Its easy to feel motivated about theideaof exercising.
Lets all run marathons!
And do a push-up challenge!
But somehow, a lot of our plans never leave the idea stage.
Were all busy people, right?
And its so hard to find the time.
Its the rare human being who literallycannotmake the time to exercise.
Some types of exercise can be combined with other tasks you already need to do.
For example, you cancommute by bikeor literally run your errands.
And Ive met people who swear by a routine of returning phone calls while they take a midday walk.
To stay consistent, carve that time out in your routine every day.
That kind of consistency keeps you from questioning whether or not today is a good day to work out.
I made it work by reducing the overhead of working out.
I work at home, so I just started my day in workout clothes.
That means it’s possible for you to safely skip the post-workout shower.
Another way to avoid wardrobe changes is to work out in short bursts throughout the day.
Then you only have a few non-gym sessions to schedule.
Work out where the kids are.Do a workout video in the living room while they play in their bedrooms.
Or take them to the backyard or the park.
Put tiny ones in a stroller.Walk them around the park.
you’re able to even stop here and there to do strength exercises.
Want to do more than walk?
Consider investing in ajogging stroller.
Mix up these strategies to cobble together a full weeks worth of workout sessions.
If you dread your exercise sessions, youll do anything to let them fall off your schedule.
To keep those appointments with yourself, double-check youkeep up your motivation for exercise.
Pat yourself on the back foranyworkout you do, even if its small or doesnt seem impressive.
Ten squats in your cubicle is a lot better than zero.
But its best of all if you might make your workout experience a reward in itself.
Maybeworking out is where you meet your favorite gym buddy, or listen to your favorite podcasts.
Maybe you love sharing your sweaty selfies with a note about what you accomplished that day.
Either its enjoyable, or you value the results you get out of it, or both.
Illustration by Angelica Alzona.
