Days fly by and we feel like we can never get everything we want done. It's easy to prioritize other things before making time for exercise. We make excuses for reasons why we can't make it to the gym. "I need to do groceries.", "I'm too tired, it's been a long day.", "It's raining." and so on. All these excuses are just that... excuses. Sure, they might be obstacles, but obstacles are meant to be surmounted. Think about it this way: There are 24 hours in a day and 168 hours in a week. Experts say that we should be doing some form of physical activity 3 to 5 times per week, for an hour. And doing half hour, higher intensity workouts can be just as effective if that's all the time you have. Say that in your 24 hours in a day, you sleep 8, work 8, and have a total commute time of 2 hours total. This still leaves 6 hours in your day. Squeezing in 30 minutes of exercise is totally realistic. At least, it can be if you move exercise higher up on your list of priorities. The following tips are things you can do or change in order to make time for exercise and stop coming up with reasons for why you can't workout, and instead start saying you're a regular at your gym!
1. Make Exercise A Priority
I want you to ask yourself: what are my priorities? Is it work? Your family? Your friends? Your relationship? Your mental health? I mean, I hope all of these things are on your list of priorities, but I also hope that your health and well-being is on that list as well. Exercise fits into a healthy lifestyle and should be something that we all integrate into our life in some shape or form. Now, I'm not saying that you need to be lifting weights at the gym. Exercise comes in many forms, weight lifting being one of them, but also walking, running, dancing, cycling and yoga. Making exercise a "must-do" in your everyday life helps to create the habit. You wouldn't not shower or not go to work right? Same goes for exercise on the days that you planned it for! Which brings me to point 2.
2. Plan Your Schedule Around Your Workouts
Those who know me know that I am a huge planner. I think I have three planners on the go right now, on top of the calendars on my phone and work computer. I love to be able to look at my week and what's going on. When I plan out my week, I always put down the days I intend to work out. When it comes time to make plans with friends, do chores, laundry, or whatever else I need to do, I work around the days that I have already set aside to go to the gym. It is incredibly rare that I will swap out my gym plans for other plans. The rare exception will be if a friend is in from out of town for one day, or I know they are incredibly busy and that day is the only day that works for them. If that's the case, that gym day needs to fit in somewhere else. Planning your social calendar around your workouts is a sure way to make sure that you have time and that it gets done. The problem isn't that you don't have time to work out, it's that you aren't making the time. I also just make going to the gym a simple task. I go on my way home from work. It's not out of my way, I already have my stuff with me, and I know it will be easy to get home after that. Find a gym that is close to your house or to your work that makes going that much less daunting! Going back to the planner thing... as I said, I always write my workouts down. And I HATE having to cross things out of my planner. Writing things down and not being able to erase it kind of tricks me into having to hold myself accountable. Speaking of...
3. Workout with a friend
Friends are great for holding you accountable to doing things you said you would do. Whether you always go to the gym with a friend or have a set day where you workout with a buddy, having a friend to workout with is the best way to not let yourself bail on your workout. Were you going to make plans with that friend anyways? Well bam! Two bird with one stone. Exercise and socializing at it's finest!
4. At Least Do the Bare-Minimum
Some days I just reaaaaaaally don't feel like lifting weights. I wake up on workout days and all I can think is URGH. It crosses my mind to just skip, but I try my hardest to just get it done. So even though I'm really not feeling it, I at least force myself to do something, even if it isn't as high intensity. Usually instead of running on the treadmill for 20-30 minutes and then doing weight training, I'll just run on the treadmill for an hour, doing intervals. I know this might sound like actual death to some people, so just find something that is enjoyable for you and doesn't make you want to curl up in a ball and cry. Just something to get the blood flowing and muscles working. Afterwards, you might not feel so 'urgh' anymore!
5. Make It Fun
Exercising doesn't have to be this super daunting thing! Some forms of exercise are fun for some and not for others. For example, yoga is really not my thing. I love the idea of it and stretching is actually my favourite part of a workout. But yoga classes often feel too slow for me. I like something that really gets me moving and sweating. Different forms of exercise are more fun than others for different people. Some people will never go to the gym, but playing a sport like soccer is where they get their physical activity in. Whatever is fun for YOU, that's what you need to do. A friend of mine LOVES to dance. Naturally, Zumba classes are a ton of fun for her. For me, the idea of doing a Zumba class actually makes me want to hide a little. You can catch me at the squat rack instead. Try different things and find the things that make you actually want to throw on your workout gear and get moving. Not only will you be having fun, but your body, mind and soul will feel great as well.
To sum things up, exercising can be done in many different ways and it's important to find the time to squeeze in a sweat session. Working out isn't only for those who want to build muscle or lose weight. Exercising is beneficial for SOOOOO many reasons. Physical activity is incredibly important for mental health. It has been proven to improve our mood and decrease feelings of depression, anxiety and stress. It also produces important hormones like serotonin and norepinephrine, which are what help those feelings of depression (Source). It also produces endorphins, which are what give you that positive energy following a workout. If great mental health isn't reason enough, it also increases your energy levels, reduces your risk of chronic disease, helps with skin, bone and muscle health and so many other benefits that I could go on and on about. I know that making time can seem hard, but it is important to incorporate physical activity into your routine. Your body will thank you for it!
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