If you are a like a lot of people, making time to get fit is one of your resolutions for 2019. If you’re still keeping at it 23 days into the new year, congratulations. The majority of folks give up on their resolution by February. If you can keep yours going, you’re ahead of the game.
Still, finding the time to fit in fitness is hard, even with the best of intentions.
Work, after-school activities, and life can make it hard to get to the gym, when all you want to do after a long day is veg out on the couch and watch Netflix.
We’re here to tell you it doesn’t have to be hard to stick with a fitness routine, but you have to work hard (in some cases) to keep it going.
In the spirit of helping you stick to your commitment to fitness, here are some ways to fit in a fitness routine when life gets hectic (read: every day of your life).
Schedule It
Just as you would a meeting or a child’s event at school, schedule your workout on your calendar, along with the rest of your daily activity. This way, you are more likely to make time for it if it’s taking up time on your agenda in black and white.
Most of us who work with others need to put time on their calendars to meet. If you are in this position, you’ll agree that very rarely do you not go through with it if it’s blocking off a part of the day.
Even if you’re working out early in the morning before work, put the time on your calendar. It’s a little trick to improve the chances you’ll get to the gym.
Do It First Thing in the Morning
It can be hard dragging yourself out of bed in the morning, especially in the winter when it’s freezing outside. But working out first thing in the morning is one of the best ways to ensure you get your fitness in on a regular basis.
Not only does it mean you’ll feel better about yourself when you lounge on the couch in the evening (because you know you did something good for yourself) but working out in the morning actually increases metabolism and gives you more energy to get through your day. That’s something that not even your first cup of coffee can provide.
If you have a desk job, you might want to also pack a healthy snack so you don’t make poor nutrition choices when the post-workout hunger hits. Going straight from the gym to your desk will mess with your routine for a few weeks, but your body will soon get used to it and you’ll find yourself with much more energy than if you rolled out of bed and went straight to work.
Find A Workout Buddy
Whether it’s working out or quitting smoking, finding someone to hold you accountable is key if you want to stick to a routine.
Knowing there is somebody waiting for you to drive to the gym in the morning is enough pressure to get you out of bed and moving, because neither of you wants to be the one who has to cancel.
Plus, it’s nice to have somebody you can complain to about how sore you are after the WOD who actually understands true soreness. It’s just not the same complaining to Sally in accounting about why your shoulders are sore from all of the thrusters you did.
Just Get in the Car
Sometimes it just boils down to getting in the car and putting it in drive. Once you are on your way, it’s harder to turn around and go home than it is to keep driving to the gym. And, once you’ve stepped foot in the box, you’re locked in.
We’ve yet to see a study back this up, but 80 percent of going to the gym is just getting there. Once that seemingly monumental task is checked off the list, all you have to do is move your body, along with the rest of your classmates.
There you have it. Four tips for how to fit in your fitness when life starts to get in the way.
We all have the same amount of time in the day, so it boils down to how effectively to use those hours. If you follow some of our ideas, we believe you’ll find it easier than you think to add working out to your daily to-do list.
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