You rise before daylight; spend a few minutes with God; get the kids up for school; pack their lunches; slurp down a glass of OJ while showering; get dressed; brush your teeth; make sure the kids get on the bus; do the 9-to-5 thing; pick up the dry cleaning; go to the grocery store; rush home and fix dinner; help the kids with their homework; do a load of laundry; have at least one meaningful conversation with your spouse; look over your notes for tomorrow’s meeting; call your mother; watch the 11 o’clock news and collapse into bed.
Sound familiar?
Life is busy, even if you don’t work outside the home. That’s why the number one excuse for not exercising regularly is: “I just don’t have time.” But, guess what? There is time—even in your busy schedule. You just have to find it. So, read on and learn five ways to work exercise into your already jam-packed life.
1) Plan Ahead
You have to approach exercise as if it’s a meeting or a commitment you can’t get out of. So, take out your planner or tap on the calendar on your smart phone, and look for open time slots. Then, start penciling in or typing in “exercise.” That’s a start! If it’s on your calendar, you’ll be more likely to do it.
2) Rise and Shine
If you’re a morning person, (and even if you aren’t) this may be the best option for you. Set your alarm 30 to 45 minutes early at least three days a week, and use that time to work out.
You can take a brisk walk or do an exercise DVD or pull up a 30-minute cardio workout on YouTube. (I love Cassey Ho’s blogilates workouts—from cardio blasts to ab sculpting—all are fun and effective.)
Just get up and get moving. You’ll feel better all day, really! OK, so the first time or two are going to be difficult, but soon your body will adjust to the new schedule.
3) Turn Off the TV
According to recent data from Nielsen, adults 35 to 49 years of age watch more than 33 hours of TV per week, and as we get older, our time in front of the TV increases! So, use part of your designated TV time to get fit. Take a walk around your neighborhood and enjoy the great outdoors, or hop on your bike and ride to the park.
READ MORE: HOW TO CREATE HEALTHY HABITS
If you just can’t miss your favorite programs, don’t cuddle up in your comfy chair with a bag of chips. Instead, get on a treadmill or an exercise bike and sweat away the minutes of your favorite sitcom. The time will go faster if you’re watching a show you enjoy, and before you know it, you will have completed 30 minutes of aerobic exercise.
Another fun way to use your TV time to get fit is this—do jumping jacks or jump rope or jog in place during all commercials.
4) Park Far Away, Take the Stairs
Instead of circling the grocery store parking lot, searching for that parking space nearest the store, park in the very back of the lot. This will force you to walk at least three to five minutes to and from the store.
Or instead of taking the elevator at work or your apartment, take the stairs. Also, every hour or so at work—especially if you have a sedentary job—get up and walk around your department for a few minutes.
READ MORE: 5 SCRIPTURES FOR YOUR WORKOUT
A few minutes here and a few minutes there are better than no minutes at all, and they add up. In other words, you don’t have to do 30 consecutive minutes of aerobic exercise to enjoy the benefits. Experts agree that your body doesn’t know the difference—so find ways to add minutes of aerobic activity to your daily routine.
(To keep track of your steps, you might want to invest in a pedometer. Some people find that easier to calculate than trying to keep track of their aerobic minutes throughout the day. Shoot for 10,000 steps a day.)
5) Trade Lunch for Lunges
Use half of your lunch hour and take a brisk walk around your office building. Or, run to a nearby gym and take a 30-minute power-lunch class. Today, many companies have their own gyms on campus, so that makes it even easier to slip in a workout.
If you’re a homemaker, get a group of women together three times a week for salad and sweat. Eat a light lunch together and then do 30 minutes of kickboxing or cardio dancing or Zumba. You’ll even begin to look forward to your noon workout sessions.
Seem impossible? It’s not. You can do it. Find a workout partner and encourage each other. You’ll be more likely to work out at your designated times if you have “a fitness friend” waiting for you and holding you accountable. Plus, it makes it more fun to share the agony and the victories with another person.
God wants you to have a healthy body, so find time for exercise and honor the Father! As my pastor, Bedford (IN) First Church of God Pastor Travis Inman, reminded us this week, you can’t even spell God without “Go.” So, get motivated and get GOing. Your healthy, fit body awaits…
