Make time for your fitness and everything can change.
Ask many people why they don’t exercise – or exercise more -, and they will say they lack the time. ‘My daily life is too busy and tiring, I work very long hours, I have too many activities with my partner or the kids.’ However, regular exercise gives you more energy, making daily life more manageable.
Exercise increases mental performance, thereby helping you work more efficiently. And to be a great partner or the backbone of your family, you need to be fit and well. As Michelle Obama said, putting yourself first is in the interest of your friends and family, as well as yourself.
Here’s how to make time for fitness, and therefore put yourself first:
Multitask
Life does not have to be compartmentalised… Women excel at multi-tasking. Combine exercise with other aspects of life, like your friends or kids. Go dancing with your friends or play a ball game with your kids in the park.
Prioritise exercise
Make time for your health… Everyone is busy, but some of the busiest people still find time to exercise – this is because they prioritise it. Look at your daily, weekly or even monthly calendar, and identify spots to fit exercise in. Think of the way you book an appointment for the dentist; this is an appointment with your health.
Commit until it’s a habit… For exercise enthusiasts, workout times are non-negotiable. If a pipe bursts and they miss a gym session whilst waiting for the plumber, they would go for a run at lunchtime.
Work out with a buddy
The more you stick to the exercise routine you set, the more it will become a habit and your life will start to fit around it. Until this transition occurs, it may be helpful to exercise with a friend or employ a trainer. This way, you are committed to someone else before you can fully commit to yourself.
Seize the moment
There’s no time like the present… If you find yourself with a spare 10 minutes, hour, evening or Sunday morning because you finished something else earlier than expected or other plans fell through, seize the moment. Instead of turning on the TV or reaching for your phone, do some spontaneous exercise. It could be a few sets of stairs or a new class at the gym.
Use your phone
Use your pocket personal trainer… Your phone houses a myriad of tools – running apps, heart rate monitor, pedometer, goal setting, workout programs for dumbbells or body weight. It’s all there at your fingertips to offer support, variety, feedback, accountability and performance tracking.
Make time for your health, because a fitter body will have more energy for everything else you want to spend time on in life.
By Rachel Livingstone, Personal Trainer & Owner of The Health Hub