“I'm going to be 50 in April and I want to be able to keep moving with ease”: a Pilates instructor shares the weekly workout routine she follows to stay strong and mobile

Welcome to Workout Diaries, a series where we ask expert trainers to talk us through what a week of exercise looks like for them, helping you figure out how to develop and maintain an effective workout routine.

Tara Riley is a barre and Pilates instructor and a former competitive gymnast.

Her current workout routine combines a variety of styles—Pilates and barre, of course, but also strength training and dance.

She tells Fit&Well that this mix of styles helps her stay strong and mobile.

“I'm going to be 50 in April, and I just want to be able to keep moving and keep doing the things that I want to do with ease, without pain, and feel good in my body,” she says.

The instructor was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when she was 28, which had a big impact on her motivation for working out.

“It really made me look at, how am I fueling my body? How am I supporting my body to maintain strength, not just in my muscles, but in my bones as well?” she says.

“I'm so far past working out to look a certain way,” Riley adds.

“Everyone likes to feel good in their jeans. Everyone likes to look good. I don't think there's anything wrong with that, but it's not my aim—it's not my focus anymore.”

You can find out more about training with Tara at her website—and read about her workout routine below.

Tara Riley's weekly workout routine

Monday 6.30pm
45-minute dance workout
Focus: cardio fitness

Tuesday 12pm
30-minute barre flow
Focus: mobility

Wednesday 6:30pm
30-minute workout with dumbbells
Focus: functional strength

Thursday
Rest day with 10 to 15 minutes of active stretching.

Friday 9am
One-hour mat Pilates workout
Focus: upper-body and core

Saturday 10am
45-minute barre workout
Focus: full body

Sunday 10am
45-minute Pilates workout
Focus: full body

Tara Riley's three tips for developing a sustainable exercise routine

1. Be flexible with your schedule

A lot of trainers will advise you to stick to a consistent schedule, but Riley says this isn't always helpful.

“I try to listen to how I'm feeling, and sometimes I feel more tired in the morning and I decide I'm not going to push really hard. Other times, I feel really energetic and ready to do something more challenging in the morning,” she explains.

2. Think about short-term benefits

Don't just focus on the long-term goals of exercise. Think about what you can get out of movement in the moment, too.

“I'm not a moody person, but [exercise] uplifts you, and it makes you feel positive, and it makes you feel better about your body,” Riley says.

The instructor explains that daily movement is a non-negotiable for her.

“If I don't move, then my joints aren't very happy,” she explains.

3. Ditch the fitness watch

“I don't even wear a watch. I don't track anything, just because I know how I feel,” Riley says, explaining that it's best to trust your intuition when you're planning your exercise routine.

“You know how you feel if you've had a really tough workout where you feel like you've pushed yourself and then you need to do something gentle. Both of those things are valid.”