Everyone knows the importance of physical activity for both physical and mental health — but what happens when our usual daily routine is too hectic to make exercising a priority?
In this article, we will discover 11 tips on how to find time for exercise despite our busy lifestyles. These tips include scheduling workouts in a planner, taking advantage of small chunks of free time throughout the day, and exploring activities that don’t feel like traditional workouts.
Read on to learn how you can make physical activity part of your daily life without feeling overwhelmed by trying to fit it into an already packed schedule!
1. Schedule Your Workout in Your Daily Planner
Scheduling your workout in a daily planner can make all the difference when it comes to finding time for exercise. This will ensure that you don’t forget about your workout and that it is made a priority each day, just like any other appointment or task you have. This way, you are more likely to stick to the plan and make use of the valuable time you have set aside for exercise!
2. Wake up 30 Minutes Earlier
Waking up earlier and using this extra time for exercise can be a great way to jumpstart your day and get into a positive mindset. Taking even just 30 minutes to complete some sort of physical activity (such as jogging, yoga, or even just some simple bodyweight exercises like squats and push-ups) can help improve your productivity, energy levels, and overall mood throughout the rest of the day.
3. Cut out Things that Don’t Provide Much Value
Cutting out activities that don’t provide much value in your day is a great way to free up some time for exercise — like watching TV or aimlessly scrolling on social media. Instead of spending hours on these activities, dedicate this quality time towards getting active — you’ll notice the difference!
4. Make Exercise Part of the Routine
Making exercise part of your routine after work can be another great way to find time for physical activity each day, without feeling overwhelmed by trying to fit exercise into an already busy schedule. Going for a walk or jog, around the neighborhood, are both simple but effective workouts that won’t take up too much of your precious free time!
5. Join an Exercise Class With Friends
Joining an exercise class with friends is also a great way to help keep each other motivated and accountable — plus, it's always more fun when you can exercise together with people you know! Having someone else there with you will also keep you more motivated since they hold you responsible for showing up and getting active.
6. Take Advantage of the Weekends
Taking advantage of any extra free time during weekends is another good way to start making physical activity part of your schedule! Setting aside 1-2 days per week where you plan workouts with friends will allow you both (or whoever else is joining) to have fun while staying active at the same time — and who doesn’t love having something fun planned during their Weekend?
7. Utilize the Small Chunks of Free Time
Utilizing smaller chunks of free time that come throughout your day, is also important when trying to find those few extra minutes here and there for physical activity during an already busy week! Going on short walks during lunch hour at work or taking laps around the building, are both great ways to squeeze some extra exercise into a usually sedentary period in most people's days! When we become creative with our free time we can surprise ourselves with just how much exercise can we squeeze into our lives!
8. Break up Longer Workouts Throughout the Day
Breaking up longer workouts throughout the day may be more suitable, if there isn’t one large chunk of free time available but several smaller chunks instead — this strategy makes it simpler and less overwhelming since large workouts, all at once, aren’t necessarily realistic within these shorter timeslots available in most people's busy schedules.
9. Choose Activities that You Actually Enjoy
Choosing exercises or activities that you actually enjoy will help ensure that exercising doesn't become just another chore in your long list of responsibilities but something enjoyable instead — try different classes, like aerobic dance classes online or in-person, if going for runs isn't something you particularly enjoy — this way, exercising won't feel like yet one more task on the long list!
10. Explore Activities that Don’t Feel Like Traditional Workouts
Alternative activities, besides traditional workouts such as running, are worth exploring — look into different types of sports leagues near where you live so that working out no longer becomes an intimidating task, but rather something enjoyable!
11. Take Advantage of any Extra Time
Take advantage of any extra free time by using it wisely – whether you are going on short walks during lunch times, or taking laps around your building. Simply dedicating some minutes here and there might not seem like much initially but in the long run, they all add up.
Conclusion
With just a few simple tips, finding time for exercise doesn't have to be a daunting task! From scheduling workouts in a planner to taking advantage of small chunks of free time throughout the day, these 11 tips will help make exercise part of your daily routine and allow you to reap the benefits of physical activity, even when your regular schedule is too hectic.
With these strategies in mind, it doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated to find time for exercise — you just need to get creative and think about how you can make physical activity part of your everyday life without feeling overwhelmed!
Further Reading:
Get Fit and Have Fun: The Benefits of Bicycle Riding
Get up and Moving: Tips for Finding Time for Exercise
How to Eat Healthy and Exercise Even When You Are Busy at Work
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