Making time to work out isn’t always easy—that’s a fact of life. Some days you get slammed at work or your kid gets sick and squeezing in a 30-minute workout seems laughable. But the truth is, the more you put off your workouts, the harder it is to get back in the swing of things. It’s like a cycle: you need to keep working out to make it easier to commit to your workouts. If you can begin by carving out time each day to workout it starts to become habitual and almost automatic. Use these five time management tips to get your workout done no matter what—and keep your fitness momentum going so exercise becomes an automatic habit, not a complicated chore.
1. Schedule Your Workouts Like Appointments
I’ve said it time and time again, but the best way to find time to workout is to….drumroll please…MAKE THE TIME! How do you make time for exercise? Schedule your workouts like you would any other important appointments. Write them in your planner with a pen. Put reminders in your phone. Write down exactly what time you’ll workout each week or month (however far in advance you like to plan) and it becomes concrete and inevitable. Just thinking “I’ll try and workout tomorrow” is not as effective as scheduling it like you would an important meeting. And your workouts are important meetings—with yourself, for your own well-being.
2. Do Combo Workouts
If you think “I don’t have time to work out for an hour at a time,” then I have good news for you: you don’t need to have an hour. By doing circuits and intervals, you can use shorter periods of all-out effort to maximize your results, helping you work smarter, not longer. Do circuits or intervals that combine cardio and strength so you don’t have to get your cardio and strength done during separate times.
3. Become A Morning Exerciser
As the day goes on, time starts to slip through our fingers. Emails pile up, and our list of things we thought we’d get to seems to be longer and more unmanageable than anticipated. That’s why working out first thing in the morning is so smart. You get that workout done before anyone or anything can interrupt you and demand your attention. Plus, it saves you the trouble of having to get showered and dressed multiple times a day. (Yes, that is a thing. We women only want to do our hair and makeup once a day!) Work out first thing when you wake up, shower and get dressed and you’re done with it before you even head to the office. Take ownership of the time you do have and make working out the priority that comes first during that time. If the only time you have to workout is at 5 a.m., that’s the time you workout.
4. Be Kind To Your Body
A huge part of any workout routine is recovery—but most people skip this step because they think they don’t have time. They may have sore muscles and joints but don’t have time for an hour-long massage or lengthy session with the foam-roller. Luckily there are products like Wahl’s Hot-Cold Therapy Massager that allow you to provide your muscles with some relief on the go. Just a few minutes with the hot-cold massager can help. The heat helps loosen stiff muscles and increase blood flow, while the cold is best for newer soreness by reducing swelling or inflammation. You can toggle between the two by switching the heat and cold plates, or just use one or the other. The massager also comes with five other unique attachments to target pain points and loosen up your muscles. Help your body recover with some quick at-home massage so you can enter your next workout feeling great!
5. Make It Social
Trying to fit in workouts along with board meetings, PTA commitments, family time, and outings with friends can seem impossible. So why not kill two birds with one stone by combining your workouts with social time? You might just find that your friends are tired of the same old happy hour at the bar—and a Barre class(maybe a glass of wine afterwards—hey, you’ve earned it!) would be much more fun anyway. If an old friend wants to catch up, ask them for a talk-and-walk or a long hike instead of just sitting at a coffee shop. Combining your social time with exercise helps you fit in your workouts no matter what.
Freytag, Chris. “Don’t Have Time To Workout? 5 Tips To Change That.” Get Healthy U | Chris Freytag, 15 Sept. 2017, gethealthyu.com/dont-have-time-to-workout-solutions/.