Juggling workouts and a busy schedule are one of the biggest challenges for modern-day people. Finding yourself occupied with work, errands, and parent duties can be overwhelming, leaving you little to no time to dedicate to your fitness. If you’ve lost all hope that you’ll be able to go back on track with your workout regimen – cheer up. We have a few tips up our sleeve to help you keep your body in shape even with a super hectic schedule.
Develop a habit
Thanks to habits, we remember all the basic activities we do in a day. Brushing our teeth, combing hair, bathing. You’re taught as a child to do those rituals in the morning and evening, having developed a life-long habit. The same should happen with your workout regimen. Only after you’ve gotten accustomed to getting up early for the 30-minute run or a swim will you feel like you cannot spend your day without fitness activities. Choose the time of day that best works for you and start developing a habit to last for the rest of your life.
Set hourly reminders to move
Busy people usually have a planner or two to keep them on track with their responsibilities for the day. Thanks to technology, you don’t have to look in your planner anymore to see that workout time is approaching. Setting a reminder on your phone that will tell you to stop whatever you’re doing to move and break a sweat is the best way to include short interval exercises into your busy day. Do stretches at work, get up and make coffee, and go up and down the stairs to incorporate some cardio into the routine too.
Do short interval exercises
Speaking of short interval exercises, swapping your usual 45-minute session for a 15-minute HIIT workout can deliver excellent results. Not a fan of high-intensity training? No problem. You can still do short interval exercises in between your daily tasks. Grab those weights and work on building strength in your arms. Don’t forget to include the best protein powder for building muscle into your routine, either to help you make the most of your workouts. It’ll help you keep up with your kid’s growth and allow you to enjoy carrying them around for much longer once those arms are strong and toned. 15 minutes of push-ups, pull-ups, and lifting a few times a day will offer expected results without making you sacrifice a big portion of your time at once.
Include the kids
Spending time with kids is invaluable for every parent. That’s especially true for full-time job parents who work all day and don’t get to be with their little ones as much as they’d like. Make the most of your workouts by having kids with you while you pump that iron. Lift them instead of weights to tone those arm muscles, chase them to make up for cardio, and have them stretch with you afterward as you all enjoy the outdoors in your backyard. Do you have a pet? Take it for a walk so you can do the workouts in the park as the kids and the dog play next to you.
Pick an activity you love
How do you feel about exercise? Do you hate every activity, or do you have a few that you like? When you decide to start working on your fitness, it’ll be crucial to engage in an activity you enjoy. Only then will you achieve the best results with maximum enjoyment. If you love swimming, take morning laps before work to increase productivity aside from toning those abs. A jog after work will allow you to blow off steam and release that pent-up tension your boss helped build. Cycling, skating or running around with kids – whatever gives you joy, do it.
Positive reinforcement
Sometimes, all we need is to know that there’s a reward waiting for us after we accomplish a goal. So, do the same with your workouts. Set a milestone and allow yourself a long-wanted dress, a pair of shoes, a spa day, a weekend away, or a new furniture piece once you’ve reached it. If you don’t accomplish it, deprive yourself of something you enjoy regularly, as a punishment. Discipline is crucial when you want to develop good habits, so do your best to stay disciplined. If you’re too mild, assign another person to be your “coach” and provide you with rewards and punishments when needed.
Join a workout group
Are you one of those people who always need another person to push them towards a goal? Joining a workout group will motivate you to exercise more once you see everyone else breaking a sweat like there’s no tomorrow. Aerobics classes, Zumba, Pilates, or a group you see running in the park will offer the needed motivation, allowing you to stay on track and work out with more dedication and determination.
Final thoughts
Incorporating workouts into your daily schedule won’t be easy, but we know a few tricks to help you. So long as you follow them, you’ll have no trouble exercising every day to keep your body in shape and health in check.
