What is the #1 reason individuals cite for quitting their fitness regime within the first month? It's the same reason so many other individuals fail to even BEGIN to exercise. "I just don't have the time to work out."
As an adult, we have many demands on our time: work, family, volunteering, community involvements, perhaps continuing education. With our plates already so full, how do we find the time and energy to commit to exercising? Here are a few tips to help.
- The ultimate time management tip any expert will give you is to map out how you spend your day with a time log. Similar to how keeping a food journal can shed insights into what goes into your mouth, keeping a time journal can help you see where you spend your time, where you might be wasting time, and where you could find little chunks of time to add in exercise. Keeping a time log is fairly easy to do... jot down how you spend your waking hours in 30 minute increments. After 3-4 days, review it. What trends do you see? Are you spending more time on an activity than you realized? Can you give up any tasks/commitments and/or delegate some of those tasks to other people?
- Realize that exercise doesn't have to be an hour long commitment! Studies consistently show that three 10 minute bouts of exercise during the day provide the same benefits as one 30 minute continuous session. Can you fit in 10 minutes in the morning, take a 10 minute walk during lunch, and do 10 minutes of activity in the evening?
- Multitask. Time management experts will tell you that multitasking really isn't all that efficient. However, in the case of fitting in exercise, it is actually very efficient and a great way to squeeze in a workout while doing routine things.
- Do you watch TV at night? Do a strength training routine while you watch your favorite show. If you have a cardio machine at home, put a TV next to it and watch while you walk/step/bike. At the gym, station yourself in front of one of the TVs.
- Have a standing dinner date with friends? Make it an activity date instead and stay socially connected.
- Have a walking meeting. If you don't need to be sitting in front of a screen or next to a phone to meet, get up and walk around your office area (or outside your building) while you meet with a colleague.
- Walk the dog. If you have a canine pet, they need exercise too. Make it a joint exercise session and you both benefit.
- Play with your kids. Quality time with your family is important. Instead of going to a movie together/watching TV or playing a sedentary game inside, get outside and play a game requiring movement, go for a hike/bike ride, or go canoeing.
- If you don't have time to get to a gym, spend $30-$50 and purchase a few fitness tools to keep in your house, so it's easily accessible and saves you the commute time. No gym membership or car required!
- Put yourself first. Let me be real honest with you for a second: being sedentary will cause you many health problems. America already has an amazingly high obesity rate and too many incidences of diabetes and heart disease... all of which can be combated or reduced with activity. Even if you feel healthy now, consistent exercise as a young or middle aged adult can stave off diseases that arise as we age (arthritis, osteoporosis, some forms of cancer, heart disease, etc) and contribute to a higher quality of life as we get older. If you can't make the time to give 2.5 hours to yourself and your health by exercising each week, what is that saying about your priorities? Would you give 2.5 hours a week to save a friend or family member's life? Think about it. (Note: 2.5 hours is the recommended weekly amount of physical activity for most adults.)
- Wake up earlier and get your workout done before the rest of your day starts.
- Remember that it takes approximately 21 days to make or break a habit. If you find the time to exercise and stick with it for 3 weeks, you've just formed a healthy habit.
What other tips do you have for fitting exercise into your day?
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