Time is something you will sometimes feel you have too much of, too little of or just the right amount of. Many sayings revolve around the concept of time, but whichever way you look at it, we all have the same 24 hours in a day. A lot of people will claim that they have little to no time to exercise though, and will use this as an excuse for living an unhealthy and unbalanced lifestyle. Within this blog I aim to dispel some common myths, and give you some insight into how you can incorporate exercise into your day; regardless of your situation. As a health professional I feel it is important to continue to educate people on what is possible, and what is effective practice regarding all things health and fitness.
“I don’t have time”
These four words will forever be at the top of the long list of excuses people use in order to justify not making time for exercise. We know that people are busy, and that in 2020, the price of goods and services is at an all time high. This means working longer hours in more highly stressed environments in order to get by. I do not disagree with this, however I aim to show you where you can squeeze some exercise into your busy schedule, and what is your most effective dose. I’ll start by saying first and foremost that you do not need to be working out in a gym for it to be effective. Secondly, you can break any workout you enjoy doing into smaller packages, eventually achieving the same result by the end of the day. Thirdly, there is no requirements to use external equipment in your routine. This means that a body weight session performed at home can equate to a big session at the gym if done correctly. I’ll elaborate on this in the next paragraph.
No equipment, no worries:
Whilst allowing for constant progressive overload and a plethora of variety, the gym is not going to be everybody’s first choice when it comes to working out. For a start, a lot of people don’t like crowds, they don’t like mirrors and they don’t like the idea of opening and closing times which can often cause restriction on access. Yes, some gyms are 24 hours, and also have very quiet times however the gym is still not for everyone. With this being said comes the idea of at home fitness routines. External equipment is cheap, but using your own body weight to your advantage is even cheaper. I often prescribe equipment free at home work outs to clients, and it gets results with adherence every time. If you have access to a trainer with a good know how of body weight progressions as well as some outside the box thinking, you might go your whole life without ever stepping foot in a gym. There is nothing wrong with this if your aim is to simply be healthy and move well. Of course, for more serious athletes, there needs to be some external resistance which is where a gym or performance centre is essential, but for everyone else, definitely not essential.
Break your routine into smaller segments:
A popular rule of thumb is that on at least 5 days per week, you should aim to accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per day. There is no rule as to where this activity comes from, however it is recommended that on at least 2 of those days, you participate in some form of strengthening activity. At no point though, should you feel as though you need to make these magical 30 minutes happen all at once. 3 bouts of 10 minutes spread throughout the day will lead you to the same place. This mind set will allow you to get creative, manage your time, try new things and also take some pressure off of your busy day. You can create mini challenges to yourself within these 10 minute segments, you can go for a mixture of indoor and outdoor activities and most importantly, you can have some fun. The idea of a 30 minute walk/run is not going to excite many people, but 3 walks across 3 different locations is going to surely spark more interest. The same goes for resistance based movements. 30 minutes of lower body training might be too much, but 10 minutes of lower body, 10 of upper and 10 of conditioning is going to be far more appealing. My best advice would be to get creative.
Time management:
If you are still thinking that you have no time, try and create an accountability board and take ownership of where your time is going. Like I have said above, we all have 24 hours in a day, so let’s map out where your day is going. Start from the moment you wake up (record the time) and then start writing down what you are getting up to across the day. Include everything you can, and try and highlight the parts of your day which are productive and non negotiable, and then the rest which are procrastination or less necessary. You may just find those 3 slots of 10 minutes after all, or even build new habits which free up a 30 minute block. It doesn’t need to be too over the top, but it is important to actually acknowledge where you are accelerating your day, and where you are slowing yourself down. I have FIFO workers who have no choice but to dedicate 14 hours of their day to work and preparation, who still get in a 45 minute session 3 to 4 times a week. I have mums who hit 2 to 3 classes a week whilst organising a family and their own part time work. I have examples galore, so start with the accountability of your day to day activities and go from there.
Final thoughts:
My job is multi faceted and incorporates coaching, lifestyle management, injury rehabilitation, education and a whole host of other things. I aim to enlighten you on what is possible, even if it might seem harsh to hear from time to time. In my opinion, everyone is equal and should be given equal opportunities for success. Taking ownership of your current situation, asking for help and sticking to a healthy routine are the things I encourage everyone to try and do. Nobody is perfect and we all start somewhere, so get creative and hold yourself to a high standard as often as possible.