I have generally been pretty good at “fitting exercise in” to my busy schedule. Although, some of my busy days (like many of you) end with me being exhausted and lacking in motivation, I usually end up figuring out a way to be active most days and to train 4-5x a week no problem. I’ll admit I am incredibly lucky in that I legitimately enjoy working out. Nothing clears my head and relaxes me quite like an hour that ends with me dripping in sweat and stumbling off the spin bike or treadmill – which makes doing it much less of a struggle than it is for those who dread the site of the gym.
I try to treat working out like an appointment. I create a workout schedule for my week (working around any special events) and write it into my day planner and enter it into my email calendar at work – this helps me feel more accountable to myself. It also helps me to prioritize accordingly and make sure I get my workout in most days. I am also incredibly lucky that I have an aerobics studio in my office building and can take a variety of classes throughout the week on my lunch break. This means 4-5 days a week (work allowing) I can get a quick workout in on my lunch and then I generally head to the gym a few days a week on top of that for weights/spinning/running.
Yesterday though I was reminded about how, no matter how carefully you plan and how highly you place exercise in your priority list, sometimes life just gets in the way. Here in Ottawa, yesterday was a holiday for many people (not everyone though, as I had to work) and as a result I called my gym to make sure they were open regular hours. When I called I got devastating news…they were closing at 4, before I would even get off work! My mind was reeling and I felt like an addict looking for a fix…I started to put together a little circuit I could do in the house with some free weights and began to talk myself off the ledge a bit. Then, it happened! I got a call from a friend asking if I could substitute for a missing player on her intramural soccer team – problem solved!!
Moral of the story folks…take advantage of any spontaneous opportunity to be active (actunity) that presents itself, who knows when you’ll be too busy to squeeze in a workout? By fitting exercise in anytime you can, your body and your mind will be better off on those days when life gets out of hand. 🙂
What do you do to fit in exercise on those days when life has other plans? We all have busy schedules these days and new ideas for prioritizing health are always welcome!
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