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Fitting Fitness into a Busy Life
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Ahhh fitness.
It’s something we all aspire to make time for.
It’s something we all have on our ever-growing to-do lists.
It’s something far too many of us leave till the end of the day when, even if we have time, we often find we’ve zero energy left for exercise.
The above describes my life prior to becoming a mom (work, school, volunteering, etc.) and definitely captures my life now.
Thankfully, I’ve discovered some ways to sneak fitness into my hectic schedule. Now, even if I fail to fit in a traditional workout, I still know I’ve taken steps toward my fitness-goals.
I set myself up for success. For me this takes the form of doing my workouts in the morning. Whether my exercise is a fast five minute jaunt around my neighborhood or a focused fifty-minute-weights routine–it’s done before anyone else is awake. I know I feel better (happier and less stressed) if I make time for self-care before attending to the needs of others. It’s the analogy of applying our oxygen masks first so we can assist others.
And, if these days I need to get up at 4:30am to apply my ‘oxygen mask,’ it’s worth it. It sets the entire rest of my day up for success.
I make fitness an appointment. We’ve all heard exercise should be an appointment like any other meeting, yet many of us still fail to heed this. For me the adjustment to “workout as an important meeting” clicked when I made two mental shifts: weekdays are already packed with appointments so yet another “must do” felt fairly simple and exercise became an appointment I never canceled because it was no longer only for me. Once I became a mother my days grew busier, yet my sense of obligation to remain healthy increased, too. My exercise appointment (be it 4:30am or 8:30pm) no longer feels indulgent, it feels like a gift to my daughter. Keeping my workout appointment gives her the gift of my living a longer, more energetic life.
I view my day through the lens of fitness. This was a phenomenal mental shift for me and something which turned into a game for my family. It began with my choosing to view my day with the question of how can I make what I’m doing more active? It has transformed into my family challenging each other to change sedentary activities into fun, active ones. It’s now a habit to choose fitness breaks over coffee breaks and lunge around my workspace. I’ve also started a walking book club where we stroll and chat about the novel we’ve read. It’s amazing what can be turned into a calorie burning activity when you challenge yourself to get creative.
What would setting yourself up for fitness success look like for you? In what way(s) would your day change? Do you prefer to exercise in the morning or evening?
Have you tried committing to workouts like a scheduled appointment? How as this worked or not worked for you?
Tagged with: health; fitness; exercise
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The Supplemental is a blog for "Life...supplemented", a forum for discussion around healthy diet, supplements and exercise. Our panel of experts who share a variety of fresh and innovative perspectives, will provide ways to live a healthier life and inspire you to make smart choices.
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