subject: Fitting Exercise Into A Busy Life [print this page] It can be really tough trying to fit your workouts in around all the other things in your life. For many moms, its race time the moment they wake up (getting the kids ready, work, putting dinner on the table, reviewing homework, etc.), until it is time to go to bed. For some moms, going to sleep is a feat in itself as sleep deprivation is very common. Many women find that they procrastinate, putting off their workout throughout the day until, surprise, it's time for bed and they haven't exercised.
The answer to that is simple - you have to schedule exercise into your life. Planning a specific time to work out, and planning exactly what type of workout you are doing (e.g. running, going to a class, swimming), will dramatically increase the chances of you doing it.
The truth is most people have time in their day to exercise, even for just 30 minutes, but they don't make it a part of their lives. Until you give it the importance it deserves, you will keep putting it off.
There are several tips that can help you exercise more consistently:
- Find a training partner - having someone else to work out with makes it much more likely that you'll show up. The combination of companionship when you do work out, and guilt if you don't, is a powerful one.
- Make it a part of your life - you have to schedule exercise in, not hope to fit it in (it's the same with healthy eating - you have to plan for it).
- It has to be consistent - a minimum of four days per week.
- Look for opportunities to exercise (for example, times when you can walk rather than drive, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, etc).
- Tell people about it - in the same way that people who are giving up smoking are encouraged to tell others in their life, let people know you are now working out 'x' days per week. The more you talk about it to others, and the more they ask you about it, the more real it becomes.
Fitting exercise into a busy life is not as difficult as it may seem. After getting past the point of realizing that you're worth it, then making small changes in your fitness level, you'll soon find that exercise will help you go that extra mile in your home, job and life!
