Finding Time to Work Out
Life just seems to get busier and busier and though we have great intentions to work out, are you like me at times find yourself going to bed at the end of yet another day and feeling a sense of guilt that the workout you have been promising yourself all week still hasn't happened?
If you are like many people, then it happens more times than you probably want to think about. Workouts and taking time for ourselves often come at the end of a very long list of priorities. It is not that we do not want to do them; it is just trying to fit them in. So what can we do to ensure that we are able to complete everything on that list including a workout?
- Give yourself permission to take care of yourself and take time out to workout. This is often the greatest hurdle to overcome. It gets much easier after this.
- Buy a scheduler and map out your day. Choose one with a week to a page view so you can easily see any gaps of time in your week. Remember to include everything, including your commitments and responsibilities at home, your lunch breaks and meal times at home and your free time.
- Schedule in time for exercise if you have any obvious free time. Remember to think of time before and after work and even during the day at work. Lunchtimes can be excellent opportunities to work out.
- Do not underestimate mini workouts. Even ten minutes can be used to effectively work out. Finding time to work out is made easier if you think in terms of 10 minute periods rather than looking for long periods of time to schedule. Weekends may provide longer sessions but still program them as multiple 10 minute sessions.
- The good news is that workouts do not need to mean expensive gyms. There are many work out ideas that can fit your home or office routine and do not require attending a gym or other sporting venue.
- Create fun workout routines that include your children or family members. If your young children are in a childcare facility during the day, a brisk walk with them in a pusher will provide an excellent interval training cardio and resistance workout.
- Buy some portable equipment like resistance bands and hand weights to keep in your desk at work or in the kitchen and use them when you have a few spare minutes waiting for a meeting to begin or food to cook on the stove.
The key to finding time to work out in the midst of a busy schedule is to actually begin to do it. Often the hardest part of finding time to work out is prioritizing it and then actually doing the exercise the first couple of times. However, it is worth remembering that a good or bad habit takes about 3 weeks to develop so if you start your work outs today, they may be a little difficult to fit into your immediate schedule, but they will eventually become second nature.
