If we were to ask you what is the one thing you can compromise on during a packed day, the answer probably would be ‘exercising.’ When our days are filled with zero breaks from the moment we wake up, working out takes a back seat since for most of us it is not a priority. Physical health is as important as your work or any other activity that you consider crucial. It is an investment that delivers a long and healthy life. Here are 6 ways that can help you stay on track and not let a busy schedule stop you from exercising.
Although, understandably, we may think of skipping out on a good sweating session to complete an urgent assignment or meet a deadline, it should not become an everyday excuse. Imagine that your newly formed employment law firm received a last-minute notice about changes in employment laws and you have limited time to update your clients. You choose to use all your time to make sure you deliver your responsibilities. What happens when you come across a different urgency the next day and the day after that? Work is never-ending. You will always have something that takes precedence over time that you have allocated for yourself including exercising. Finding a balance between work and your physical health is essential and on days you find short of 1 hour to work out, follow these suggestions to incorporate as much physical activity as possible without compromising on the time allotted to other tasks.
1- It’s always better to prepare one day prior
Sometimes not finding the right pair of workout clothes can be a demotivating factor and you may choose to skip working out altogether. This is why you must prepare beforehand. Keep your workout clothes and accessories such as a smart shake ready the night before. It will also save you a lot of time in the morning when you already have so many things to worry about.
2- Walk as much as you can
Most of us have desk jobs and if you skip out a workout then it probably means that you won’t have much physical activity involved in your routine. A great substitute for intense exercise is walking wherever or whenever possible. Do not take an elevator, do not take a cab to your workplace from the station, and just get up every hour and walk for 5 minutes. Your manager won’t mind it.
3- Draw out an intense 10 minute workout plan in case of emergencies
Invest some time and draw out a 10-minute workout plan that you can use on days when you can’t waste another minute. It could be as simple as skipping, jumping jacks, or a nice stretch. You may think what good would a 10-minute workout do? The idea here is to involve at least some form of physical activity on an otherwise busy day when you won’t have any time for yourself.
4- Start scheduling your workouts
How to manage to complete all your work-related tasks and meetings. The simple answer is to schedule them and dedicate specific time meant for only those activities. Since working out is as important as any other activity, start scheduling your workouts as well. Just like you would not ignore a client meeting or a parent-teacher meeting, tell yourself that you can skip over your workout schedule.
5- Do not go for the fancy gym but the one closest to you
It is a common mistake that most of us have made at some point in time. Just because a certain gym is fancier than the rest or it appears more engaging, do not enroll if it will take you more time to get there. Instead, just choose the center that is closest to your place. You can use the commute time for other essential activities.
6- Change your mindset
This is the most difficult yet highly crucial to adopt a lifestyle where work and workouts take equal stands. You need to train your mind to stop considering workouts as an afterthought. Every time your brain tells you to skip exercise you just need to push through the thought and do it. The moment you start working out your brain will automatically follow.
Conclusion:
We cannot run away from our responsibilities. What we fail to realize is that staying physically healthy is also a responsibility and one should not compromise on health just because there are other tasks to be done. If you find yourself with less time, wake up half an hour earlier than usual and you will see the difference.
