As much as I hate to admit it I fall into that number of people who allow the issues of life to get in the way of being consistent with my workouts. I have my moments when I can get myself on a roll (like now) and as long as life goes according to plan (my plan) it’s all good.
But we all know that isn’t how it always works out. Things inevitably pop up to throw you off schedule. Your workload, being too tired to even think about exercise, family and friends needing you and the list goes on.
Life is so daily, but here’s the thing, we can’t continue to allow life to derail us. From one day to the next, we cannot predict what will happen, but what we can do is establish some non-negotiable strategies that will allow us to remain committed, consistent and devoted to our workout regimen.
Rely On Your Default
I believe we should all have a default workout to rely upon in a pinch. Something we can do without having to give it to much thought or preparation. Something that is a no brainer for us to do and something that will give us big bang for the buck. For me it’s walking. I can do it outside. I can go to the gym to do it. I can do it at home by marching in place. I can do it on my lunch hour. I can do it in the morning before work. It’s easy and effective and can be done anywhere at any time!
Something Is Better Than Nothing
I would venture to say that out of the 24 hours we get each day, you and I can find or at least make time for a 30, 20, 15 or even 10 minute workout. Pick a time and go with it. Here’s the thing, something beats nothing every time! Short spurts of movement can do wonders for your body and mind. Don’t let your preconceived notion that you don’t have any time stop you from giving your body what it wants and needs to sustain you for all of the other things that scream for you time and attention.
Write It Down And Make It Happen
Exercising is one of those things that we consistently put off and procrastinate on. To help you get to a point where it becomes routine, write it down. Schedule it. Prioritize it. Make an appointment with yourself to get it done. That which gets written down and scheduled gets done, plain and simple! Don’t leave your workouts up to chance. When you make out your daily to do list be sure to put YOU and your exercise appointment at the top of the list!
Do What’s Doable For You
Sometimes we avoid doing it because it’s too hard or unpleasant to do. We fall into the trap of trying to do what everyone else is doing even when we don’t like it or it doesn’t like us by leaving us so sore and incapacitated to do to much of anything. Everything is not for everybody. I talked about this the other day. But when we do things we like and enjoy and when we do things that are gentle on our bodies and make us feel good, we are more apt to continue doing them. We begin to look forward to it and even crave it.
So when you think you’re short on time be sure to try these strategies to keep you moving so that you don’t lose traction on your weight loss goals.
Your Turn To Share
How do you keep yourself from falling into the “I don’t have time to exercise” trap?
Jackie Rose says
I wanted to include working out so I added it to my daily to do list…I like the idea of a workout default. I purchased a rowing machine last year (I was tired of doing video workouts) so I plan to use again and start out 3 days a week and move up to 5…starting this week actually….
Stacey Strickler says
Hi Jackie! You did the right thing by putting your workout on your to do list. Seeing it before you and being able to cross it off the list for the day is an empowering feeling. A rowing machine is great for a full body workout. I know what you mean about getting bored with the workout videos. I’ll be rooting you on with your plan to work out 3 days this week. You can do it and before you know it, 5 days will be no problem. Thanks for stopping by.