Buy Walking VideosSqueeze Exercise Into Your Day
Sometimes I think that “I don’t have time to exercise” is just an excuse. I find myself using that excuse, but there were times in my life when I was so busy and I was still able to fit in exercise. Here is how I did it:
Schedule It In: When I worked two full time jobs, I treated my exercise time like an appointment. I needed to schedule my other plans around it. It really is an appointment with yourself. Keeping it will make your day go smoother because exercise can give you a peace of mind that is hard to obtain otherwise.
Get It Done Early: I liked to do my exercise first thing in the morning because then my “duty” was complete and I didn’t have to worry about it the rest of the day. I know this doesn’t work for everyone, but it worked for me.
Pack As Much Intensity Into A Short Workout: If you only have 20 minutes for your workout, make sure you’re working at the highest intensity that you can during that time. If you usually walk a certain distance in forty minutes, set a goal to do the same amount in your 20 minute workout. You might not be able to achieve it, but you will pack as much benefit into those 20 minutes as you can.
Be Flexible: A workout doesn’t have to be forty minutes at the gym. It can be a 15-minute walk for your morning break, a 20-minute walk at lunchtime and a five minute stretching session right before bed. Be on the lookout for ways to exercise when you have a couple of minutes to spare.
“I’m too busy” is a common excuse that we give when we don’t really want to workout, but it’s just an excuse. If you are using that excuse right now, take a half hour and a piece of paper and write out all your feelings about exercise. You may find that you have other negative feelings about exercise that are interfering with your motivation. Until you move past those, you’ll never feel like you have enough time, no matter how many tips you follow.
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May 28th, 2006 at 5:44 am
It definitely can be done. When I commuted from Princeton to NYC, the only time I had to work out was my lunch hour. And once you factor in walking to the gym, checking in, getting changed, and warming up, it was really more like only half an hour. But I worked out intensely and really planned my workouts. One of my colleagues complimented me on my hard work, and added it was remarkable how much I accomplished in the short time per day that I had.
Now I work out in the mornings before work. I specifically chose a gym only 3 miles from our house! So if I get up around 5:15, I can get to the gym by 5:45, have a great workout, get home, shower & change for work (no bag to pack!), and hang out with my husband all before we go to work. It’s great!
May 28th, 2006 at 11:14 am
I been lack luster in the past few days with exercise. Last week was pretty amazing though. I have to get back to that point. I like to pepper workouts through out the day.
May 29th, 2006 at 7:20 am
I’ve been exercising on a regular basis for about 2 months now. I first started walking and could barely do 15 minutes without my back hurting. Now, I go about 40 at a time. I also bought a bike and just yesterday hit the 5 mile mark. (my goal is to eventually ride 10 a day).
I find that I really miss my exercising now if I don’t get too. When I first started walking, I was unemployed and walked after my youngest was in bed. I’d walk between 10:00-11:30 at night. (I live in an extra quiet, safe neighborhood). Now that I am back at my old job, I can’t stay up so late, so I’m learning to adjust. The added bonus of walking that late is that it kept me away from TV and the urge to snack at that time.
I had a few days where I both biked AND walked, but started to feel somewhat sick or burned out…I think I was trying to do too much at once. And, I’m also taking one day off during the week.
As you can imagine, my lower half is really starting to shape up! I am in dire need of an upper arm work-out…I have waddle on my arm BIG TIME.
Anyway…I never thought I would reach a point where I really look forward to my exercise, so to be here is an exciting time for me!
–Ali