There is no doubt that exercise is good for you. We hear it every day. Exercise improves your physical health as well as your mental health. Just a moderate amount of exercise per week can lower your risk for diseases, increase your life span, improve your sleep, your mood, even your sex life, but finding the time to exercise can be a challenge.
We have all been there on New Year’s Eve, champagne glass in hand, saying “This year I will exercise more” but come February 1st (or January 3rd), it’s back to the same old excuse, “I just don’t have the time.”
So what can you do? There are only so many hours in the day, and you have to sleep, work, pick up the kids from school/soccer/dance/play rehearsal, and your spouse is working late . . . again! So how do you find the time to exercise?
Here are some tips that can help you stop making excuses and start getting active:
1) Work out with a friend: Having a workout partner is one of the best ways to avoid the “I don’t have time” excuse. It is much harder to turn off the alarm and roll back over when you know someone is counting on you and expecting you. Having a workout partner not only makes you accountable, it also can be a great source of motivation and support. Staying motivated is key to continuing an exercise routine. Having a partner is an excellent source of both internal and external motivation.
2) Know who you are: Knowing your own habits can help increase your chances of making the time to exercise. If you are a morning person, plan your workouts for first thing in the morning before everyone gets up. If you are a night owl, plan to go to the gym after the kids go to bed. If you enjoy being with people, consider a team sport. If you are more of a loner, running or swimming may be the sport for you. Being aware of your personality and your habits can greatly increase your chances of sticking to an exercise routine.
3) Make Reachable goals: There is nothing that will make you give up an exercise routine quicker than setting unreachable goals. Planning to run a marathon is an excellent goal but not if you only have a ½ hour per day to exercise. Try to find exercise routines that will maximize results within the time you have. Setting reasonable expectations and meeting them is a great way to ensure that you will keep up your exercise routine.
4) Involve your family: Childhood obesity has become an epidemic in this country. Why not use the time you have with you kids to get your exercise too? Plan a family basketball or soccer game for one night per week. Take your kids for a bike ride on the weekend. If you have younger children, a jog stroller is a great way to get out and get some exercise and get some quality time with your children. You don’t have to take time away from your family to get your exercise. Plus, involving them will improve their health too.
5) Reward yourself: No, this does not mean an ice cream sundae after your workout. That type of reward will defeat the purpose of a work out and can lead to burn out when you are not seeing results. Rewarding yourself with a new pair of jeans (hopefully in a new smaller size) will help you stay focused and motivated. And, if you can find the time to shop, then you can find the time to exercise.
6) Get creative: There really is no end to the possible ways you can find the time to exercise if you just think out of the box. Does your pool have an adult swim? Try doing laps while the kids are taking a break. Does the lawn need to be mowed? Snow shoveled? Stuck in line at the grocery store? Sneak in a few calf raises or lunges. Can you walk to work, or walk on your lunch break? There are many opportunities out there to burn a few extra calories if you just start getting creative.
So get out there and get moving! There is no better time than the present.
Sarah is a Connecticut Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 20 years of experience working the mental health field. She is currently employed as a Behavioral Health Clinical Care Manager in Connecticut working to assure that Wellpoint members receive the highest quality care in the most appropriate setting.