Sometimes our responsibilities pile up on one another, making our schedule barely manageable. If your busy schedule has you skipping the gym or you’ve dropped your workout routine altogether, you may start to feel the negative effects of allowing your fitness to fall off your radar. This can not only be discouraging but it can be a detriment to your physical and mental health. But how do you get back to working out when you feel like you have no time to spare? Here are a few ideas for workout in a busy schedule that can help you figure out how to fit exercise in your schedule, no matter how demanding life gets.
Wake up Early & Exercise Before Work
If you happen to be a morning person, this may be the easiest solution for you. Set your alarm for 45 minutes to an hour earlier so you have time to get in a home workout before you go into the office. To get yourself in the right mindset to exercise, put on your workout clothes and do a quick warm up before you get started. If you find it difficult to do a hardcore workout first thing in the morning, start with lighter exercise routines like yoga that will help you ease into the idea of working out at the beginning of your day.
Not only can you find relief in the fact that you already have one thing checked off your schedule, but you can also reap the benefits of exercise that will impact the rest of your day like higher energy and an improved mood.
Exercise on Your Lunch Break
If you have little to no time before or after your work day, working out during lunch may be the best solution for you—especially if you have an hour lunch. If you have a gym in your office building or nearby, then you can take advantage of that, but working out on your lunch break doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, you don’t even have to leave the parking lot. Walking or running around the business complex is an easy way to get your steps in and get your sweat on, without having to journey too far and waste any of your lunch time.
However, you could also take advantage of your surroundings. If there is a nice park, beach, or nature trail within a few minutes of your work, drive over and enjoy some fresh scenery. Just make sure you pack the right shoes—your work flats simply aren’t going to cut it. Invest in some high-quality walking sneakers or the best shoes for hiking to make sure you protect your feet and don’t have to limp back to work.
Even if you exercise for about 25 to 30 minutes, you’ll still have time to grab a quick bite.
Go to the Gym on the Way Home
Many of us are in such a rush to get home after work that we sit in a lot of extra traffic just to be able to leave the office as soon as it’s time to clock out. However, if you went to your gym on the way home after work, you could use that time to focus on your fitness and shorten your commute once traffic has died down. Plus, that way you don’t have to head back out right when you get home. Just make sure you pack your gym bag and bring it with you in the car in the morning.
If you don’t belong to a gym already, look to see which ones are along your route home. That way, it’s convenient to get there and there’s less of a chance of you skipping your workout session. Working out at the end of the day has several benefits, including helping you sleep better at night, so if you struggle with falling asleep, this could be a natural remedy to try.
As you can see, there are plenty of ways to sneak exercise into your daily routine, no matter how busy you are. Starting to integrate workouts back into your schedule might be challenging at first, but try to choose workout in a busy schedule through which you enjoy so you can look forward to your gym sessions, runs, or daily morning yoga. Once you begin to work out despite your busy schedule, you’ll see that it’s worthwhile and you might even feel less stressed even though you’ve added something else to your itinerary.
