Welcome back to this week’s edition of 2-Minute Tuesdays. Daylight Savings Time was two days ago, and for many people this has caused schedules to be in flux. Despite the craziness that schedule changes can bring, you still need to make sure that you get your workout in so you can live your best life. Here are three tips to ensure that happens.
1) Schedule Your Exercise
Our first tip to help you get your workout in despite schedule changes is to put your workouts right into your schedule! We know we give this tip a lot, but that is because it is far and away the most powerful thing you can do to ensure that you exercise on a consistent basis. We see it time and again with clients – it does not matter how busy someone is; if their exercise is scheduled, it gets done.
Action Step: Break out your Google Calendar, iCal, or whatever scheduling system you use and put your workouts in for the remainder of this week. It does not matter if it is only for five minutes – put it in your calendar to make sure you do it!
Related: Tips for the 20-minute workout
2) Use The “Fringes” Within Your Schedule
Our second tip to help you get your workout in despite schedule changes is to use the “fringes” within your schedule. The fringes are the times that fall at the very ends of the day (morning and night) as well as between each activity. These can be extremely valuable times where you can get some kind of workout in. For example, Julie will use the fringe between putting her daughter to bed and Charlie arriving home to get a 30-minute workout in at night. These times that are typically used for watching TV or playing on your phone can be gold when looking for time to exercise.
Action Step: Where in your schedule do you have an awkward transition between activities? Instead of using that to check your social media, make it a habit to get a quick workout in!
Related: On a time budget? Exercise with these three tips.
3) Get In Your “All The Time” Exercise
Our third tip to help you get your workout in despite schedule changes is to make sure you continue to get in your “All The Time” exercise. All The Time exercise is physical activity that doesn’t feel like exercise. For example, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking from farther back in the parking lot, or taking a stroll around your office building before returning from lunch. Continuing to get your All The Time exercise in during your day will pay dividends towards making sure your energy levels stay high and your mind stays sharp, which will give you a better chance of getting your more intense “Special Event” exercise in throughout your week.
Action Step: Continue to stay active throughout your day by making it a priority to get small bouts of movement in. You can do it more structured where every 30-60 minutes you walk around for 5-10 minutes, or you can be more free-flowing with it where you build the habit of always taking the stairs, etc. However you do it, make sure you get it in!
