, minimizes resistance and aids in solidifying the new habit. For example, if Monday mornings are your time for appointments, schedule a Pilates class as one of your regular appointments. If you’re adding a multivitamin to your daily routine, place it next to your toothbrush to add to your morning routine.

It’s never too late to start building healthy habits and long standing routines. Maybe you’ve tried before and became discouraged with unmet goals. It’s time to try again, this time with a single small step forward. Establish your Pilates routine at ProHealth Physical Therapy and Pilates in Peachtree City, GA. Classes are available in the studio or online, making it flexible for your weekly schedule.