One of the greatest challenges to maintaining a consistent exercise routine can be finding and keeping the motivation. Whether you’re trying to squeeze in a workout between virtual meetings or after a long day, there are a few cost-conscious resources that may help you get moving.

Use Apps for Accountability

Compare your progress to that of your friends, or push yourself to keep up with your coworkers. Apps like Fitbit and Strava offer free options that allow you to compete with people you know. Even if you’re socially distant, you can still connect with a workout partner virtually to challenge yourself.

If competition isn’t your style, consider downloading Achievement, an app that allows you to earn cash for activity. Connect your preferred fitness device to gain points for activities you already record like step count, weight and water intake. Perhaps earning an extra $30 to $50 a year may just the prompt you need.

Find an Online Community

For those who want to get out of the house or connect with others, check out community groups. Facebook, MeetUp and NextDoor allow you to find people in your area who are planning outdoor fitness events like a group hike or trail run.

If you prefer to exercise solo, check out virtual races available online. You won’t have in-person fans cheering you on, but for a nominal fee, you can join a race and compete virtually by uploading your time to the race’s platform. Virtual Run Events and Gone for a Run are two options. You can also search for virtual races that raise money for causes you support.

Create a Sustainable Plan

To reach success, it’s important to make smaller, achievable goals, according to the American Council on Exercise. For example, start with a week-long goal of completing a 45-minute yoga class three times or running 1 mile four times.

While your overall goal of losing 35 pounds may feel daunting, marking and celebrating small wins along the way can help motivate you to keep going. You can also re-evaluate your small goal after the first week to increase the intensity, make it more realistic or adjust it another way that makes sense.

Regular re-evaluation allows for adaptation and prevents setbacks or a bad week from stopping you in your tracks. Once you have a goal in place, put your plan into immediate action with one step you can do right now:

• Schedule time for exercise.
• Set out your workout gear the night before your planned workout.
• Create a playlist to pump you up during your exercise.

A truly effective workout plan must be financially feasible as well. As you keep affordability top of mind, make sure that any monthly subscriptions are accounted for in your budget so your plan remains sustainable.

Prepare for Setbacks

As with any goal, plan ahead for roadblocks. Life is likely to throw some obstacles in your path. It’s okay to give yourself permission to drop the ball. Just be sure to plan how you will pick it back up if you do miss a day (or two) of training.

Also, if you decide to test out a new form of exercise on your own at home, it’s even more important to check in with your body—and frequently. If you experience pain or lasting discomfort, take time to rest and recover. Contact your doctor or physical therapist if the pain persists.

Remember Your ‘Why’

Getting in shape is often not sufficient motivation to make lasting behavioral changes. Take time to ponder what you value most about being fit. Do you want to stay flexible to play with your grandchildren? Are you getting in shape for your next big adventure? Tie your short-term fitness goal to a larger life value to increase your likelihood of success. That big-picture focus can make all the difference.