FINDING THE TIME
- By loramarie03
- 2 August, 2012
- 17 Comments
One of the things I constantly hear is “how do you find the time to workout?!” and you can almost see people’s brains working trying to figure out how it’s possible. Well, Runner’s World made a good point earlier this week:
But this recent item on Lifehacker.com (which is based on this recent item in The New York Times) sort of stuck in my craw. The gist of said items being that most of us can’t seem to find 30 consecutive minutes most days to exercise.
We do manage, however, to “squeeze in” an average 2.8 hours per day of TV viewing.
That first bit + the second stat =
So true.
Now, don’t get me wrong, we all have days where there’s nothing you want to do but veg out and watch some terrible reality show that you’ll never admit you watch (Take Me Out anyone?). But, even when you’re quick to say “I don’t have time,” you probably do have a few minutes to spare. Here are five easy ways…
1) Could you cut down on your getting ready time in the morning by doing some prep the night before? Get your lunch ready, lay out your clothes, assemble your work bag, etc. By doing this, you could probably cut out 15 minutes or so. That’s more than enough time to do a quick circuit workout like this or this.
2) Do you get a lunch break? Take 30 minute and go for a walk outside. This 30 minutes of movement will do much more than just work your muscles, it will also work your mind and refresh you for the afternoon.
3) If you work at a desk (like me), it can be hard to sit all. day. long. Try to get up once an hour and do a lap around the office (take the long way to the restroom) and challenge yourself to do leg lifts and other mini-workouts while at your desk. Kara at Kara Runs even does squats and lunges in her office bathroom throughout the day! You might think that one minute here and one minute there don’t do anything, but it makes a difference.
4) Do you spend your night relaxing on the couch? For one of your favorite shows, use the commercial time to do a workout. That’ll give you about 15 minutes. You can break up the commercial breaks and focus on one abs, one on squats, one on crunches, one on stretching, etc.
5) Is there something else you can give up? Is there a TV show you don’t have to watch because you don’t really like it, or can you skip happy hour for one night out of the week to squeeze a work out in? Even getting one or two exercise sessions a week makes a huge difference. When combined with other efforts such as doing mini-workouts throughout the work day, you will make a difference.
When it comes down to it, there will be the days when you simply don’t have the time. Work, family, all of that good stuff often takes priority… and that’s okay. But out of seven days in the week, there has to be some minutes that you can free up to work out. After all, you aren’t only working yourself physically but you are helping improve yourself mentally… making you a better person all around.
What do you do to find the time to workout? What are some tips for people who say “I don’t have time”?
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I try to do squats and lunges at work too! Some days I'm stuck at a desk tooI try to always get up every hour and take a walk. A lot of times in order to avoid feeling blah and skipping a workout all together I just have to wake up early and do it in the morning! That way it's done and over and I have more time to watch trashy TV
Ha that's a good point! I used to be an evening fitness person but I like mornings much better… once I got used to the early mornings!
I find that waking up early is a great way to work in time for working out but it is hard to do so! I've taken to stretching and doing sit ups/push ups/etc while watching TV especially since we've been watching more because of the Olympics!
I sit at a desk all day and it gets very tiring and boring. I make sure to walk around every now and then and stand for a little while while I am doing things like talking on the phone, looking through paper work or reading. Every little bit counts
That's a good idea to workout during the Olympics — I like your thinking! I know what you mean about sitting at a desk, I get annoyed sometimes and just want to get up and go for a quick run!
Great post, Lora!
People ask me this all the time, and I think it does come down to a matter of priorities. If you really want to work out, there's no way you can't find the time a couple times a week.
That is such a good point! There has to be at least an hour a week that you can cut out of your routine to work out.
I totally agree that having as much prep work done for the following day is key when working out in the mornings. I love browsing Pinterest for at-home workouts–a lot of them require little to no equipment and can be done anywhere. I like to do those kinds of workouts while I'm watching TV at night.
Great post. I feel like that if you really want to get the workouts done and you are committed you will find the time to do it. I do almost all of those things you listed in order to get the runs/workouts done.
I sleep in my gym clothes so I can take a 5:30 am bus to NYC to run, I go to spin classes on my lunch break on cross-training days, I do squats in the kitchen while my coffee brews. I walk and take the stairs everywhere.
There is always a healthier choice to make, its just up to you to make it!
Definitely! I love that you sleep in your gym clothes
Thanks for these tips. Some days I feel like I just don’t have time, but I don’t really have any excuses that are good enough.. I should always find the time for exercise! Love the tip for doing squats or crunches or something during commercials
I agree that some days there just isn't time… like those days when you are literally gone from sun up to sun down!
I've cut out a lot of the television that I used to watch, for sure, but I think one of the big ways that I've been able to incorporate more exercise and activity into my life is through my commute! I started bike commuting over 2 years ago, and I absolutely love it! Instead of spending the 20-30 minutes on the bus or metro, I can get a solid workout in during the time that I would usually zone out. I used to feel gross and lazy after getting off of the bus but now that I bike I actually have more energy once I get home, and a lot of times it lets me work through some of my work frustrations before walking in the door at night. I can't say enough good things about bike commuting, not to mention the extra calories burned and the money saved on public transportation. Plus, I don't have to own a car!
That's awesome!! I've always considered that but worried I would be sweaty? Do you do wipes or anything when you get to worK?
Fortunately most of my ride to work is downhill so I don't really get sweaty. If I do, I use the cold room that we have for our lab to cool down before changing into my regular clothes. In the mornings, it usually isn't too bad weather-wise. But on the way home, I am DEFINITELY sweaty!
That is awesome — I am so jealous that you get to do that!!
Love this post! There is ALWAYS a way to find time. If you want to do something, you'll make the time to do it!! And I 100% agree that the little things here and there do add up. Oh and bathroom workouts at work are the best! haha
Yes definitely!! Hahha, I think you need to create a workout routine for people to follow for that — lol!