Work responsibilities take up a large part of many people’s time. Managing this requires skillful task organization and prioritizing. But even if you’re a master at this, life happens, and some things get pushed to the side. It can include exercise. Fortunately, there are ways around it! Here are a few ways to make time for work out with a busy schedule.
Plan Your Workouts in Advance
The best way to ensure you stick with a new workout plan is to make it a part of your daily routine. You can do this by scheduling exercises in your calendar for each day of the week. For example, if you love to go for morning bike rides or sunrise walks, prepare these when you work from home and leave the kids at school. It will help your exercise feel like an effortless part of your day, making it more likely to become a habit. Once the time is blocked off, getting yourself ready for your workout the night before is important. Grab your gym bag and weather-appropriate clothing, set out a pair of running shoes or a stability ball, and put music on to motivate yourself. If you’re exercising at the gym, enroll in group exercise class in San Jose. That’ll make it much more difficult to bail on your fitness plans.
Block Off Time
Time blocking is an easy way to schedule your daily tasks and ensure sufficient time for everything. Start by writing down all your regular obligations, from key projects to daily to-dos like responding to emails. It will give you a clear picture of how much work you have to accomplish and where there may be gaps in your schedule. Look at your schedule for the week and identify any potential opportunities to work in exercise. For example, is there a morning spin class at the gym near your house? You can make the workout an event on your calendar with a scheduled reminder and reserve your spot, similar to how you would an important business meeting or doctor’s appointment. It will help you avoid using “I don’t have time” as an excuse and ensure you have a dedicated time slot in your day for fitness.
When creating your schedule, be realistic and prepared for unexpected events. For instance, you might need to rework your lunch break and go to the gym in the afternoon instead of during your commute or skip your weekend gym session to take your kids to a baseball game. These changes are okay if they are consistent and only happen occasionally. Revisit your plan regularly to see if you can make any improvements or tweaks.
Think Outside the Box
Sometimes, fitting exercise into your schedule takes some creativity. For example, instead of sitting in your car for your morning commute, go running or biking and training; even if it’s just for a short burst of activity, every little bit counts when it comes to exercise. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work or walking during your lunch break can also help you get active. You can also make exercise a part of your everyday routine by doing simple exercises at home, such as squats or jumping jacks. If you’re watching TV, try incorporating some exercise by doing lunges or squats during commercial breaks.
If you’re a parent, try getting your kids involved in a sport so they can get the benefits of regular physical activity. You can also hire a babysitter as a family member to watch your children so you can exercise or use a meal service to take care of your children while you’re at the gym. Ultimately, it’s about committing to exercise regularly and doing whatever it takes to achieve your fitness goals. It’s not easy to exercise when you’re busy, but if it’s important to you, you’ll find a way to fit it into your daily life.
Get Creative
When you find yourself struggling to make time for exercise, try getting creative. Figure out what forms of exercise you like and stick to them, even if it’s just for a week or two until something changes. If you hate spin class, try a different type of class to see if you enjoy it more. Similarly, if jogging on the treadmill gets boring, try new ways to use it:
- Change up your speed or incline.
- Add sprint intervals.
- Challenge yourself with a friend to compete for the top spot in the gym’s workout of the month.
You can also repurpose other activities for exercise, such as walking your kids to school or taking a walk during lunch. The point is to make exercise a habit, so you don’t have to think about it anymore. It may require letting go of other obligations, like taking on too many projects or working late. If you need to free up time, consider outsourcing some tasks that someone else can handle for you (like a cleaning service or dinner preparations) or finding ways to save money so you can spend more on getting fit. Creatives have long praised exercise as part of their process, and there’s no reason why you can’t do the same. It’s easy to forget how much the brain can work through problems while you’re not sitting at your desk, and making time for physical movement will help bring more creative ideas to life.
