How many years in a row has your New Year’s Resolution been to get in shape or start working out more? 2? 5? We know the feeling. Well, we’re a month into 2022 and it’s time to start logging how much we’ve gotten done. There’s so much pressure surrounding working out; how to use machines, what to do and what not to do for certain results, and don’t even get me started on the first time you walk into a gym. Are all the unanswered questions about exercise prohibiting you from getting active? We’ve got you covered with 5 ways you can fit a workout into your busy schedule!
The first step of building any good workout routine is being willing to put in the effort. Obviously, a lot of physical effort comes with working out, but you’re going to have to put in the effort of fitting it into your busy schedule first. Scheduling isn’t something that’s new to us, but it isn’t something we go out of our way to do. We obviously plan things like our jobs out but other than that do you know exactly what you need to be doing in a few hours? This tip is the first step to curating a workout routine that works for you.
Using a calendar – the one on your phone or a physical planner – start to plan out what your weeks look like. Include the things you know you must do – classes, a job, homework, plans with your friends this weekend – plan out when you’re going to get things done. Then, see what time you have left over! You may find that on Mondays you have 3 hours of free time during the day but on Wednesdays you only have 15 minutes. Results like these are why scheduling is vital to forming a good workout routine.
By creating a written schedule for your day and planning when you will get things like homework or chores done, there is no excuse for not knowing when a good time is going to be to go to the gym. If you find that every Monday you have 3 hours of free time, fill in that gap in your calendar with plans to go to the gym – and stick with it.
With any busy schedule comes the gift of multi-tasking. We’re not saying to start doing squats during your English lecture but think about the other things that are taking up your time. Is there a movie you have to watch for a class this week that’s taking up 2 hours of one of your days? That’s a perfect opportunity to fit in a few reps at home! Need to do the dishes but they’ve piled up and it’s going to take an hour or more? You can get a workout by turning on some music and just getting active in your kitchen! There are many videos and livestreams of dance workouts that you can put on while doing your chores around the house. You don’t have to go all out with choreography, but you can definitely get your blood pumping and feel good about getting a quick workout while you’re busy.
It will feel awkward at first but trust me when I say multi-tasking is one of the easiest ways to make time for things like a good workout routine.
Think about all the places you need to go tomorrow. With so many things to do, how will you possibly fit in cardio? Ditch the cars and go old school! Running, jogging, and walking are some of the best ways to get active. Work close to your apartment? Try walking to work instead of driving to get some extra steps in! Live on a college campus? Try jogging to class this week instead of taking a nice stroll. This is convenient because things like classes and work will already be scheduled into your day, so you’re not going to be changing too much of the time already taken up, and you’ll be fitting in a workout during your busy time!
We all want to be able to sleep more than half the day away, but what does that say about our workout routine? I for one know that when I started looking at my schedule, I was losing hours of productivity in my day because I was sleeping up to 10 hours a night. Whether for you cutting back on sleep means staying awake later or waking up earlier, this is a great way to make more time in your day for working out! Do you want to plan on going to bed later this week? Try fitting some more of our homework and studying hours into the nighttime. This way, you wake up with a clean slate the next day. Maybe waking up earlier works better for you – the morning is a great time to fit in a quick workout! Try waking up an hour earlier tomorrow and starting your day by getting your blood pumping and waking up your mind!
Start thinking up even crazier ways to fit in a workout! For example, if you have 30 minutes planned out for the shower you need to take tonight, see how far you can push that time and do a few reps before your shower! Feeling even crazier? Most gyms nowadays are open 24/7, so the next time you have a restless night, drive to the gym and getting moving until you think you can fall asleep. People everywhere are making time in the middle of the night to work out and although it’s not ideal and you shouldn’t make it an everyday thing, it is definitely a way to get active at least one night of the week.
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