Introducing exercise into a busy life that is filled with tasks, family, emotions, and more can be harder than any session with yours truly – Coach Tee! All kidding aside, finding a balance of familial care, responsibility, and self-care is a struggle that many people face on a daily basis. In general, the problem is not the time itself, it’s usually due to not knowing where to begin.
The idea of creating a workout schedule and a plan can be overwhelming but the process is actually fairly straight-forward and simple: MAKE A PLAN! Join me as a I share my personal path to adding exercise into my busy life!
For me, working out or training was never a chore, I understood the value of hitting the gym and exercising but I never found the time to do anything more than play basketball every now and then or walk the track for 20 minutes here and there. My biggest hindrance was consistency…I would do well for a while, but then fall off a cliff and decide that I was too busy to commit to fit.
To get myself on track, I had to do a bit of research and come to the understanding that consistency was the place I needed to start. I discovered that I could consistently work out 30 minutes at least 2 days per week after my day shift ended at 5pm during the week. I would also dedicate 45-60 minutes every Saturday and Sunday morning. The goal was to successfully check off every scheduled workout day for 1 month, then 3 months, and eventually 6 months. Through personal commitment, I was able to reach my one month goal and before I knew it, I was 1 year into my journey.
My tip for all who read this article is to determine how much time you can commit to working out on multiple days in an average week. If your schedule allows 15 minutes per day on 4 separate days, start there! The next phase of your commitment is to add your workout times to a physical calendar or calendar app in your phone with an alert that chimes 30 minutes prior to the start of your workout. I also recommend that you plan your workouts based on how many days per week you will train.
For example:
2 – days per week: Upper + Cardio & Lower + Core
3 – days per week: Upper, Lower, & Cardio/Core
4 – days per week: Upper, Lower, Cardio/Core & Heavy Cardio
As a starting point, this guide will set you up for a successful path to incorporate exercise into your life in a natural way which will promote consistency.
Everyone should make time every day, at least for 30 minutes, to do some type of physical activity. It helps physically and mentally. Thanks for the tips.
Yes! 30 minutes is an ideal daily investment in activity and for those who cannot commit 30 minutes, a 10 minute walk is a great start! Thank you for reading.
Great tips! It can be hard to find the time for exercise, and yet also too easy to put off. I always like a good to-do list to hold myself accountable and will be adding an exercise schedule to my calendar.
Hi Manda! To-do list are absolutely a great tool for accountability because when you complete them, you get that feeling of accomplishment and you’ve taken care of priorities. Feel free to try some of the circuits we’ve shared here on the blog.