We always have the best of intentions when setting our weight loss goals, but when it comes to actually following our fitness plans, it’s often a little trickier.
The most common reason for not exercising as often as we should is not having enough time.
With work, family, and a hundred other things in our lives, it can seem almost impossible to schedule in the recommended 30 to 45 minutes, three or four times a week.
But a good balance of healthy eating, rest, and exercise is essential if we want to reach our goals.
How To Workout When You Don’t Have Time
Here are a few ways to get around the ‘not enough time’ hurdle…
Adjust Your Perspective
First, be honest with yourself. Is time really the reason you’re not going to the gym? Or is something else holding you back?
Maybe it’s because you find it boring, or you don’t really enjoy it. Try exploring different types of exercise until you find something you like.
Keep mixing up your fitness routine with different activities to keep things fresh and interesting.
Are you frustrated by the lack of immediate results? If that’s what’s stopping you, try adjusting your perspective to focus on the long-term goals.
If you can figure out if time is really the key issue, or if there are other factors stopping you from exercising, you can start to work though some of those blocks.
See Also: Why Do I Hate Exercise And Working Out
Split Your Workout Up
When you’ve made a conscious decision to try to exercise more, it’s time to make a plan you can realistically stick to.
Maybe you don’t have huge chunks of time you can devote to exercising- but that’s okay.
Splitting your 30 minutes into three 10-minute sessions throughout the day can be a lot easier to fit into your schedule.
And you might feel more positive about it knowing you only have to get through ten minutes at a time.
Recent studies have suggested that high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, is just as effective for weight loss and overall health as moderate, long-term exercise.
So for example, doing ten one-minute sprints on an exercise bike, with one minute resting in between, is an effective workout that burns calories quickly as well as improving your fitness.
Try doing some HIIT routines a couple of times a week, and you’ll start to see results.
See Also: 31 Easy Ways To Burn 100 Calories
No Time To Exercise? No problem!
The other good news is, there are plenty of ways to incorporate more physical activity into your everyday routine. So with just a few lifestyle tweaks you can fit in your daily exercise easily.
Here are some ideas:
Walk more
Park your car further away, get off the bus a stop early, take a walk around the block at lunch time. Just being more active will make you feel more energized. Take a pedometer and target 10,000 steps every day.
Clean the house
Some vigorous sweeping, mopping and vacuuming can actually burn quite a few calories. Put some music on and you’ll work faster and more energetically.
Exercise while watching TV
Pilates, yoga, and simple exercises like sit-ups are easy to do while watching TV. During the ad breaks, jump up and do something more strenuous, like jumping jacks or running on the spot.
Put the music on
Dancing burns heaps of calories – even if you’re just jumping around looking stupid in your room. Put on a fast, energetic playlist and dance around for a fun, but effective mini-workout.
Play with the dog
Take the dog for a walk and throw a ball around in the park. Exercise with your dog. It gives you a chance to bond and play, and the exercise will be good for both of you!
