How To Fit Exercise Into Your Routine (No Matter How Busy You Are)
We all know by now that maintaining an active lifestyle should be one of our top priorities in life. Only by taking care of ourselves do we stand a chance of being the kind of person we strive to be on the job, at home with our loved ones and in our communities. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.
Work, in particular, can get in the way of working out — in fact, there is a big paradox going on, and it becomes more obvious the more challenging (and exciting!) a job gets: On one hand, we struggle to find time to work out; on the other, we can’t afford to not exercise because it is integral to sustained success.
My co-author and I sought to get to the heart of this paradox — and figure out how to beat it — when we wrote Winning Without Losing: 66 Strategies for Building a Wildly Successful Business While Living a Happy and Balanced Life. We interviewed 25 high-powered workers from around the world who somehow manage to exemplify healthy work-life balance. Based on these interviews, we’ve put together six tips for how to fit exercise into your daily routine — no matter how busy you are with work.
1. Work Out Efficiently
Pick a workout form that you can do almost anywhere, whether you’re traveling or getting home from the office late. Ideally, this will be a form of exercise that doesn’t require much preparation (maybe save the wind surfing for the weekend) and that accomplishes significant physical gains in a short period of time (sorry, golfers). High-intensity interval training, Tabata training, bodyweight exercises and running are all great choices.
2. Cater To Your Own Likes And Dislikes
By now you might be thinking, “I hate running!” (or Tabata, or what have you) — and that’s okay. We each need to be realistic and to know ourselves. One person’s running is another person’s yoga, weight training or dance. Flexing your self-discipline muscles is often necessary when it comes to exercise, but make it easier on yourself by choosing a form of exercise that fits your lifestyle, personality and taste. Not sure what you love to do? Don’t be afraid to experiment with different forms of exercise until you find what works best for you.
3. Use Competitions As Motivation
When it comes to being successful at work, collaboration is key. But when we’re trying to motivate ourselves to exercise on a regular basis (and with enough intensity for it to really matter), competition has its merits. Today, it’s possible to find a competition suitable to your skill level in almost any sport. Whether you’re elite, beginner or somewhere in between, there’s something for all of us. Sign up, set a goal and notice what it does to you — odds are good it might be the push you need to keep yourself in the game.