Make Time for Exercise

One common reason why people miss workouts is because they can’t find the time. Unfortunately, time can’t be found. We must MAKE the time. Everyone’s lives nowadays are so hectic, and it can be challenging to make the time to exercise. Here, I share my secret on how I make time to exercise every day.

I have always had a busy schedule. Throughout school, I worked afternoons and took ballet lessons at night. Through the years, my life hasn’t gotten any less hectic. Now, I work 9 hours a day (8am-5pm) as an administrative assistant, but with my commute that becomes 7am-6pm. Long days, but productive days.

Working as an administrative assistant can be draining, mostly mentally. I am usually sitting at a desk for most of the day, which I find drains my motivation and often adds to my anxiety and stress. I just think all day about everything I need to get done at home and for my family. I do much better when my job entails being active and busy consistently. When I use to work as nanny it was perfect. There was never a dull moment with the kids. I was constantly running after them or with them. Now, I sit and think for most of the day. When I am given a task, my excitement takes over and I complete it far faster than usual.

By the end of my day, I usually feel tired and want to fall into my bed. However, this rarely happens. Nine times out of ten I exercise when I get home at 6pm before I make dinner. My secret is this, a thought that I keep in the back of my mind: how I feel after the exercise. I feel so powerful, strong, accomplished, and confident. I love the feeling that I overcame my doubts and to see how strong I actually am.

I try my hardest to stay focused on this aspect and exercise, even if it’s a ten minute pilates workout with Cassey Ho. Any exercise is better than no exercise. You also don’t need to spend hours exercising to see results. You just need to set aside the few minutes each day and put 100% of effort in to have the exercise be effective.

My boyfriend also makes it easier for me to make time to exercise. He has an extremely strong work ethic and is always working on something. So when I come home, seeing him work hard to accomplish a task after work, it motivates me to want to accomplish one as well. That’s when I am reminded of how I feel after I exercise. 

Now I know that things are easier said than done, and I agree. It took me a long time to get to where I am today mentally, and I am still working on myself. The mind is an extremely powerful tool. You basically have to trick your mind when you start to have doubtful thoughts (“I’m too tired to exercise, I really should get ________ done”, etc). I start to get ready and change my clothes the second I start to have a doubtful thought. By moving and focusing on the tasks of getting ready, I’m not thinking myself out of exercising, and before I know it, I’m ready and exercising.

It’s very easy to get caught up in the day-to-day activities and to dismiss a workout. It‘s easier to put other things first. However, it’s not always better for you. The times when you think you can’t exercise and you doubt yourself are actually the days when you need the exercise the most. So think to yourself how you feel after exercise……