How Do You Find the Time to Work Out?
Sven Gustafson
| 3 min read
Anyone who likes to exercise regularly will confront this question sooner or later, as they are dragged kicking and screaming into the worlds of responsibility, 9-to-5 jobs and parenthood: How in the world do you find the time to squeeze in regular workouts?
I don’t know about you, but I’m finding it harder and harder to answer that question as I get older.
I’ve got two young children, and since my time with them is limited to a couple of hours after I get home, that rules out running after work. After they go to bed I’m either working on freelance stuff or succumbing to exhaustion. My wife also likes to run, which complicates scheduling, and as for early mornings? Well let’s just say I’m no morning bird and only manage to pry myself from bed in the predawn hours once in a while.
Your Ideas
We recently asked readers who follow our Twitter and Facebook accounts how they squeezed workouts into their busy lives. Here’s what they had to say:
- “I do things I like that don’t feel like exercise, such as walking the dog, riding my horse or doing yoga,” said Elisabeth Garbeil, via Facebook.
- “I schedule it like I would schedule a meeting or a dinner,” said Jennifer Trayan. “If I don’t, I won’t do it. I also make sure not to sit down on my couch right after work if I’m planning to go to the gym after work. If I sit down, I never get up. Best to bring clothes with me to work and go right to the gym. No excuses that way.”
- “I work from home and exercise at home,” wrote Anita Weber. “It saves money and I just remember that one small healthy choice adds to another, and on and on. My doc is pleased and I feel good so I know I’m doing the right things.”
These are all great suggestions. We’ve also run our own ideas here, such as setting aside 15 minutes a day, or even five, to exercise. Some of my coworkers are even bringing in their own exercise balls to sit on and exercise their core muscles and burn calories at their desks.
But what about you? If you like to run, walk, bike, hit the gym, do yoga, whatever, how do you find the time? We’d love to hear your ideas and may even feature them in a future post.
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Photo by M.V. Jantzen.
