I’ve been thinking about this all week.

One of our members recently asked me a question that stopped me in my tracks. She said, “Is routine really the best way forward?“

If you know me, you’ll know routine is something I talk about often. Setting up habits and rhythms that support your life. Creating a structure you can lean on. I believe in it, genuinely.

But her question made me pause and think it through properly.

Routine isn’t the whole answer

Here’s where I landed: routine is great, but for a lot of us, it isn’t the whole answer. Sometimes what keeps us moving isn’t the steadiness of doing the same thing at the same time, day in, day out.

It’s the freedom to change things up, to follow a bit of spontaneity, and to let that be what makes movement fun again.

So the real question isn’t “routine or not.” It’s knowing which one you need, and when.

When to stick to a routine

Stick to a routine when you’re building something new. The first few weeks of any habit need a bit of consistency to take root.

Routine is also what carries you on the days motivation doesn’t show up: when life feels a little chaotic, a steady practice can be the one thing that stays predictable and calm.

When to go with the flow

Go with the flow when the season changes, and I mean that both literally and in the shape of your life. A new job, a house full of visitors, the weather turning. Life doesn’t stay still, so it makes sense that your practice sometimes shouldn’t either.

And go with the flow, too, when you notice yourself feeling stuck or stagnant. That flat, going-through-the-motions feeling is often a sign you need to shake things up, not push harder through the same thing.

So which one do you need?

There’s no single right answer here. It’s less about picking a side and more about checking in with yourself and asking what this season of life is actually asking of you.

If you’re not sure where to start, that’s exactly what the 21-Day Strong & Steady Start inside My Pilates Time is for, a gentle structure to lean on at first, with plenty of room to adjust as you go.

With care,

Beth