5 Ways to Make Time for Workouts
Exercising is very important for your body and health in general. Still, going to work, school, cleaning, grocery shopping, and maybe twenty other responsibilities you must deal with daily keep you constantly busy. Looking at it this way, you might find that 24 hours isn’t quite enough to get all your work done, work out, and have a good night’s rest at the same time. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), you need at least 75 minutes of intense aerobic physical activity per week. For many people, “I’m always so busy” tops their lists of reasons why they couldn’t work out, but the fact remains that there will always be 24 hours each day, and there’s no way to change that. Your responsibilities and tasks will always be there, too. Even if you finished the one at hand, a new one would surface, and there won’t ever be any “free” time for you to work out.
If you want to have the time to work out, then you must create the time, and knowing how tedious that can be, we’ve put together five simple, yet effective, ways you can make time to work out, even when you don’t have time.
1. MAKE YOURSELF A TOP PRIORITY
Putting yourself first is the most crucial step when it comes to creating time to work out or do anything at all! It is easy to let yourself get sidetracked by the long list of tasks waiting for you to clear them. Remind yourself that your health and well-being matter the most, because you can only face those responsibilities and complete those tasks when you are healthy and well.
2. PLAN IT
Write it out somewhere. On your phone, your journal, your calendar, or even on a post-it note to remind yourself to work out. Decide when you think it would be most convenient to work out and plan it. If you decide to exercise in the morning before you begin your daily activities, set your alarm to wake earlier than usual and start. If you settle on the nighttime, set your alarm for at least an hour before you go to bed, and get moving.
Planning also involves your other tasks. Write down all your tasks for the day and estimate how long it will take you to finish them. This way, you’ll be able to know when you’ll have some time to rest, if you need to, before hitting the gym or spreading out your yoga mat. Finishing your tasks, or even getting halfway towards the finish line, will help you get a better workout. Otherwise, you’d be feeling too unfocused to work out.
3. TAKE BABY STEPS
A common saying is, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and neither will you, trying to carve time out of a busy schedule to work out. It’s okay if you work out today and forget to do so tomorrow. Missing a day or two is fine, but any more than that will only lead to a slow decline in your momentum, and before you know it, you are back to square one-letting your tasks overwhelm you to the extent that you are unable to make time to take care of your body. Again.
4. JOIN A GYM CLOSE TO YOUR HOUSE
There is no better unmotivating factor than realizing you need to take the bus to the gym from your house. It comes right after driving 30 minutes to 1 hour to get there. Think of how much time it would cost you and how many distractions could crop up from nowhere on your way there. It is best to join a gym within walking distance of your home. This way, walking or cycling there can serve as a pre-workout routine.
5. WORK ON YOUR MINDSET
You can only follow all of these steps and stick to your routine if it doesn’t feel like something you are forcing yourself to do. Enjoy your workouts – play fun music, join a fitness group, make friends at your gym or yoga class, and have a memorable time while working on yourself. It can be scary at first, especially when it comes to starting new things and meeting new people, but hey, that’s why you’re you. You’ve totally got it under control.
Joining a supportive fitness group (or getting an accountability partner) will help you work out (pun intended) the time, help you stick to it, and also make every minute you spend towards making your body healthier memorable for you. The best fit for this would be a fitness group where you not only get to work on your body, but it helps take care of your mind as well.
Relaxation retreats are also available; the best thing about this is you are also provided with free tips and specially curated plans to help you reach your goals.
So what are you waiting for? Join us in our 2023 season to see the difference you can make in your life. A single tap is all you need to begin your fitness journey!