Making time for your workouts

Oh I have this problem now. At the start of the year I did really well with motivation for my wedding but afterwards I slacked off big time. partially due to the 100 degree heat wave this summer. Now that winter is approaching and it's cooler and I'm motivated again, I need to get back to working out. I've taken small steps like taking more walks at lunchtime or walking to a different train station farther away to get more steps in. My strategy is to attempt to get to bed early so I can wake up early and do an exercise DVD in the morning before work. My goal is 5 days a week.

 

This has always been a problem for me as I am my father's registered carer and he takes up a lot of my time, the only time I have to workout is when he is asleep and by that time of night I am far too tired to want to start lifting weights.

 

Unfortunately, I gave it up a few weeks ago! I just can't find a time to go to the gym.It is difficult to serve three masters at the same time. I mean I study in medicine school, I work online to have money every night. Where will I out working out in the middle of them? It is just hard and disappointing but I really have to set my priorities.

 

I have been spending so much more time at the computer these days that I have not even been getting out to take walks. The most exercise I get these days is moving around doing chores and watering my plants. I really need to change that while the weather is still nice.

 

You're right, it is very difficult, people who think looking after a disabled person is easy should come and spend a week watching me.

 

I try to go when I can, but I find some way to fill up my time so I don't have a hour to go to the gym. It's not that I can't, but I usually just don't. I have, though, come up with a partial solution: I bring the gym to me. While I could never get the range of workouts that I do in the gym, you can actually do a lot at home. I got a pull up bar a few months ago, and now I just do as many pull ups as I can when I walk underneath it. Granted, I can't do many, but I have improved drastically, and the time spent feels negligible as it is only for a few minutes at a time. Right now, I am thinking of purchasing one of those rapid-switch weight sets which I have heard favorable reviews of, which would also be quite beneficial.

 

I've given up going to the gym. I'm trying to get exercise throughout the day. I'm trying to do some sort of activity 10 minutes at a time. I use a boat camp app, and it's actually working pretty well. My kids even try to do it with me sometimes, and it's a short enough period of time to hold their attention.

 

How do I manage mine?

I don't. Heh.

It's not a good plan and it works against me, but I simply can't always fit in a workout. When I can't, it's usually the first thing to be dropped from my to-do list. I wish I could fit it in more often, but I don't have the dedication or motivation to do that enough currently.

 

I actually find it helps when I workout at the same time everyday. It helps make it feel like a permanent task and a priority I can't miss. I also find it helps when I'm doing a program like p90x cause I have a very specific schedule and I know my exactly what my workout is going to be ahead of time.

 

This problem has actually gotten worse for me recently, since I've just moved away from my yoga studio. I used to live three blocks from it and now I live thirty minutes from it. But, Like Monique, I've found that when I write it into my daily schedule and do it at the same time every day, it will get done, whereas if I skip the early class and promise myself that I'll do it later, it becomes more difficult.

 

During the summer I woke up an hour early and walked. Now that it is dark and cold in the morning it has gotten harder to stick to the schedule. I enjoy walking in the morning before my day starts, I am thinking of getting a stepper that I can use when I can not get out due the weather, it has been below record cold in the mornings, which make it hard to get out if you hate being cold like me.

 

My priority every day is to exercise early in the morning before I start my day. Having this goal increases the probability that I will get my workout in most of the time. I also wear a pedometer to make sure I'm on my feet enough hours in the day. Working in quick walks later in the day makes up for missed morning workouts.

 

I just try to add in some fitness in everything I do. For example, I'll take the stairs instead of the elevator when I get the chance. I never sit/stand still for too long, but even little movements can add up and burn calories. I also do mini-workouts when I watch TV at night, for example, when I'm watching TV.

 

I think time is just an excuse for people who don't have the motivation to exercise. You only need 15 to 30 minutes a few times a week for a good workout. You need to make exercise a priority and structure your day to allow time for exercise.

 

This is only true depending on what exercise you choose to do. If you lift free weights or do resistance training at home or very close to home, or if you walk or run, then scheduling becomes less of an issue. If you're a swimmer, though, then you need to factor in how long it takes to get to the pool and change into and out of your swimwear. If you're taking a dance class then you need to factor in the schedule of the studio.

 

I haven't managed mine for a while. I barely get out and get a walk very now and then. This morning I took a brief walk around the block with the dog; more for him than for me, lol. I have been thinking about how I can get a bit more exercise than I do. Part of the problem is lack of space at home.

 

Even if it was "more for him than for you," you still got your exercise in!