One of the most common excuses you hear when it comes to not exercising is, “I just don’t have the time”. In reality, the average person has enough time to get some exercise during the week. In fact, the typical American spends around 3 hours a day in front of a television…so there is free time available to be turned into workout time for most people. If you’re committed to improving your health through exercise but are a super busy person, don’t fret. There are a few different tips and tricks you can use to not only find more time to exercise but also to help your workout go by more quickly.
- Opt Out of a Gym and Work Out at Home
Probably one of the most common tips would be to avoid the gym altogether and workout at home. With the huge number of DVDs and online resources for at-home workouts, regardless of what you’re interested in you’ll be able to find something that will be just as challenging as any class. Going to a gym has many benefits but saving you time may not be one of them. By the Way, you can also save some money with this tip.
- If You Choose to Workout at a Gym, Go When It Isn’t Busy
Some people enjoy the whole atmosphere of a gym or maybe they participate in some training, weight lifting for example, that they don’t have the equipment for at home. If this is you, try to hit the gym at times when it isn’t likely to be busy. Depending on your work schedule, you could go during lunch or even at night. If your gym really is just plain busy, you might want to try another one.
- Stretch Before Heading to the Gym
Here is one tip that many people don’t consider. We all know warming up is important and shouldn’t be skipped. Stretching and warming up before going into the gym means you can get straight to the machines. This is especially helpful if you frequent a particularly busy gym. Parking a block or two away from your gym also can kick start your warm up time if you walk briskly.
- Sneak In Workouts In Your Office
A typical 40-hour workweek for most people involves a whole lot of sitting at a desk. Too much sitting has proven to lead to serious health problems and greatly decrease longevity. An office seems like an unlikely place to get a workout but don’t be fooled. Aside from going on a walk during your break, there are other ways to sneak in workouts.
Here is a link to 33 different ways to get your heart pumping when confined to an office. If you are worried about a bad reaction from your boss, here are a few ideas for more subtle ways to get some exercise. As a bonus, not only do these little in-office exercises cut down on your workout time but they also boost productivity at work.
- Buy Workout Gear That Doubles as Casual Wear
Whether you have to run back to the office, have errands to run or promised to catch up with a friend at lunch, dingy sweatpants and your old holey t-shirt pretty much guarantee you’ll have to spend time changing your clothes in the locker room at your gym. Rather than dealing with this, invest is a great sports bra and some pants and shirts that look cute. Of course you’ll want to change your outfit if you get super sweaty, so this tip is great if you just got your heart pumping a bit and will be home in a few hours to shower anyways.
- Keep an Organized Gym Bag
Locker rooms in gyms can be chaotic. Having an organized bag means you’ll know where everything is and you’ll save precious time searching through a duffel for something as simple as a headband. Make sure necessities like your perfume and deodorant are in an easily accessible pocket. If you have something to do after your workout you’ll want to have a makeup kit to either touchup or completely redo your face after you’ve showered.
- Take a short shower depending on how hard you worked out.
Unless you are a clean freak or completed a seriously sweaty workout, you can really save time by taking shorter showers at the gym. An easy to moderate workout that gets you hot doesn’t usually require a full, long shower. Also, make sure you have a clinical strength deodorant, a great smelling fragrance and a dry shampoo if you are worried about sweaty hair.
Washing your hair can really be a time killer for women with relaxed hair as you can’t usually just wash and go very quickly. Instead put your hair up out of your face in a cute updo and use a headband. After the workout take it down and use some dry shampoo to freshen up your do (dry shampoo works for natural and relaxed hair).
- Choose a More Intense (and Effective) Training Regimen
Sometimes the easiest and sometimes least obvious way to save time on workout out is to change how you are exercising. An hour on a treadmill might be effective, but there are shorter workouts that can be just as effective. That fast jogging on a treadmill could actually be ineffective compared to a high-intensity (HIIT) 20 or 30 minute workout.
High-intensity exercise regimens include supersets, circuit training and multitasking. Here are a few resources for workouts that are short on time but serious when it comes to results
- What is HIIT Training?
- Get Fit Fast with These 15-Minute Workouts!
- Abs Workout: The Fastest Way to Lose Belly Fat
- Fast Home Workout – 30 Minute Workout
Working out doesn’t require hours of your time every day. It’s recommended to get at least 30 minutes of exercise 3 times a week. Even for the busiest person that should be completely doable. Don’t forget that working out at home can really save time. If you haven’t tried it yet, invest in some equipment and give it a go. You just might prefer it over the gym.
Lamonica Anderson says
I’m going to do this. I’m so tired of the up and down weight problems with me.