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Whatever your fitness goal, seeing progress when you start working out can take time, yet when we take just a few weeks off, it can feel like starting from scratch again. This can be really frustrating, so fitness experts always say the key to seeing positive results is to enjoy the exercise you’re doing (whether that’s walking workouts, strength training, or Pilates workouts at home) and stay consistent.
Jo Clubb, a sports science consultant and founder of Global Performance Insights, says: “The body is an amazing machine. When you expose it to something new and repeat that stimulus over time, it adapts to make that task feel easier.” But she adds that “how long this takes depends on several factors, such as the type of exercise, the volume and intensity of the training, and the individual’s training history”.
Jo says people who are sedentary or physically inactive have the greatest potential to see change, and this could be as quickly as within one to two weeks. But it’s maintaining a realistic routine that can be hardest, especially if progress stagnates along the way. In a bid to boost exercise motivation to continue exercising throughout 2026, I spoke to some experts to dig a bit deeper into how our bodies change over time and other benefits we can expect.
How long does it take to get fit?
Nicole Chapman, personal trainer and founder of the Power of Mum fitness app, says most people start to feel fitter sooner than they expect. While you might not notice changes such as weight loss or muscle definition, she says that “within 2-3 weeks you might find you have a bit more energy, you are sleeping better, and you ache less”. “Everyday things like stairs or carrying bags can start to feel a little easier too,” she adds.
“Initial improvements to exercise are largely driven by changes in the nervous system,” Jo explains. “The Central Nervous System (CNS) adapts to the new stimulus to try to move more efficiently. You probably haven’t got stronger in the first few weeks at a muscular level, and yet things feel easier.”
It might be someone else, like a friend or partner, who points out physical changes to you at first. Nicole says: “Because we see ourselves every single day, we tend to overanalyse and miss the gradual progress that is happening right in front of us.”
However, this answer varies from person to person and depends on your history of exercising. If you’ve done weight training, running, or another sport before, you’ll regain your fitness faster than those who are completely new. People who are used to weight training will have more muscle flexibility and elasticity than those who haven’t. It may also mean that recovery time is faster.
After 3 months
- Weight loss
- Your clothes may fit better
- More stamina
- Better cardiovascular health
If you’ve been exercising consistently for three months, you’ll definitely have started to see some real changes and progress. You might have lost weight and notice that you feel more toned in your legs, arms and core, and your clothes may fit differently.
You might have more stamina when walking the dog, going up stairs may feel easier, and there might be fewer groans when you get in and out of the car or bed.
Your exercise routine will have become a habit, and if you skip a session, you might feel stiff or sluggish. “Emotionally, people often feel steadier and clearer, simply because their body feels more supported,” says Nicole.
“After a few months, more visible and structural changes start to occur. On top of the early neurological changes, the body now adapts on a structural level, increasing in muscle size and strength,” says Jo.
Our cardiovascular fitness also continues to improve, and some people may notice improvements in their resting heart rate. “You may find you can exercise for longer or at a higher intensity, recover more quickly, and feel less breathless during everyday activities,” she says.
After six months
- Improved strength, balance, and coordination
- Improved core strength
- Boosted long-term energy levels and mood
“By six months, there’s often a real step up in how your body feels and performs,” says Nicole. “Strength, balance and coordination are usually much more established, so movement feels more controlled and powerful, rather than like hard work.”
She adds that you might see improvements in your core strength in particular, which can mean the back feels more supported and aches are reduced. “Many people also notice they move with more ease and confidence because their body feels stable and reliable,” she adds.
She says people often find they feel more energised and feel more positive.
The key to progress is consistency, so find an activity you like – that way you’re more likely to do it frequently.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
After 12 months
- Improved strength and endurance
- Quicker recovery after each workout
- More confidence
A year in, your life will be looking very different. Your “strength and endurance are usually significantly higher than when you began, and recovery tends to be quicker,” says Nicole. “Your muscles, joints and connective tissues are now working together more efficiently, which gives a sense of physical resilience,” she adds.
However, one of the biggest differences after a year will be internal. “Many people feel connected to their body in a different way, with a sense of stability and confidence that comes from looking after it consistently over time,” she says. At this point, set yourself a goal, such as an organised run or a strength milestone like your first push-up or pull-up. “Having something positive to progress towards can be a great way to celebrate how far you have already come.”
It’s also important to keep pushing yourself, if you want to continue to see results. This doesn’t always mean exercising harder, says Jo, but instead “gently progressing the type, amount, or intensity of activity to keep the body adapting”.
Tips for getting fit in 2026
1. SPORT
No, I’m not talking about taking up a new hobby. Jo uses the acronym S-P-O-R-T in her work as a sports scientist to help clients understand their body’s response to exercise.
If you’re looking to improve your fitness, it’s a good set of guidelines to refer to:
- Specific (S): The body will adapt based on what it’s being asked to do whether this is functional exercise, or strength training.
- Progressive Overload (PO): If you want to continue to improve then you need to graually increase the stimulus.
- Reversibility (R): If you don’t use it, you lose it! While it doesn’t always need to be focused on getting fitter, you’ll always need to maintain your exercise to keep those gains.
- Tedium (T): Training needs variety, otherwise people get bored and the risk of injury can increase due to overuse.
Keep your goals realistic
When you set any goal, whether it’s for fitness, your career, eating habits, social life, or something else, the key is to keep it realistic. If you’ve struggled to do 10 minutes of exercise every day in the past, don’t set yourself the goal of working out every single day.
Instead, focus on what you can do. For example, can you get outside for a 15-minute walk every day or get your 10,000 steps in at home? If you can’t get to the gym, can you do a quick kettlebell workout before you start work or have breakfast?
Small habits over time build consistency, which builds confidence in ourselves, and we’re more likely to follow through.
Nicole agrees. “Short, manageable workouts that you repeat regularly will take you much further than pushing yourself hard and then stopping because it feels unsustainable,” she says.
Prioritise small bursts of activity
Most of us don’t have time to be in the gym for hours at a time (and we don’t need to be!). Small bursts of activity, sometimes known as exercise snacking, have been proven to be almost as effective as dedicated exercise sessions in a study in Exercise and Sports Sciences Review.
Dr Reem Hasan, NHS GP and chief medical officer at Vista Health, says: “Start with something manageable like a short walk during your lunch break, stretching before bed, or taking the stairs instead of the lift. These small bursts of activity add up and make movement part of your lifestyle rather than a short-term resolution.”
Get stronger
If you want to get fitter in 2026 but you’re not sure where to start, weight training is essential for women over 50. From the age of 35, we start to lose muscle and bone mass. With menopause, the rate increases.
Simply lifting weights at home, doing Pilates with weights, or getting in a dumbbell gym workout can improve strength, boost bone density, reduce the risk of muscle loss, and, contrary to popular belief, give your cardiovascular system a boost as well.
Lifting weights means you can do everything you want with better control and stability outside of the gym, whether that’s navigating an uneven path on a hike this year or getting on the floor to play with your grandchildren in the future.
W&H editors’ essential recommendations
SPORTNOW
Adjustable Dumbbells Set 2kg/4kg/6kg/8kg/10kg Weights
Really, all it takes to get stronger and improve your cardiovascular fitness is a set of weights, says woman&home health channel editor and fitness instructor, Grace Walsh. Adjustable dumbbells like these mean you can use them for upper- and lower-body workouts, and take the weight up as you get stronger without having to spend more. You can do a dumbbell workout at home to start off with.
Progress will be your biggest motivator if you’re new to exercise. As good as it feels to plug in your exercise headphones and get out the door, it feels even better to know that you’re doing better than last week. One of the best fitness trackers can log your progress and offer this.
Shock Absorber
D+ Max Support Bra
When it comes to activewear, I’m a big believer in working with what you have until you need something new. A good sports bra, especially if you have a larger chest, is essential, however. My favourite is the Shock Absorber D+ Support bra.
