Friday, March 14, 2014

How to Find Time for Your Workouts

When I meet with potential clients and/or discuss working out with those who aren't regulars, the most frequent comment I get is "I just don't have the time." To which I always respond: "Oh, yes you do! You just have to find it."

Consider it an investment: Giving up some of your time for workouts is like adding more minutes to your future. Or potentially saving you the money spent on that which insurance might not cover. Because really, you're investing in your health. So it's totally worth it, either way.

Today, we're going to talk about how to find time for your workouts. Because, trust me, you have it.

1) Conclude the importance.
When something is important to you, you automatically make time for it. (Like running to the mall to snag that perfect pair of shoes that are on sale, amiright?) So the sooner you conclude that exercise needs to be a priority, the easier it will be to slide it into your schedule. I mean, you've been telling yourself how important it is for awhile now, anyway. Right? Time to believe it.

2) Embrace your mornings.
I know it seems ludacris to suggest that you give up an hour of sleep, but I really want you to consider doing it. Think about it: If the first thing you need to do is get to the gym or go for a run, there's really nothing stopping you. Save it for after work or just later in the day, well...things always come up, right?

3) Consult your lunch break.
If you work full time, think about using your lunch break for some physical activity. When will you eat? Lunch in the office at 11:00AM while you work, hit the gym at noon! Or vice versa. And, if you use a calendar to schedule your meetings, then it's really easy to block out the time. Only get an hour? 30-minute workouts are your calling, friend!

4) Streamline your schedule.
Sit down with your agenda or calendar and really check out where and how you are spending your time. You might find loopholes where disorganization gets the best of you. Or where you can move and shift to find an hour here and there.

5) Balance the babies.
If you have kids, they can often be the first and foremost reason why you "don't have time" to exercise. So you need to talk to your significant other. If you really, truly want to make workouts a priority, then the two of you need to find a way to create this time for each other. Someone watches the kids while the other hits the gym. Agree to it and don't look back.

6) Write it down.
Make pen and paper your chisel and stone. When you write things down on a grocery list, you buy them. Right? So write your workouts down on a schedule—and do them! Yes, it can be that easy.

Question: What are some of the tricks you employ to make sure you always have time for exercise?


4 comments:

Kelly McNelis said...

I've done so many things over the years...workout at home when my littles are napping, do 'mommy and me' workouts/classes, run with a jogging stroller, etc. Everyone has the same amount of hours in the day. If it's one of your top priorities, you can make it work!

Heather Murphy said...

Great suggestions! I think an important factor when having kids is finding a gym with good childcare! So many of them have them these days, so just take a look at a few gyms and specifically ask to speak with the people who will be taking care of your baby while you are working out- see if you get a good vibe.

Daleian said...

I always need to write my workouts down otherwise I'll just get too lazy and skip it. I've realized that once I have a monthly or weekly calendar I'm much more likely to go out and do it.

cherylann said...

3:45 a.m. was and still is MINE all MINE! (yay!)

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