Exercise Tips for A Busy Schedule - Through Heather's Looking Glass

We all know that exercise is good for us. The reason many of us refrain from exercise is because we simply don’t have the time to plan a workout (or we think we don’t!) Commitments like work and kids and household chores can take up most of our day, so we need some exercise tips! When we do get a spare hour, exercise is the last thing many of us feel like doing. And so we end up never exercising.

But what if there was still a way to squeeze exercise into your day? While most of us assume our lifestyle is too busy to work out, the truth is that almost all of us have time to exercise – it’s just a matter of getting creative with our time (and not wasting it scrolling on Instagram or TikTok.) There are many very busy people who still find the time to exercise. Below are some exercise tips for fitting it into a busy schedule.

Get up early

Getting up an hour earlier to exercise could be a great way of fitting in a workout. As gruelling as it may sound, there are many benefits to getting up early to exercise. A morning workout can energize you for the rest of the day by pumping you full of endorphins and adrenaline. I personally love a morning workout, I feel SO much more focused for the day! Studies show that people who exercise first thing in the morning also lose more weight than those who exercise at other times of the day.

You could go to a gym, go for a run, or simply plan a morning workout routine in your living room (a good way to exercise without breaking the bank). Of course, if you already get up very early due to work or kids, you may not feel that this is practical. However, if you regularly get up any later than 6, a morning workout could still be achievable if you prioritize your sleep and go to bed earlier.

Exercise on your lunch break

Most of us get an hour lunch break at work, and this is enough to fit in a short workout. A lunch break workout could be particularly worthwhile if you work a sedentary job and could help to energize you for the afternoon. Just what are some ways to work out on your lunch break? You could plan to go for a run or a bike ride. If you work from home, you could even plan a workout at home in your living room or backyard. Finding time to go to a gym could be a little harder (after all you still need to eat lunch), but if you work close enough to a gym it may be doable.

Try HIIT workouts

HIIT (high intensity interval training) involves working at high intensity for a short period of time. Such workouts can allow you to achieve the same results you’d get from a standard hour workout in 20 minutes. Check out sites online like HOTWORX to access a variety of different HIIT workouts that you can more easily slot into a busy schedule. Such workouts could be much easier to do in the morning without having to get up so early, or much easier to do on a lunch break while still finding time to eat.

Combine exercise with housework

More exercise tips here! A great way to find time to exercise is to combine it with other activities. Don’t have time for a workout because you need to clean the house? Why not do both? You could do lunges while vacuuming, squats while doing laundry, or leg raises while cooking. Check out this guide to combining housework and workouts at Tailoring The Good Life.

Combine exercise with family time

You can also combine exercise with family time, this is one of my favorites! If you can’t get someone to look after the kids while you exercise, plan to workout with your kids. You could let them exercise along while doing a workout in your living room, you could go on walks or bike rides together, you could play ball games in the park or backyard or you could carry them as you exercise for some weight training. You can even exercise with babies by putting them in a sling or doing lunges while they are in a stroller. So many options, and a great way to spend quality time together AND teach your kids healthy habits!