None of us share the same 24 hours in a day. Despite what every 20-something overnight personal trainer with an Instagram or tik tok account try to tell you. We don’t. We work. We have families. We have studies. We have other life challenges that others simply won’t relate to.
We do not share the same 24 hours.
And this can make finding time for health promoting activities incredibly challenging. It also makes blanketing advice for you all very challenging.
Every single one of my clients struggles to fit in the work. To the point that I expect to see missed workouts, or workouts ticked off on days that I did not program them for. A lot of my clients back fill their workouts so Monday and Wednesday’s often end up completed on Friday and Saturday.
And that’s fine.
Because doing something in the week is often better than doing nothing. And what I program from my desk at home often won’t align with how their weeks play out. Because I’m programming in a vacuum.
So what advice do I have if I can’t give you something specific?
MAKE FITNESS A PRIORITY
That's the first step. It has to be. This is not meant to discredit how busy you are, it's acknowledging that you are and setting realistic goals around this. It's looking at your schedule and planning ahead. Because waiting for you to be less busy is unrealistic. Because when, realistically, will we feel less busy?
Schedule your workouts just like you would any other appointment or meeting and stick to them as much as possible.
Tying into yesterdays post about setting that identity-basied goal: what would someone who is achieving your goal already be doing? Would they be breaking their goals down into micro actions that fit in between their business meets? If they had a business trip in another country would they look ahead at what facilities are available? Would they pack their gym clothes as well as their business suit?
One of the best pieces of advice I ever got in the last few years whilst working in tech was: Always pack a spare charger and your running shoes if you have an out of country meeting.
I’m not a big runner, so running shoes became gym kit. But setting that intention ahead of time meant I reduced the barriers to getting a quick workout in.
How can you set the intention in advance? Can you break down a step goal into micro walks? Think about how your goals can fit around your busy schedule when broken down.
Remember: As per yesterdays post, we only need to improve our habits by 1% each day.
INCORPORATE ACTIVITY INTO YOUR SCHEDULE
If a full workout isn’t possible, can you find other ways to be active? Do you always need to be at your desk when you take a call? Can you go hands free and move whilst on the phone or listening to a teams call?
90% of the virtual meetings I’ve attended did not need me to participate. Perfect opportunities to move.
Consider how often you drive and how close you park as well. Can you park further away to get a few extra steps in? Do you even need to drive? Can you break your weekly shop down into smaller shops and make walking to the store an activity in and of itself?
OPTIMISE YOUR WORKOUT TIME
If you're short on time, you can still get a great workout in by focusing on high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or circuit training. These types of workouts are quick and effective, and can be done anywhere with minimal equipment. There are 1000 different channels online that host workout videos that you can work along to.
If you’re short on time in the day or don’t want to fuss with changing and showering in the middle of the day, can you wake up 20 minutes earlier than usual a couple days of the week? Even just 10 minutes of extra activity in the day can lead to fantastic overall benefits in the long term.
By working out first thing you’ve not only set your body up for a few extra health benefits, but your mind too. Studies show additional focus throughout the day following a bout of early morning activity.
FIND A WORKOUT BUDDY OR A GROUP
Having a workout buddy can help keep you accountable and motivated. Schedule regular workout sessions with a friend or family member, or join a fitness class or group to meet like-minded individuals. By making it fun and treating it like an event you’re more likely to commit long term to a fitness plan when working out with a friend.
There are many different versions of group training that don’t even feel like exercise, such as Zumba or yoga or boxercise or sh’bam.
If you can find a friend to workout with or attend a group activity to make new friends you’re more likely to attend and commit as it’s being treated like any other meeting in your diary.
Fitting exercise into a busy schedule starts with planning ahead and treating it like any other meeting or appointment. I can’t tell you how to fit it into your schedule today, but I can assure you that by breaking down your goal into micro actions and adapting certain habits you may have already you will find the time to fit it in.
Try it today. Look ahead at your diary, find 10 minutes and dedicate that to an activity. It could be HIIT, going for a short walk, a short jog, or busting out a couple bodyweight squats.
I guarantee you that claiming a small win will push you to find more.
I’m rooting for you.
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