Making time for exercise.
I thought ‘how do I make time for exercise?’ might be a good topic to explore further, given that there are likely a number of people who are on the New Year, New Me / New Years resolution bandwagon that might want some suggestions. Plus, I think exercise is important regardless of the time of year… so hopefully these ideas will help. Let me know in the comments if you have any other ones.
Core Values. If exercising regularly and having a focus on your health is a value, then start seeing yourself as just that - a person who exercises regularly. To uphold this value, you will then naturally start to prioritise exercise over other activities. What’s more important, catching up on the latest crime drama that you’re binge watching on Netflix or getting out in nature for a walk? In 2020, people in the UK spent a third of their waking hours watching TV (source), and on average we spend 5 hours each day on our mobile phones in the UK (source). Figuring out what really matters most to you is a great place to start.
Make it fun. Meet up with a friend and go for a walk in your lunch break, or over the weekend. Instead of meeting for a coffee in a local café, grab a coffee to go and walk whilst you catch up. I also like to schedule dog walks with friends. Being able to have a laugh with a friend, whilst exercising at the same time is a win, win. I also know that I love boxing, and so I don’t see boxing as a chore - it’s genuinely a highlight of my week getting to do pad work with my trainer. What exercise lights you up, and can you do more of it?
Book a fitness class. I find that if I’ve an appointment scheduled, like a booking for an exercise class that I’ve paid for or I’m meeting a friend for a walk, I stick to the plan… whereas if it’s just a plan with myself (scheduling 30 min to run over lunch time)… something invariably comes up and I postpone the exercise.
Look at your week as a whole, not just the day. It might be tricky for you to exercise every morning, but to quote Laura Vanderkam “three times a week is a habit” and you don’t need to be exercising daily for it to count. I used to walk around the football pitch whilst my daughter was at her practice, or perhaps you can do an at-home workout whilst the rest of your family are occupied (or for me, with kids that are older at ages 11 and 13, I typically get some me-time whilst they are still sleeping on a weekend morning!). I really like Zanna van Dijk workouts on YouTube and I’ve been trying out Yoga with Adriene too.
“Yes, daily rituals are nice, but they’re not the only strategy for building a productive life.”
Multi-task. I know that multi-tasking isn’t really a thing, but you can layer tasks that aren’t using the same part of your brain e.g. can you walk whilst listening to a work call? Or read your book whilst on a static bike? One of the other tactics I used when I was in an office, was that I ran my commute - and it was actually faster for me to run the 4 miles than it was for me to drive and find a parking spot.
Consider your willpower. Most people don’t struggle with willpower in the mornings. Diets typically don’t get broken at breakfast… it’s more likely to happen in the evening when you’re tired, and you grab what you can from the kids snack drawer (just me?). So perhaps exercising in the morning might be the way to go if this sounds like you. I also find that exercising first thing gives me a boost for the rest of the day.
Make it easy. If I get up in the morning and put on my running gear, I’m more likely to exercise than if I were to get dressed in regular clothes and have to change later (I’m lucky that I can WFH wearing whatever I wish!). Or when I was in an office, if I came home and sat down, I’d be less likely to exercise compared to going to the gym on the way home or changing and getting straight back out there.
Involve the family. Lastly, can you come up with an activity that involves the whole family? I’ve got it on my wish list for me to own a bike, so that I can go on outings with the kids on theirs. I’m also hoping to find a local dance class that I could go to with my daughter. This way, you’re having quality family time, whilst still moving your body.
I hope these suggestions were helpful, let me know your thoughts in the comments.
If you’d like some help figuring out what matters most, and how to best schedule your week… my free Time Audit workbook might be worthwhile checking out. You can find out more here.
