Making Time For Fitness With A Busy Schedule
Making time for fitness doesn’t necessarily mean beating yourself up at a gym. It’s about shifting your mindset to living a more active lifestyle. Busy as we may be, we have less trouble finding time for television, social networking or even dull household tasks. Below are some ways to squeeze in some time for fitness!
Top Reasons To Not Exercise
- You Don’t Have Time. Physically inactive people have just as much free time as those who exercise, so you can chuck this excuse.
- You Can’t Commit. When you look at exercise in the long term (i.e., that you have to exercise on a daily basis forever), it can be overwhelming. However, you don’t have to change your life overnight.
- Exercise HURTS! You don’t have to hurt yourself to reap the benefits of exercise.
- Hard To Stay Motivated. If you’re tired or stressed, it’s hard to keep going with your workouts. However, waiting to feel motivated to exercise can actually backfire. Motivation is something you have to work at every day.
- You Don’t Know How To Exercise. This is a popular excuse, but it won’t fly what with the wealth of information available at your fingertips.
- You Hate To Exercise. Enjoying exercise may seem impossible, but it can be done. Almost any exercise may feel hard at first but, with some practice and consistency, your body gets stronger and you may even start to like it.
Strategies To Make Time For Fitness
- Create A “Move More” State Of Mind. Carving out a specific hour of a day for a workout is great but first, start each day with the mindset to move more. By reminding your body to get more movement throughout the day, you will be more likely to do it.
- Decide What You Like. Choose a form of exercise that fits your lifestyle, personality, and taste. Not sure what you love to do? Don’t be afraid to experiment with different forms of exercise until you find what works best for you.
- Commit To Regular Activity. You don’t have to become a fitness buff to benefit from exercise and movement. Start by committing to getting activity regularly. Schedule exercise like any other appointment on your calendar and treat it as a commitment rather than something you squeeze in if you have time. Even if you can only allow 15 minutes at a time, schedule it.
- Delegate! Reassess household chores: Can the kids do laundry? Can your spouse cook dinner? What professional tasks can you hand off so you can get out for a walk at lunch or stop by the gym on the way home? Don’t think you’re the only one who can do all of the things you’re currently doing. Look, too, for things that could be done less often, or that might not need to get done at all.
- Focus On Health And Strength. Many people can get easily discouraged and give up when there’s too much emphasis on weight loss. Rather than an exclusive focus on weight loss, focus on the joys of exercise and movement instead. Take pride in your body getting stronger or your new ability to able to exercise longer, even if it’s just in baby steps.
- Put Yourself First. Stressful situations can take your focus away from properly caring for yourself. If you neglect yourself for the sake of external problems, you will be creating more problems than you are solving. Make sure you consider what you need and do something, however small, for yourself each day.
- Exercise With A Group. Accountability works. Make it an outing with friends and family. When you join up with others to exercise, not only do you get the immediate benefits of exercise, you also get time spent with friends—a double deposit into your well-being.
- Limit Screen Time. Screen time is a surefire way to waste time that you could be spending in more active ways. Consider trading just 30 minutes of that low-value television time for exercise.
- Be Motivated By Monetary Investment. Putting some money on the line may provide you with the motivation you need to show up. Sign up for a yoga workshop, book some sessions with a personal trainer, or plunk down some cash for a race or other athletic event you’ll have to train for.
- Work It Into Your Everday Life. Get creative with your exercise routine. Maximize what you are already doing daily. Park farther away and walk. Do the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Play tag with your kids. Move around as much as possible while cleaning the house.
- Bring The Whole Family. If family obligations prevent you from fitting in regularly scheduled workouts, rope your gang into other types of group activities. Schedule family hikes, soccer games, after-dinner walks, bike rides or family trips to the gym.
- Rise and Shine. For most people, the day only gets more demanding as it goes on. Exercising first thing in the morning will ensure you fit it in.
The Takeaway
We all know by now that maintaining an active lifestyle should be one of our top priorities in life. Only by taking care of ourselves do we stand a chance of being the kind of person we strive to be on the job, at home with our loved ones, and in our communities. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.
Sometimes a new thought or a new idea is all you need to make a lasting change. You can wake up one day and decide to make your entire life change. Staying active and fitting in fitness will not only help you stay healthy and strong, but it can be a great mini-retreat to both rejuvenate and energize you for the day’s adventures.
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