How do I add fitness to my full schedule, what can I do?

Question:  My life is so busy between everything I have going on, I have no time to fit in a workout. Do you have any suggestions?

Answer:  This is a great question. Finding time to exercise is difficult with the demands of a busy life. When you barely have time in your schedule for work, social and family duties, let alone exercise… life becomes overwhelming.

Most people feel if they can’t get in a full workout, it’s not worth the bother to go at all. This is where the statement “something is better than nothing” rings true. The shortest of workouts done with intensity and focus can burn calories and build muscle which is all you need. With a few small adjustments to your daily routine, fitting in fitness is easier than you think.

10 minutes on the treadmill or lifting weights, one set for each body part is a noble and worthwhile attempt…and you will see results. Fitness not only trims you down and tones you up, but it gives you more energy (to tackle all the other stuff), helps you sleep better, increases your mood and decreases stress.

To find the time for fitness, you first need to evaluate how you spend your time today. Life is busy, and there never seems to be enough hours in the day to accomplish everything on your list. However, if you take a good hard look at your activities throughout the day, I think you’ll be surprised to learn how much of them are unproductive.

Make Fitness Work With Family by:

• Planning active family vacations and Schedule picnics in the park and throw the Frisbee, football, or fly a kite.

• Taking the dog for a walk or run.

• Turning off the TV and dance with your family.

• Bonding with an after-dinner walk.

• Getting everybody up early and take a bike ride together.

Make Fitness Work at the Office by:

• Scheduling your workout like you would a meeting.

• Taking the stairs vs. the elevator.

• Put calls on speaker phone, and walk around the office while listening to the call.

• Taking a walk during breaks or your lunch hour to decrease stress.

• Walk to visit co-workers in the office rather then send an email.

• Start a lunchtime walking group with co-workers and start a fitness challenge.

• Join a gym close to the office or utilize the corporate gym.

• Learn to delegate and make exercise a priority

Small Changes Make a Big Difference

The key to becoming more active is to identify small changes that make a big difference. Take advantage of these fitness opportunities that are easy to incorporate into your daily routine:

• Walk, run or bike to your destination.

• Get off the bus or subway a few stops early and walk the rest of the way.

• Wear a pedometer to make sure you are getting in your daily 10,000 steps.

• When watching TV, do sit ups, use a treadmill, do lunges. Get up and move!

• Make a healthy lunch before you go to bed so you have no excuse in the morning.

I’m not saying we don’t all need a little downtime – we do – but we also need to be honest with ourselves and recognize excuses, procrastination and laziness. It’s necessary to account for these blocks of wasted time. Surfing the internet, talking on the phone, watching mindless TV – these are activities that take time away from opportunities to get and stay healthy. Most of us have more time than we think – it’s just a matter of setting realistic goals, recognizing priorities and managing your time to be most productive.

You’ll be amazed how much a little extra movement in your day will help!

To have your fitness questions answered email us at info@primewomen.com with the subject line Fitness questions- Amie Hoff. Looking forward to hearing from you!