Making Time to Exercise

You have already decided that you don’t have time to exercise. Between kids, work, and just being plain tired, there just doesn’t seem to be enough time in your day. Wrong! There is time; you just have to make it. So, we are going to find time in your day and tell you how you can spend it.

Time Management

Have you ever considered time management? If you work for a pretty good sized company, at least once they have looked at how they can get the most work done in the least amount of time. They have scrutinized payroll to see where they are wasting resources.

Let’s apply time management skills to your day. How often do we have down time? Maybe you are cooking dinner or waiting for a client to reply to a request. If you think hard enough, there are at least 30 minutes in your day that you don’t do anything.

Why not, make that exercise time? Who says you need hours to get fit? No, those thirty minutes aren’t all together but as long as you know that you have that time, you can schedule some exercise in to fill the slot.

A Workout You Like

Now, think of an exercise that you wouldn’t mind doing. It could be bicycle riding, jumping rope or dancing as just a few examples. It is a fact that when you don’t like the exercise you are doing, you won’t stick with it. Losing steam and quitting is one of the biggest motivational crushers there is. You don’t dare try again because you might quit again.

When you begin by choosing an exercise that you love and can get excited about, even at 5 a.m., you are more apt to stay motivated. Consistency is the key here. You have found thirty minutes in your day but maybe you could find more as you begin to see results. It’s ok to start small. Don’t feel like you must spend two hours, or even one, at the gym or working out at home. Even if it’s only 15 minutes a day walking or dancing in your living room to start with, you’re doing more than you were and should be proud of yourself.

Try to find an exercise that you can do anywhere. Let’s take bicycle riding. While your son is at soccer practice, you can ride your bike. Choose a nearby trail or just pedal around the field or parking lot.

If you like to walk, you can walk just about anywhere. Keep a pair of running shoes and light weights in your car so you are ready for a jam session whenever you can fit one in.

The best thing about exercise is that it is cumulative. Thirty minutes here plus another fifteen there all adds up to increasing your fitness level. Don’t let the time factor discourage you. Shorter bursts of more intense exercises often work better for overall fitness. So, even if you only have 10 minutes, give it all you’ve got. Run in place as fast as you can, dance to the most upbeat and fast paced music you can find. Just remember if you’re going for short, intense workouts to give it your all the entire time.

Making time for exercise is not easy but it is necessary. Consider where you can shave some time off your schedule and pen in some exercise time. Once in the mindset, you’ll find more workout opportunities presenting themselves all on their own.