Tip for Those with Busy Schedules?

mixedmak86

Hi everyone,

Hope you all are off to a great start this week. I was wondering if anyone has any tips or advice for the ones that are having trouble incorporating exercise with their busy schedule. I am new to MFP and I really enjoy keeping track of my foods and now I want to get to excercising again. I work full-time during the day, part-time some evenings and most weekends, and I am also in school getting my Master's. Crazy, I know. So I was wondering if anyone out there who also might have a busy schedule, can give me some tips on how you involve excercise during your week.

Thanks and have wonderful day!

mamashatzie

Just do it.

Plan a time and stick with it. I work out at 9pm after the kid is in bed because that's the only time I can. Every day look at your schedule, see when you can carve out an hour (or half an hour) and make yourself do it. I know how it is to be busy...when you finally have a few minutes to yourself, all you really want to do is relax! But push yourself to do it. Remind yourself that you're not going to get results unless you work for it.

Juliebean_1027

I have the same exact schedule as you, right down to the job(s) and school. My advice to you is to find a time that works best for you and stick with it. That sounds pretty simple and straight forward, and it is. For me, it only took one week to realize that working out early in the morning was not something I could stick with. Sorry, but when you're as busy as I am I enjoy every minute of sleep that I can get. I work out at night, even if that means I'm not working out until almost 11pm. Find something quick and easy that you like (or at least don't hate; for me it was the 30 day shred and the elliptical). Good Luck!

daram05

In January, I had the exact same schedule as you (and technically still do). However, I really pushed myself. When I would get home from work (the part-time), I would force myself to do at least 30 minutes of some form of cardio on my OnDemand Fitness Channel. This either being Jillian Michaels, Leslie Sanson or Chrs Freytag's Walking Video or 10lb Slimdown Workouts...Let's just say that from January to March, I lost 20lbs. It was rough and involved some sleep deprivation, but I made it.

Now, my gym I joined has 24 hours during the week, making it much easier to go at any time.

I hope that this can be some help or some form of inspiration. Also, good luck with the Master's. I'm thanking God I'll be done in December :bigsmile:

grogan8722

If you have stairs in your home when you get up in the moring you can walk or run your steps for 30 min. They say that as long as you keep up your pace it is as good if not better then a tredmill

SpaceMarkus

You have got to write it in your planner and schedule it. Otherwise you won't do it. If it's first thing in the morning you can sleep in your workout clothes, or put them on right away. If it's at night, as soon as you get home change into your workout clothes.

jsuhandy_17

I was somewhat the same way with working full-time, working on Master's, but on the weekends I would do volunteer work. The best thing for me during those busy times were short high intensity workouts.

A 20 minute high intensity workout can burn more calories that 1 hour on the treadmill if you are really working hard. Sprints outside in front of the house, push-ups, situps, dips, high knees, jumping jacks, butt kicks, etc. As long as you are doing these fast with short breaks in between, you can really drive your heart rate high and burn more calories. So I would do this in the morning, during lunch at work (we had showers), and then right before I start studying at night. Usually after a good workout, I have more energy to stay up at night and study. Then I would crash and sleep like a baby.

Hope this helps!

michie27

I work and go to school too. For me, I break up my exercise throughout the day. I bought a couple sets of weight and on most mornings I do a short 10-20 mins workout (depending on how much time I have). I walk to work from the train station instead of taking the bus now, I only take half of my lunch to eat and walk the other half. And on the nights I can, I go to the gym for about an hour.

In the end as the others have said, you just have to make the time. Good luck on your journey and feel free to add me if you like.

sesecat

Watch an old Oprah episode where it talks about Wonder Mom's that are single, working fifty jobs, have a kallion kids, and still volunteer at a every non-profit in their town, cook for the poor, and exercise daily. LOL That will either motivate you, or make you feel like a failure and eat bon-bons in your spare time. :-)

On a serious note, Get an exercise band. While you're cooking a meal, do exercises in the kitchen. Get an exercise ball, sit on it while at your computer, helps your core. Take stairs rather than elevators. Park at the far end of a parking lot and sprint to class. Get up a few minutes early and do a 10 minute exercise video. And some people swear by those new Skechers shoes that tone your butt.

SoDamnHungry

Like many people have said, just pick a time and stick with it. I also have two jobs, but I spend at least 45 minutes working out on my specified days. I only have two specified days because I know I won't be letting myself down. I'd probably have to cancel if there were three days.

mixedmak86

Thank you everyone for the advice. I think it really does boil down to the fact of just doing it. Planning it into my schedule. I always feel more energetic about working out when I go to the gym, and my current membership (which is at my community center) closes at 9pm. I think I'm going to have to switch back to my 24 hour gym to get that motivation completely back, so I know I can go whenever I want. On a side note, I've boycotted the elevators at both of my jobs since June 2011, I feel much better about myself when I beat someone that took the elevator to the second floor.