Everybody is busy.
Or at least everybody claims to be busy.
But there's a good portion of people who are still working out despite the time crunch. How are they doing it? These are my tips. I'm certifiably busy. During the school year I have 10+ hour days, not including the commute to and from work, so I am always strapped for time.
Tip #1 - Verify that you are actually as busy as you say and/or feel
Time for some tough love. Are you REALLY that busy? Do you have time to mindlessly scroll through Facebook or Instagram? Do you find time to catch up with friends on the phone? Watch TV? Are you seriously busy for the entire 24 hours in a day? You can't carve out 15-30 minutes anywhere?
You can chat on the phone while you're walking, you can exercise during commercial breaks. The time spend perusing social media could be spent in a more productive way. Pay attention to where you are spending your time and look for times you can get your body moving.
Tip #2 - Schedule your workouts FIRST and plan around them
Now obviously you have to account for going to work, church, your kid's activities and other non-negotiables, but I strongly suggest that you make your workouts non-negotiable as well. When you do, it's not left up to chance. If you just fit it in "where you can" then it's likely not to happen.
Make yourself and your health a priority.
Tip #3 - Communicate your plans to exercise with your family, friends, co-workers, etc
Let the people around you know that you are serious and committed to exercising. That way they will be more likely to treat that as sacred time. I've even told my co-workers (on a couple of occasions) that I couldn't talk in the evenings because it was my gym time.
A bonus is that they may also hold you accountable.
Tip #4 - Plan ahead and make things easier for yourself
Take your workout clothes out the night before. Leave your gym bag in the car. Put your workout DVD in the DVD player before you go to bed. I even know some people that sleep in their workout clothes! Do whatever planning & prepping you need to do, so that it is easy for you to get started.
Tip #5 - Give up the all or nothing mentality
Something is better than nothing. So what you don't have an hour or an hour and a half? Use whatever time you have to get your body moving.
Maybe you have 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening, or maybe even 10 minutes 3 or 4 times throughout the day - those increments add up over the course of the day. Make the most of whatever time you have, when you have it.
And you don't have to workout everyday 3 or 4 times a week can be effective too.
Working out at home eliminates the time spent driving to and from the gym. There are plenty of effective at home workout programs. You can also purchase some exercise equipment to use for your at home workouts.
Tip #7 - Lose the excuses!
This is the catch all. Whatever else you can come up with falls in this category.
Exercise is not just beneficial so you "look good." Exercise is essential for your health and makes some life events like pregnancy and aging, easier. Make it a priority. Today!
Feel free to leave questions & comments in the comments section.
To contact for meal plans and/or workout programs to get you started on your journey, please email spandex.sportsbras@gmail.com.
