How do you squeeze in time to exercise?

In order to get a moderate to intense cardio/anerobic work-out, you have to find a slot of time in your day, AM or PM. That sucks, but it's true...

However! If you look at every movement or activity as an opportunity to burn calories, they all add up... when doing household chores, pick up the pace! Try cleaning your whole house in half the time, and you'll find yourself sweating and using up your calories... if you're sitting on the couch, finally have some time to yourself (kids and school or asleep) sit all the way back, lift your legs up, and do some sit-ups or leg lifts. You'll be surprised the effort that takes, while just watching TV! If you're at work (office, food service, wherever) find 2 minutes or 5 minutes to do some squats or jumping jacks, or again, leg lifts. It all adds up! If you keep it on your brain, you'll find ways to do it! Good luck, I can sympathize entirely...!

Baby steps. Start with a 10 minute walk at lunch. Or take the stairs instead of an elevator. Work your way into a defined workout. Somewhere in your day you CAN give 10-45mins to exercise....if you want to.

I'm a full time college student so on campus instead of taking the elevator like the rest of my classmates I use the stairs. I park at the end of the parking lot (last open spot) instead of a closer spot so that I have to walk a little bit farther. I have disabilities but I still push myself to go farther every chance I get.

I totally needed to read this thread. Thank you for posting. I was doing so well with working out after work but like someone said I too was not getting dinner on the table til about 8 pm or we were eating out. ALOT. So I am about to cancel my gym membership. I have other things I can do at home and just ordered the Brazilian Buttlift. I will start getting up earlier to do my workouts as well. AT the present time, my alarm goes off at 530 am and I am up by 6. Get myself ready for work, get my twin 4 yr olds up and ready then we are out the door by 715. Off to daycare then work til 5. Pick them up at 530 (I work out side of town), get home and start dinner by 6. Eat and clean up from dinner and other household chores, baths and bed. I still don't make it to sleep till about 10-11. So my new goal is to set my alarm for 5 and get up no later than 530 and work on my diet. That too has been a fail as of late and I feel like total crap!

Whoo....your weight loss is reflecting that hard work!

I have a 3 year old a 16 month old and I work full time. I understand how hard it is to squeeze it all in. In January I started waking up at 4:30am so I could get my gym workouts in before everyone else woke up. It was hard at first, but now it's just become part of my day, and I actually feel less tired when I wake up and workout!

I cycle to and from work every day. I'm fitting in 30 day shred a few days a week as well. I'm thinking of starting ripped in 30. I get up pretty early (for me) already but I finish work at 4.30 so I can still cycle home and fit in another 30 mins. My lovely hubbie is carting the kids around and doing most of the cooking so it meanst that it frees up some time for me.

I schedule it as something that needs to get done for the day, not as something "if I have time for" and that has helped.

I can't figure out how to carve out enough time to really exercise. How do you all do it?

BTW, not much I can give up at the moment to accommodate for exercise. I am tapped out.

I requested a sit/stand workstation at work. On the days (like the last couple of weeks) where my schedule simply cannot accommodate a nice lunchtime workout or my bicycle commute to work, I shove my seat back against the wall and stand most of the day.

I can type quite successfully while holding a squat position or walking in place.

While reading something, I'll take my water bottle, close it, and curl it. Yeah, it's only a couple of pounds and is almost useless as exercise. But it's something.

Yeah, I get occasional odd looks from the people around me.

But two of them have requested sit/stand workstations themselves.

The key is to be creative. Instead of walking normally from your car to the office door, march with your feet going all the way up to knee level. Goose-step. Side-step. Ballroom dance. Walk backward.

Clench your arms and butt while sitting there. If you have to get up to go to the restroom, do 10 squats before sitting back down at your desk.

There's always time to fit in something. And everything counts, even the little stuff.

I make it a priority in my life, sometimes sacrificing things I'd rather do.

Squeeze it in when you can:

If you can't get up too much earlier, get up just a little earlier (enough to walk on the treadmill or outside for 10-15 minutes)

Take a 10-15 minute walk at lunch

Dance for 10-15 minutes before making dinner (or take a walk before or after dinner)

Where there is a WILL there is a WAY...I guarantee ya....

I was working 15 hour days with a 3 hour (round trip, sometimes 4) commute and I still found time to get at least 30 minutes of exercise in EVERY DAY!!! You can do it too....it has to be a PRIIORITY!!! and you HAVE TO WANT TO DO IT!!

Reprioritize, then worry about how to squeeze in everything else.

Early morning workouts. I'm up at 520am. Done with Jillian at 6. Place your workout clothes on the dresser so you can hit the floor running. In college we use to sleep in our running clothes, so all we had to do was get out of bed and put shoes on... LOL.. ahhh those were the days...

I did this too....slept in my workout clothes; so all I had to do it put on my clothes (oh and I packed my breakfast, lunch and snacks for work every night and dinner too if it was possible I'd be working late)

Congrats on meeting your first goal!!

If you want to do it, you'll figure out where you can make time. Wake up earlier, go to sleep later, work out during your lunch hour - everyone is busy, but you have to make the time for it.

exactly!!