In today’s world, everyone is busy. Whether you’re busy with school, busy with work, or busy with that passion project you’re doing alongside everything else in life. And when we do get a spare few hours, most of us like to hang out with friends or spend time catching up with family. One question I get asked a lot though, is ‘How can I fit exercise into my life when it’s already so busy?’ And honestly, I’ve struggled with this too in the past but I think in 2019 I’ve finally managed to nail what works for me so I’m going to share how I manage it and hopefully you’ll be able to try the same.
Before we get into it, this isn’t a post about motivation which I also know can be a struggle – this is for those of you that have the motivation and really want to exercise but are struggling to find out when to fit it in. Read on for things that I make sure I do religiously in order to make time for what my body (and mind) needs.
1.PLAN
The most obvious of tips. Every weekend I sit with my planner and look at my week ahead. As someone who’s weeks vary constantly I can’t have set days that I workout. For example, this week I am spending 2 days on a trip to Paris, so if one of those days was when I’d usually exercise it’s going to mess with my flow if I can’t make it happen. However if I’m free on the other days that week I will workout then. I like to schedule in the times I can exercise even if I haven’t exactly decided on what the workout will be. (I vary my workouts from boxing classes, to yoga and home DPM workouts, I also have weekly 1 on 1 strength sessions with a trainer.) Once I have found my 3 time slots in that week, I then plan what I’m going to do in each of them. Does it sometimes involve getting out of bed an hour or so earlier than I would like to? Yes. But do I know that my brain and body will thank me for it in the long run, absolutely. So I set my alarm for 6am and get it done if that’s the only time I have.
2. BE REALISTIC
So often I’ve set myself unrealistic expectations and ultimately the only person I disappoint is me for not being able to stick to what I’ve set. It’s so important to be realistic in what you can achieve in one week. Everyone’s lives are different and if you cant workout 5 times a week like the girl on Instagram does then it really doesn’t matter. If you only manage to workout once this week, at least it’s one more than none. Be realistic about what you can get into your week without getting overwhelmed and remind yourself that something little is better than nothing at all.
3. STAY AT HOME
On first glance this sounds like a strange one but with the online fitness community growing every single day there is so much you can gain from laying down a mat or a towel at home and getting to work from your living room or bedroom. You don’t need to be a member of a fancy gym in order to work your body. In fact, most of the DPM workouts can be done at home with no equipment at all or at most it would require a resistance band which cost as little as £5 from Amazon. Sometimes, everything you need for a great workout is right underneath your nose you just need to realise it’s there for you to make the most of.
4. RESEARCH
A lot of people think they know what type of workout they want or should do and then if they can’t find a class that fits to the time slot they have they don’t bother doing anything. With so many classes available for most of us, even if the one you think you want to do isn’t available, chances are there’ll be something else at that time that will get those same endorphins running through your body and you might actually find you like it more than the original workout you had planned. Don’t be afraid to do a little research and try something new – you might just find a gem!
Don’t forget, all of your workouts are available here should you need a little kickstart in exercising and we have a tonne of workouts available on our Instagram too that you can save and build to create your own longer session.
