How can I exercise when I have no time?

In a recent report from the Centers of Disease Control, ‘lack of time’ was a listed as one of the top barriers to physical activity.  Many technological advances and modern-day conveniences have made our lives easier and (as a result) less physically active.

Here’s some suggestions to overcome this barrier:

Identify available time slots. Monitor your daily activities for one week. Identify at least three 30-minute time slots you could use for physical activity.

Add physical activity to your daily routine. For example, walk or ride your bike to work or shopping, organize school activities around physical activity, walk the dog, exercise while you watch TV, park farther away from your destination, etc.

Select activities requiring minimal time, such as walking, jogging, or stair climbing.

Another strategy is to further investigate how you perceive time.  Time is a resource, much like money.  And you have the power to decide exactly how that resource is spent.  By clarifying your goals, and most importantly identifying WHY you want to achieve them, you’ll create an emotion.  And there’s nothing more powerful than emotions to motivate you to prioritize how you spend your resources – including time.

Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.  ~Edward Stanley

Research has shown that three 10 minute bouts of exercise a day is just as beneficial as one 30 minute bout of exercise for improving general health.  Breaking up exercise into three 10 bouts a day is more manageable and so perhaps you will be more willing to do it.  Can you for example (if you have stairs in your house) go up and down the stairs for 10 minutes before work?  Then at your lunch break, go for a 10 minute walk. And finally take another 10 minute (scenic route) walk to your car in the evening.  Get creative and think outside the box.  Once you get into a routine, the "feel good" benefits of exercise will probably motivate you to do more.

Where there's a will there's a way.  If exercise is important to you, you will find time. Just like you find time for other commitments, exercise deserves the same respect.   Write it in your calender and honor the time commitment like you would any other appointment.  How important is being healthy and active to you?

Everyone has the time to work out. Be it for 10 minutes 3 times a day or simply waking up 30 minutes earlier. If you are finding yourself stretched really thin on time everyday you may want to evaluate your days and see if there isn't something you can delegate out to someone, or make better use of the down-time you do have.

Whichever the case here are a few simple changes you can make. At work.. park at the back of the lot and walk, same for grocery shopping or going to the mall.

Turn off the TV, or if you must watch it you can do squats, crunches, jumping jacks or any other stationary exercise while watching your program or even during the commercials.

If you work in a multi-level building, opt for the stairs instead of the elevator.

When doing yard work, think of ways to incorporate exercises into your movements: picking up leaves or grass? squat instead of bend over (this is better for your back anyway). Get creative.

I hope this helps give you some ideas to incorporate fitness into your packed schedule!

The best tool for many of my clients usually not a treadmill, a set of dumbbells, or a new pair of sneakers. In many cases, it winds up being a daily planner. For about $10 or $15 you can get more control over your daily routine and find the time (30-60 minutes) to invest into yourself for exercise.

Try this: For one week, write down everything you do (I MEAN EVERYTHING-coffee breaks, food shopping-laundry-chatting on the phone-EVERYTHING), no matter how small or insignificant…and no matter how silly it seems. Then once you see how much time you spend on certain activities, you can begin to prioritize what can be done at what time or what can be eliminated. I am not saying you have to be a time management machine, but if you are honest with yourself, I am sure you can find time for exercise. Maybe combine some activities to save time and be more productive or consider eliminating some of the activities that have a lack of activity, like time in front of the television.

I assure you once you try using a daily planner you will have more control over your “time constraints” and you find time for exercising. Remember time is our most precious commodity, spend it wisely, because once it is gone you cannot get it back. Good Luck!

There are ways to exercise without a formal program. All you need is as little as ten minutes. Here are some ways to incorporate exercise into your life:

1. Walk during your child's sports practice or arrive a little early to pick them up and walk in the area until they get to the car.
2. Park farther away at the grocery store and before you actually start shopping, take a stroll around the store.
3. Call someone and walk around your house as you talk.
4. Take the stairs as often as possible at work.
5. Take ten minutes on your lunch break and find a place to walk. 
6. Put your child in the stroller and take a walk every day.
7. Find a walking partner because when you walk with someone, it's less like exercise.