Fitting Exercise in to Your Busy Life: How Former Participants Make it Work
Everyone has busy lives, but if you are going to succeed on your journey, you're going to have to incorporate fitness into your life. Here's how some of the past participants from the show do just that:
Marichu, from season 2, says, "I schedule it in like I do everything else - one hour (minimum, based on the day) just like I do for picking up the children, doing housework, eating, sleeping, etc. NO EXCUSES."
Carrie, from season 3, says, " If you are truly serious about health exercise and weight loss, there are no excuses - excuses are laziness talking. You can make time for whatever is the priority in your life no matter how busy you are! My family is joining the gym together and we all get something out of it."
Diane, from season 1, says, "I ride my living room furniture - ha ha (my recumbent bike) and use hand weights at the same time, while my 2 1/2 yr old eats his breakfast and watches cartoons (bad Mom) - followed by Abs and stretching while we play!"
Angela, from season 1, says, "I get up every weekday morning at 4:45 for a boot camp at 5:30 in the morning, then it's off to do a little extra cardio at the gym or depending on the weather a 5 k run. The weekends include trail running or Jacob's ladder when weather allows. I like to do it in the morning to leave my evenings free, but the sacrifice is going to bed super early."
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Fit it in
I am trying to fit it in anywhere I can. I injured my hip yet still tried to do a low impact walk until it got too irritated. I can't always get to the gym, but I can do something if I really try.
Boot camp
I have been doing boot camp 2 times a week( soon to be 3 nites a week) and then the treadmill or bike on off days... no excuses...!! I'm feeling so much better and actually looking forward to the workouts now.
Committment!
6am yoga works for me, although it means a 430am wakeup call. I know myself enough to realize that unless I get this done first thing, it won't get done at all.
ps YAY Diane on the baby! Your X Weighted episode was one of my favorites and I couldn't be happier that it all worked out for you.
sign up for a class
hi there!
i signed up for a cardio bootcamp class twice a week to get me motivated. i find that really helps. i also aim to take the dog out for an hour walk a day and wether it is all at once or in three 20min shorter walks i make sure to fit it in!
Pedometer can be helpful
I ended up with a pedometer that will put the results on the computer. It is a real incentive to get aerobic steps because it takes 10 minutes to have the aerobic steps count. Now I can burn a few calories at different times of the day. The morning is still the best.
What fits better in your schedule?
There's an old joke I like about exercising, and I use it to motivate myself once in a while. It goes like this:
"What fits better in your busy schedule: exercising for one hour a day, or being dead for 24 hours a day?"
You choose!
A full hour a day?
I am aiming for an hour a day and it does affect time for work. I do not have a lot of weight to lose and tend to put more hours in on weekends.
Great feedback
Just checking in. I'm new to the challenge this year but am very focused. I've been down this road before and fallen back into bad habits.
I hope to make this year, the one in which I conquer this once and for all.
Great feedback. Makes me look forward to giving someone else just starting out some excellent advise next year.
Thanks.
finding time for me
This is hard but I am worth it. Being on a healthy diet bringing healthy food choices to work, packing up my lunch & water and gym bag. It is putting an extra 1.5 hrs into my day but I am starting to feel the rewards. I just have to keep up with this healthy lifestyle that to me is the challenge. I just do it now because I know I need to. I need to get my health on track at age 50 I need this, no more excuses.
fitting exercise in your busy life
I have finally gotten off the couch and get out x country
sking after yoga. The snow has been great, and the beautifull fresh air leaves me exhilerated to carry on with the chores that have to be done.
Just find the time
For me, I keep saying I want to get up earlier and do it but when I get woken up 1-2 times a night by my youngest son, I just seem to be so tired that it is hard to get my butt out of the bed when the alarm goes off at 6 am. Instead, I have found that when I watch my one hour of tv at night I get on my gazelle or pull out the hand weights. That may become a bit more difficult as I began an online masters course today which will likely take up a lot of my evenings after I put my kids to bed and if it is not that it will be my correcting and planning that may interfere. So I am very thankful for my teacher colleagues who have decided to help me out by working out with me for a while almost every day after the kids have left. Today I was on my own but I still did the T-Zone, the treadmill, and the weight machine. I might still get on the gazelle for a bit tonight too.
T-zone
What do you think of the T-Zone?
Making Me Time
I agree - I love going in the morning and I8 reguse tyo let anyone or anything interrupt that schedule. The only one is if I am travelling and have to catch the early flight :)
I posted this before byt can't find it - I have found that one of the things that is motivating me to hit the gym of late is stickers - I bought them at the dollar store and everytime i exercise (for at least an hour) i get one. This month it is paw prints that I am putting on my calendar at work. Iti s kind of fun to see them build up and allso the look of curiousity among my coworkers but noone seems to want to ask
During nap time :)
My 2 year old is extremely scheduled so everyday after lunch I put him down for his nap and then before I even get a chance to think about, go change and head downstairs to workout. Its been 2 weeks now and I'm starting to not fight the idea and its becoming a habit which is great. I feel amazing afterwards and I find if I dont have it sceduled for a specific time of day, I will just talk myself into procrastinating and putting it off to the point where it doesn't get done that day. So everyday at nap time :)
Tip
Get changed before you put your 2 year old down for a nap then you are less likely to do something else and you have an extra few minutes to exercise.
Routine is the key, good work.
Choice of clothes
It does help when you are dressed to exercise.
4 nights a week - Boot Camp
I have signed up for two different boot camps one is sunday and wed and the other is monday and thursday. I have just started the 3rd week last night and I can already feel the results. It is keeping me motivated.
Leave the car at home
Just walking to work squeezes in some extra minutes of activity into your life, and it's a great start to the day. Don't live close enough to walk? What about all those errands you need to run after work, can you leave the car in one place and walk at that time? It's so easy to just jump in the car/bus/train and not even think about how close the destination is - we all do it.
I walk
I used to take the bus to the train station, and found that it was the most stressful part of my day. Now I walk for a half hour each way, and find it to be both relaxing and healthy. When it was -25 for a couple of days, I really wondered what I was doing, but I preferred that to standing at the bus stop.
It's a good way to get some exercise other than the days I go to the gym and do weights and cardio equipment.
I play "Beat the Clock" every morning!
I get up every morning and have coffee and a bit of breakfast, fruit salad, healthy low fat muffin, something to fuel my workout. I drive my daughter to school, go to gym, get on treadmill for 15-20 minutes, then do 915am class, finish at 1015, home in minutes, shower, hair, make-up, dressed and back out at 1050 for work at 11am. It is like a game of "Beat the Clock" because every minute counts, but I feel great and it is becoming routine. It works for me.
WHen
When do you clean the house? Or do the dishes.
My wife always wants to clean the house to do dishes or organize, and never has exercising as a priority. When I exercise she makes me feel guilty because she does more around the house and she has no time for her to exercise. I try to help out around the house and usually exercise in the mornings before anyone else is up anyhow. I would love to exercise every day but know that if I do, there will be another guilt trip coming.
UGGGHHHH!
2ft4u
Thats not good, you shouldn't feel guilty about wanting to improve your health. Never feel selfish wanting to be healthy and taking time for you. I use to feel that way with my hubby to. It seemed when I really started working out and loosing weight it seemed sabatoge would then come into play, bringing home the chips and dip and chocolate. Taking me out to dinner to places of not really good food and pretty soon I was derailed. Since my diagnosis of diabetes, he realized that I needed to do this and has supported me and even joined this challenge just to support me. Maybe sit down with your wife and tell her your doing this to be healthy or even say to your wife. Lets go for a nice walk together and when we come home I will help you finish what you need to do. Then when you come home you can do the chores together. My husband and I do that now and it sure helps us. We have become very close now through our journey and it's great. maybe your wife is feeling a little left out. Talk to her and see what is the real root of her giving you a guilt trip. Good Luck to you and I hope it all works out but NEVER give up on getting healthy.
Everyone is different
Do whatever works for you. I go 4 days/week for 1hr30mins after work and I go for 1hr on saturday mornings. That works great for me as now I have a steady schedule and I don't have to think about it. It just flows in my week. I mean when there are things that I have to do after work then I replace that particular day with either Friday after work or Sundays or I go longer on Saturdays. You have to be somewhat flexible as it is life afterall; however, doing something is always better then doing nothing. Missing one day of your schedule will happen sometimes and that's just life. As long as you don't stop and give up after missing a day or so then you know you're doing a good job at changing your lifestyle.
Body has needs
Do you find that your body craves the exercise? I do not work out for as long as you do but I do try to get out for walking every morning. I do not do as much weight work as perhaps I should.
Ride or walk to work.
I cycle to work. 50 minutes each way in winter. Walking to the bus stop, waiting for the bus, and then riding it takes about the same.
Sometimes I will ride the bus to work, and run home. Takes longer, but only about 20 minutes more than riding the bus. Take your running clothes to work in a backpack and change. Pick up the backpack and your work clothes the next day.
I try to schedule my walk
I try to schedule my walk between breakfast and lunch. If I leave it til after lunch it just doesn't get done.
Timing
I can sometimes get a walk at lunch but for me to be sure I have to do it before breakfast.
Trainer Waiting for Me
I am lucky enough to be able to meet with a trainer twice a week. I have a standing appointment with him and I know he is there waiting for me. I wish I was able to meet more often but I have to go when my kids are in school ( one only goes two days a week). He keeps me on track and helps me stay focused, kicks my butt and encourages my workouts at home. Buddy up with a committed friend that will hold you accountable!
What I am going to try
I used to get up early but now I am trying to just go during the day when I get a break. So my strategy is to look at my calender at the the start of the week and I go in schedule 1 hour blocks of time. I go to the gym and come back to work. This way it is not crowded and I am able to get it all done in 1 hour. Wish me luck !!!!
Using the gym
Do you find the gym is necessary for the workout? I do not have one close so have to find other options.
Early Rise
I'm with Angela. I have been getting up 5:45am for about three months now to get my workout in before my day begins. I feel great afterwards, and I don't need to worry about having the time or energy later in the evening when I get home from work, get the kids fed, and get them to bed. And if I do have a little extra energy, then I hit the treadmill once the kids are all tucked in -- two or three times a week. When you get your workout in early there are no distractions or excuses to not do it because it is already done!
Timing
This is what I have to do as well. I cannot convince myself to get moving at 5:45 am but am not too far behind that. It is great to be active before work.