If you regularly work long days, have a big project that you're working on, or tend to work strange hours, it can be tough to fit exercise into your day. But it's especially during those times that you need to find time to work out! The stress relief alone is worth finding a way to fit a workout in, even if it's a really quick one. Here are some ideas for getting a workout into even the busiest of days.
1. Maximize Efficiency
Just because you don't have a lot of time doesn't mean you can't get a great workout. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is one of the best ways to burn calories while not spending too much time. Use one of the best HIIT apps to get started with this type of workout quickly.
Perhaps the best tool for these kinds of workouts is the Nike+ Training Club app, a versatile app with workouts for all difficulty levels. You can segment based on numerous categories and parts of the body you'd like to train, such as your core.
Nike+ Training Club is available in multiple languages and lets you set reminders for your workouts. You can train wherever is convenient for you, and you typically don't need a lot of equipment to participate in many of the workouts. The app is available on your iPhone (or Android phone), but it's also a great option if you want to keep fit using your Apple Watch.
Download: Nike+ Training Club for iOS | Android (Free)
2. Find the Best Times for Your Workouts
Hitting the gym or going for a run after work seems like a pretty standard choice for a lot of people, but that doesn't mean that it's right for you! Depending on your schedule and when you feel energetic and motivated, you may want to plan your workouts for a different time of day.
For example, some people find that working out early in the morning works best. Even if you aren't a morning person, you can still find ways to build a morning routine that fits your workout in. It just takes the right tools and some dedication. You might also need to go to bed slightly earlier the evening before.
Some people, however, find that working out over their lunch break is best. Others find that a late-night gym session right before bed is the most ideal option for them. Spend some time figuring out when you're most awake and productive and work around that.
If you have to, you can even split up your workout into several smaller sessions—10 minutes before your morning shower, five minutes at lunch, ten minutes when you get home from work, and 15 minutes before bed, for example. Regardless of when you choose to work out, the most important thing is that you get started.
3. Set Goals and Take on Challenges
There's nothing like a good challenge to get you motivated to work out, even if you don't have a lot of time. Take stair-climbing, for example; this is one of the best ways to burn calories at work.
If you want to try something fun and improve your fitness, you might find that a challenge like C25K—also known as Couch25K—is a great starting point. The aim of the C25K app is to help you start from whichever level you're currently at, and help you build up your levels to the point that you can run five kilometers without too many issues.
You can gamify absolutely anything to help stay motivated, if that works for you. For example, Habitica is a great way to keep yourself motivated and treat your life like a video game.
In addition to using these apps, you can also set goals elsewhere and strive to complete mini-tasks each day. For example, let's say that you want to run a marathon 12 months from now. You can use Notion to outline your goal or make your plans in a similar app before jumping into action. Notion also has numerous free templates to help you present everything better.
4. Optimize Your Schedule
No matter how busy you are, it's likely that there's some inefficiency in your day. If you can just be a little more efficient, you could cut 30 or even 60 minutes of work from your day and have a bit more time to get your exercise in.
Automating the tasks you have to do every day is a great way to save some time. You can use Windows Task Scheduler, Todoist, or a similar tool to reduce the effort involved in tasks you need to do on a daily basis. Don't underestimate the amount of time you can save even with a simple keyboard shortcut, either!
One of the most significant places where many people can cut time is email. If you make an effort to be more efficient in how you manage email, you could save a few minutes each day—and that could add up to hours over a week or two. You can also commit to only checking your messages once or twice each day, as most things aren't as urgent as you think.
Once you've cleared out a bit of room on your schedule, make sure to put your workouts in your calendar. Having time blocked out for exercise is much more likely to motivate you to actually do it than just putting it on a list or keeping it in the back of your mind.
5. Don't Give Up
It's not easy to fit workouts in when you feel like your day is already totally packed full of work and other obligations. And it can be incredibly discouraging when you miss one. However, sticking with the practice is the crucial ingredient for success.
Even if you have a bad couple days (or weeks), you can always get started again. When you accidentally break the streak, start a new one and keep going! Find some inspiration, set some goals, and get to it. Every couple weeks, you can also assess what's working and what isn't to ensure that you reach your goals quicker.
Fitting Time in Your Schedule for Exercise Isn't as Difficult as You Think
Many people have the idea that exercise needs to be long and strenuous. You should challenge yourself in each workout, but you don't need as much time as you think. Even 30 minutes per day is better than doing nothing whatsoever.
In addition to these tips, look at your daily activities and assess which tasks don't add value—and which you can remove completely. Doing that will free up more time to focus on things that you care about, such as keeping yourself healthy.