Have you ever wanted to get fit and healthy, but then struggled to find time to exercise? This is something that I hear all the time from my personal training clients. The good news is that there are ways to find time to move your body.
Reality check – you need to find time
Almost every mum has said at least once before that she doesn’t have time to work out or eat well. But what she really means is that she’s caught up in overwhelm.
We’re so used to being busy for the sake of it that we’ll look for ways to be busy. When someone asks how you are, ‘busy’ is just as common as response as ‘good, thanks’! We talk ourselves into this busy-ness.
But the problem is when you’re being busy because that’s what you do, you can’t see the time that is actually available to you.
How do you really spend your time?
Let’s take a closer look at how you spend your time.
Multiple studies have found that we spend dozens of hours every week in front of a screen. In 2013, the ABS reported that adults spent an average of 13 hours per week watching TV – that was before Netflix and Stan were around! A more recent survey found that Australians spent an average of 46 hours per week in front of screens.
In fact, you’re reading this article using a screen – so how long have you been on your computer or phone before you clicked on this?
This doesn’t mean that you need to give up your favourite TV series or throw out your iPhone. What it does mean is that you can choose how many hours you dedicate to screens, and whether you shift an hour or two each week towards your health instead.
Making priorities for how you spend your day
One reason that we can feel overwhelmed is because most of us have a never-ending to-do list. What you can do is choose to reduce this list and focus on priorities.
Break your day down into 3 main priorities that you want to focus on. Your priorities might include things such as work, family time, a hobby, leisure time and downtime. It might also include ‘eat 3 nutritious meals’ or ‘do 30 minutes of physical activity’.
Does exercise fit into today’s priorities?
The answer isn’t always ‘yes’. But if it’s not there, find another day where you can make it a priority.
You might find it easier to prioritise exercise early in the week when you’re more energetic. Or maybe it fits better with the weekend because your partner can watch the kids for a while.
While you’re at it, get clear on why it’s a priority for you. Exercise isn’t just about looking a certain way or losing weight when you get down to the nitty-gritty.
It can make you feel more confident in yourself. It can boost your mood, relieve stress and reduce anxiety. In fact, it can even help to boost your energy when you’re tired!
Find your ‘why’ for exercise, and you’ll find the motivation to make it a higher priority.
What to do when you legitimately have 5 minutes or less?
So what if you’ve made priorities and tracked your time, but today you’ve really only got 5 minutes to spare before you run out the door?
You can still reap the benefits from a quick and intense workout! Try doing 50 star jumps, 50 squats and 50 lunges. That will get your blood flowing!
Want to save time, get clarity and clear direction on the best steps for your health journey? The Busy Women’s monthly membership includes all this plus more. The membership moves you through my 5 pillars of health; Exercise Nutrition Sleep Stress Reduction Mindset.
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