After a long day of busy day work, all you want to you is chill, watch TV and do nothing. You are mentally drained with all the work done, decision making, meeting and etc. To add on, you could even be a mother or a father to two to five children You need to do your duty to take care of them. It is indeed a challenge. With this condition will force you to make poor lifestyle decision such as eating fast food, late nights drinking, binge eating, watch TV all the time and complain how unfair life is. You need to make a change and take responsibiity. If you put effort to be active, you will reap the rewards mentally, emotionally and definitely physically. If you take care of your body, your body will take care of you.
Let me help you how you can make time to exercise in your busy schedule. Here are the 5 things you need to do;
1. You need to make exercise a priority in your weekly schedule.
The first thing you need to do is to be self-aware that you are in control of your life. You are in the driver seat and not the life schedule. No one is busy in this world. It's all about priorities.What you need to do is to look back at your weekly schedule and identify what are the things you need to eliminate or reduce. Especially, the non-productive event for you and your family. For example, watching TV, clubbing or drinking session, and you yourself know what are the things has value to you and your family. Once you identify that, you need to replace that events with exercise.
You can either go to gym to lift weights, running, go for a jogging and even do a body weight workout at home. Get your family to join you too. Within that one week, I would strongly recommend at least 3 exercise days a priority for just 1 hour each. You have 168 hours in one week. All you need to commit at least 3 hours in your 168 hours of the week. That is at least 1.8% of your time within a week. It is not so hard as you think it is. You need to make exercise a priority in your weekly schedule because it will give you healthy benefits for the long term.
2. Set a realistic actionable goal.
What does it mean actionable goal? You can look at it as a weekly to do list or a checklist. For example, you will exercise for 1 hour in the gym or go for a run three times within a week. That is an actionable goal. What you need to do I look at your weekly schedule, and ask yourself what can you eliminate and substitute it with 1 hour exercise session within your 24 hours per day. If you want to do more than three times a week, you are most welcome. There is no harm, but it makes your body fitter. You need to set a realistic actionable goal to make it happen.
3. Plan and commit your exercise session for the week.
If you fail to plan, you are actually planning to fail. What you need to do is to look back at your weekly schedule and drill down to the hours of what you do. Find the events that does not add value to your lifestyle and you need to be brutally honest with yourself. I am very sure you know which event will not add value to you. Then, you need to be courages to take the first step.
Do you know why? You health is your own responsibility and no one can make the change beside yourself. Once, you have planned your exercise session within the week. You need to commit to it and make it happen. There is no more, "Tomorrow, I start again" because that is just an excuse for your to fail again. Plan and commit 100% to your exercise session for the week.
4. Take the first step and progress forward.
Spending 30 minutes of exercise is already an achievement of the day! It is a great first step! After that, in your next session you need to spend 45 minutes of exercise and followed by progressing to 60 minutes. This little progress is already great! But, you need to commit to the exercise program at least 3 times a week. Progress forward by increasing the time and the difficulty of your exercise. Keep the momentum going for at least 30 days, you will feel the changes in your body. I am sure you will feel great! Start small and progress forward. You will feel stronger, faster and fitter.
5. Find a workout buddy or seek help from a certified coach.
Having a workout buddy is a great way to keep yourself committed to your exercise program. It also makes the exercise more fun and enjoyable. A workout buddy can make you accountable and motivate you to train harder and push yourself. There is possibility they could even fast-track your fitness goal.
Another method is to seek help from a certified fitness coach. You can reach out the local gym to find out if they have coaches who can help you to achieve your fitness goal. That way you do not have to think too much on what to do, but invest in the right professional to help you. They should be trained to write a flexible exercise program for you to achieve your fitness goal.
Here are some hacks to exercise of busy schedule;
Wake up earlier to go for a run or do a home workout.
Sign up for fitness classes in the gym that is close to your home or workplace.
Utilise your weekends and public holidays to exercise and not no-value activated
If you're working on shifts, utilise your off-days to exercise.
Follow a workout buddy or hire a certified coach!