Finding the time to exercise
We are the busiest people ever, with careers, families, homes to maintain, a life to maintain, countless daily and weekly wanderings to go on, and a social life too, if you can still manage it. On top of all that, are you still supposed to find time to exercise? Yes. Yes it is you. That’s where your time management skills will need to improve a bit.
By the time you get to the middle of your day, you’re already tired, right? How the hell are you going to find the energy to do your daily training? Some days it seems impossible. However, what you have to do is find the best time of day to do it. And it all depends on your daily schedule.
If your day starts at 6 and ends at 9 or 10, it can be difficult. People who work long hours will definitely find that most of their energy is depleted by the end of the day. For you, either squeezing it as part of your morning ritual (even if it means getting up half an hour earlier), or staying in the middle for your lunch hour is the best solution for you. Try not to wait until the end of the day to do your workout, unless you’re one of those rare people who can keep going anyway, even though you’re completely exhausted. Most people can’t do that. If you can, congratulations to you, but most will skip workouts if they put you last on the list. You just don’t have the energy after all the tasks of the day. Put it on at the beginning or middle of your day, and you won’t have to worry about it when you’re ready to hit the sheets. It’s done.
The 9 to 5 may have it a little easier, because for them there DOES exist such a thing as before and after work. Use those pockets of time to your advantage. If you are a morning person, get up an hour earlier and get to work. Then you can go about your day and forget about it. You’re done! If you are able to manage your energy well, after work, the gym may be for you. The key here is deciding what time of day will work best for your energy level. Find out and get to it!
For those who have a more flexible schedule, you still need to be on top of things. Freelancers and freelancers can also fall into bad exercise habits if they don’t maintain a good structure to their workday. As an independent contractor, I work 2-4 hours most days and have a lot of free time every day. You’d think I’d work out all day until the cows come home, but I don’t. I have to schedule specific times to go to the gym or run, or I’m going to stay here on this computer, blogging, reading blogs, surfing the net, creating websites, and playing games on Twitter and Facebook.
When you’re self-employed, or have a less traditional work schedule, it’s easy to fall into the “do whatever I feel like right now” trap. If you’re a writer, musician, artist or crafter, or any guy who creates your own schedule, you already know how easily time can be wasted, simply because you know that time constraints aren’t that tight for you unless you have deadlines and/or or projects you need to do. For you, setting a firm schedule and setting aside specific times for workouts will keep you on track. Make your exercise as regular and a non-negotiable chore as walking the dog. You know you have to walk a dog every day, rain or shine at specific times, right? Think of your workouts in the same way and stick with it.
Stay home moms. Well, ALL moms! Hell! It’s very difficult for you to do that exercise some days, isn’t it? Children require a lot of attention, are unpredictable, get sick, can be demanding, require a lot of upkeep and care, etc., etc., etc. I’m sure it’s hard to keep gym appointments in the midst of it all, but there are things you can do to keep up no matter what’s going on. First, make sure you have several training options available to you. Not just the gym, your trainer, or a run in the park, etc. Have your own equipment and DVDs at home, so you can exercise on the sly even if the baby is sick and you can’t go out. You can always exercise at baby’s nap time (although you may need a nap too!). Children are in school? Excellent! You still need to make sure that you schedule that workout sometime in your day before you guys get home. It’s not easy, but don’t get so caught up in chores and chores that you forget to set aside at least a half hour or so in your day to just do one. And once again, try not to wait until the end of the day, or you may be too tired.
How you manage your exercise time really depends on your schedule and lifestyle. The type of work you do, the hours you maintain, personal commitments, and the structure of your family life are all factors that will help decide when and where exercise should go in your daily schedule. Evaluate it and place it where it belongs. That will go a long way in helping you achieve your fitness goals!