HOW TO MAKE TIME FOR WORKOUTS (WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE ANY TIME)

Here’s maybe the first, best example of how you get back more than you give in an exercise program – but you have to give something. It’s about time.

They say time is the asset that we can’t increase. Don’t get us started. Truth is, time can be just as mysterious as gravity for those who – uh – take time to think carefully about it. In our experience, time may be the very thing that choice can have the most impact on. We may all have the same amount of time in a day. The difference in our lives is in the choices we make about how to spend it.

Everything you are doing is important in some measure. Otherwise you wouldn’t be doing it. Yet questioning our thoughts about what is a priority can be a very healthy exercise.

Fitting It In

The first approach that most people think of, when it’s time to put regular workouts into their life, is fitting it in. “Where in the world would I put it?” is usually the first answer. (And it might be the biggest drawback of this approach, if you leave it at that.)

Start with an hour. That’s our first suggestion. Yes, your workout and getting into and out of it may take more time than that, sooner or later. But when it comes to where to put it in your day, start with an hour. Now think honestly about what you are getting back in exchange for that hour at lunchtime, or after work, or right after taking the kids to school.

And definitely think in terms of a week, not just a day. Suddenly the possibilities expand to the point where it’s hard to find excuses, when we look at where in the week we might put four or five occasions where we make our own goals as important as all those others.

Setting It Aside

Some of our favorite success stories have come from the lives of people who just flat claimed an “untaken” time for their workouts. One woman, a career professional whose success had left her with less and less day for herself, came to a key realization one day: She found that when she left her workout until the end of the workday, too many things could arise that would get in the way. That loss of focus, and the day’s expenditure of mental energy – which counts, too, a lot – made after work a choice that was not going to work for her.

She decided to just get up earlier and claim her workout before she ever got near the office. Yes, the actual wakeup time sounded ominous at first – she wasn’t what you’d call a late-riser to begin with. But that rising hour came to be her very favorite time of day. The quiet, the coffee, the stillness that was still in her mind as she put on her workout gear, saving her business suit for later. This became her time, and she grew to love it very quickly. Still need more tips for working in your workout?

6 Ways to Fit a Workout Into Your Schedule

1. Commute By Foot, Not By Car: While this is not for everyone, if your office is a 10k sprint away from your home, then consider pounding the pavement on your way to work. Of course, this requires you to grab a shower and a change of clothes once at the office, but with more work spaces offering gym and shower facilities on site, a sprint to work is not out of he question.
2. Keep Your Workout Clothes Nearby at All Times: If you travel often by car, then keep a pair of running shoes, some running clothes, and some light weights or resistance bands in a duffle bag in your trunk. That way, wherever you are, you can get in a run or a workout, even if it’s just 20 minutes.”
3. Run Your Errands: Have to grab a couple of items at the grocery store two miles away? Or mail a letter at the post office just down the block? Why drive when you can run?
4. Schedule Your Workouts: When you block out time on your calendar for your workout, you commit to more than just hitting the gym. You also ensure that some other meeting won’t take its place on your daily and weekly calendar.
5. Get Up Earlier: Just in case you missed our story above, we added it to our list here. So, if your family starts rising around 7 a.m., get up at six and get in a workout before your family gets going. Even if your workout is only a 30-minute session on your stationary bike or 15 minutes of lower leg exercises, it will jack up your metabolism and mental energy.
6. Be an Active Watcher: One of the easiest ways to find time for your workout is to swap TV time for gym time. However, if this seems too difficult, then workout while watching TV. A good place to start? Keep some basic equipment handy that you can use in front of your TV. Every time commercials air, use that time to get in a robust three- to five-minute workout.

Just as we’ve seen a great many goals achieved among our clients, we’ve also seen a lot of obstacles overcome, and “When could I possibly work out?” is perhaps the most common. So like any other element of our experience, you can count on us for help. Our accomplished team of personal trainers are as invested in your success as you are at Eclipse 1-on-1.