7 Easy Ways to Make Time for Exercise
When there's a will, there's a way.
Do you struggle to find the time to exercise? Join the (“no sweating”) club! While it’s easy to get motivated by the thought of working out — especially when you think of getting that tight tummy and perky butt –but it’s easy for exercise to fall to the wayside when you’re logging long days at work and/or with the kiddies.
In a perfect world, an hour would easily open up in our schedules and we could easily fit in our sweat sessions. Unfortunately, life doesn’t work that way. But finding the time to exercise doesn’t have to be difficult, especially when you see it as an integral part of your life instead of an option. Because when it comes to fitting fitness in your schedule, it’s all about “making” the time. Here’s how to do just that.
1. Make an Appointment
Let’s be real: you’re going to keep that dreaded dentist appointment because you value the health of your teeth. It should be the same for your physical body. Scheduling your gym time is crucial to keeping it consistent, and making you accountable. Put it into your phone or day planner as an appointment that you have to keep. An even better strategy? Recruit a fitness buddy who has to meet you there!
2. Have a Goal
Setting a fitness goal is a great motivator for giving yourself permission to exercise. If you think about any task you want to achieve, whether simple or complex, there is usually a goal at the end of it. For example, if you want to bake a cake, you’ll come up with a grocery list and then go to the store to buy those items, so you can bake the cake successfully. Same thing with fitness. Maybe you want to complete a 10K race, or maybe you want to be able to bench press 75 percent of your body life. In order for you to achieve those goals, you need to get your butt to the gym.
3. Do It As Soon As You Wake Up
Getting your workout in as soon as you wake up might sound annoying, but at least it means you get to cross it off your to-do list as soon as possible. Another perk? An a.m. workout revs up your metabolism and it improves your mental and physical energy throughout the day.
4. Turn Your Commute Into Your Workout
On days that you can’t go to the gym, if your commute to work supports it, then turn to your commute into your form of exercise. Maybe that means cycling, jogging, or walking to work. Put your essentials into a backpack or fanny pack and don’t forget to leave early so you can take a quick shower beforehand!
5. Work Out During Your Lunch Hour
Why waste your lunch hour scrolling through social media when you can be sweating? Make use of your 60 minutes by squeezing in a yoga or zumba class, or going for a jog or walk around the block. It’ll also give you a great mental break and energy boost so you can enjoy the rest of your day.
6. Make It Fun
When you make your workout as something fun to do, then you’ll not only look forward to it but you’ll also find it easier to make the time to do it. If you don’t like running, then you won’t do it no matter how “healthy” you think it is. However, if you love a physical activity, like dancing or rock climbing, you’ll find a way to do it, no matter what.
7. Do it While You Watch TV
There’s no need to choose between your Netflix binge and working out! Put your fave show on and get sweating in the living room. Classic bodyweight moves, like push-ups, jumping jacks, lunges, and squats, are easy to do anywhere and will get you sweating in no time.
Related on Organic Authority
How to Create More Time in Your Life for the Things That Matter
Does the Best Time of Day to Exercise Exist?
6 Tricks to Get the Most Out of Your Fitness Tracker
