Do you set aside time to brush your teeth each day? Most likely the answer is no. How about eating dinner? Well, maybe sometimes. Your fitness regimen needs to become a part of your daily routine just like brushing your teeth or eating dinner. Most days you will follow the routine while other days you may really not have time, not feel well or have commitments that just can’t be broken. The key is to find a time that works for you.
Are you a morning person? If you are, decide which time during the morning works best. Perhaps, wake up half an hour earlier and work out. Take a walk or a run outside or even going to the gym and getting ready for work there can make sticking to your fitness routine easier. If you stay home, maybe late morning fits in your schedule better after you have had time to digest your breakfast and get a little something accomplished. The key is to pick a time that works for you everyday and exercise. Once your schedule is set, following it is the hard part.
If you are lucky, there is a gym facility in your office building or very close by. Work out during your lunch hour. If 5 days a week is too much than do 3 or 4. If 45 minutes to an hour is too long, only work out 20 to 30 minutes and clean up and eat lunch at your desk afterward. It is better to have done some sort of exercising than to have done nothing at all. Twenty to thirty minutes, 3 days a week is more exercise than most Americans get. So you would already be ahead of the game!
Maybe you feel that evenings are a better time for you. Bring your workout clothes to the office and exercise right after work. Set a “witching hour” for yourself, a time that you must always leave work by and stick to it. Instead of going straight home, exercise for half an hour or so. If you feel that this is your best time of the day to exercise, joining a gym which is on the way home from work is a big help. Driving past it everyday will remind you that you need to stop and exercise.
Whenever you choose to exercise, remember the best way to stick with it is to set attainable goals and expectations. If you only have a short amount of time, set a reasonable time limit goal. Don’t tell yourself that you will exercise for an hour every day if you know you can’t. If you have certain days which are much busier for you than other days, your goal should be to exercise only on the days when you aren’t busy.
Another thing to remember is the weekends also count! Typically, most people do not have to work on a Saturday or Sunday so these are great days to schedule an exercise time. Conversely, these are also great days to take a break if you have been sticking to your fitness routine consistently all week.