It always amazes me when people insist that they have no time to exercise and list one reason after another to substantiate such a claim.  I completely understand that work schedules can be extremely demanding and exhausting.  Some individuals may have the best of intentions in planning to go to the gym after work, but this can be a major feat after working long hours.  So does one give up on such a pursuit?  Absolutely not!  There are numerous ways in which one can fit exercise into a hectic daily schedule.

I work at three different office locations and am constantly battling traffic which eats up a lot of my time.  Because of this, I make sure to PLAN AHEAD and schedule my training and cardio sessions around my work schedule.  A little extra planning, along with the determination to make exercise a daily priority, can ensure that regular workouts become an integral part of one’s schedule.

 

Keep Your Car Trunk Stocked!

From personal experience, I have found that keeping my car trunk stocked with all my gym equipment and an “emergency” gym outfit is an excellent way of ensuring that I will be well-prepared for a gym visit whenever it presents itself.  Another thing that I do is if I have a workout planned after work, I make sure to drive to the gym regardless of how tired I am.  I have counseled patients and clients who make the mistake of going home after work, convincing themselves that they will go to the gym after having a meal, settling in, but what usually happens is “…oh wait, there’s that great show on television…and I have laundry to do, etc…” thus killing any chance of them gathering the motivation to trek to the gym.

 

Set Your Alarm Early.

For people who consider themselves early birds, it may be more effective to set the alarm to go off earlier in the morning to allow sufficient time to get a workout in before the workday begins.  One of the benefits of going to the gym before work is the energizing effect which exercise confers.  Another benefit is that your workout will be complete, leaving your evenings after work open for other tasks.

Some people may balk at the idea of having to trek to the gym in the morning, stating that it takes extra time to travel to and from the facility.  If this is the case, there are two options:  either wake up earlier, or exercise at home.  You can even start your day with a brisk walk or jog before eating breakfast, then get ready for work.

 

Exercise During Lunch.

A third option which one might consider is to work out during a lunch break.  Although this usually poses more time constraints than the other options, exercise during the lunch hour may be a very effective means of staying in shape, provided the workouts are intense.  If you decide to grab a quick workout at the gym, be sure to bring a bag with toiletries so that you can shower before heading back to work.  You can also try to grab a decent workout while at work with resistance bands and plyometric movements.

 

Regardless of which options you select, you should definitely be able to fit regular exercise into your busy schedule.  You can even break up your workouts into segments in which lifting is done in the morning, with cardio performed either during the lunch hour or after work.

What about incorporating exercise into your daily routine while at work? You can take the stairs instead of the elevator, stretch whenever you rise from your chair, even throw in a couple of wall sits in the office while you are waiting for something to print. It’s those little activities which can really add up during the course of a day and give you a boost of energy.