The #1 question I get is “How do you make time to exercise?” I’m going to walk you through some mindset shifts that need to happen so you can start making time to exercise. Plus I’ve got plenty of tips and inspiration and a free workbook + calendar to get you going on your health and fitness journey!
Ready?
I have to start with some tough love, but it’s crucial that you make this mindset change now so you can start getting the results you want.
It’s not about making time, or having enough time, or even finding the time in your busy schedule to exercise. Because ultimately there will NEVER ever ever ever be enough time. You will always be busy. You have a family, a job, a life. And all the other things that go along with.
If exercising is not a priority for you, you will never make time to exercise.
So let’s talk about how to overcome this hurdle and figure out why exercising should be a priority and how you can make the time. Because it is so incredibly important to make the time for yourself to exercise.
Stop feeling guilty that you haven’t made time to exercise.
Feeling guilty isn’t going to get you anywhere and you’ll get caught in the nasty cycle of feeling guilty about anything and everything. So just stop that right now. Because you’re amazing and don’t need to be weighed down by crummy feelings.
Get honest about why you aren’t making time to exercise.
Do you hate exercising? Do you feel miserable when you work out? Are there 30 other things you’d rather be doing? Or are you spending way too much time playing games on your phone? (No judgement here! That was totally me.) Whatever the case, you have to figure out why you haven’t made exercise a priority and what you’re going to do about it.
Find your why.
Not why someone else said you “should” exercise. If you feel like you “should” make time to exercise then you automatically won’t want to. Because you’re feeling pressured to make time to exercise and then feel guilty when you don’t. This is that vicious cycle I was talking about.
Instead ask yourself why is making time to exercise going to help you? What value is it going to bring to your life? You need an uplifting, inspiring, and motivating reason to exercise. Not because you “should.”
Possible Why’s:
- Taking that time for yourself makes you happy
- Exercising is helping you achieve your self-improvement goals
- It’s your way of showing yourself that you care about your health and fitness
Read More:
On that note, let’s talk about what exercise actually does for you.
Exercise is a necessary part of health care. Especially preventative health care. More and more doctors are “prescribing” exercise because they know that exercise supports health in TONS of ways.
- Regulates blood lipids
- Improve heart health
- Balances blood sugar
- Strengthens bones
- Improves mental health
- Prevents chronic diseases
- Helps treatment of chronic disease
- Decreases recovery time from illness and disease (Did you know exercise is being used to help cancer patients manage chemotherapy, decrease recovery time, and increase the efficacy of the treatment?)
Exercise is necessary for immune function
I’m going to get science-y on you for a minute. Ever heard of the lymph system? The lymph system is a major part of your immune system, helps maintain fluid balance and manages absorption of fats in your body. It’s critical to supporting your overall health. In fact, your lymph system creates most of your white blood cells and other immune cells that fight off infections.
But here’s the catch: your lymph system only makes those cells. It doesn’t have a way to get those immune cells where they need to go. Your circulatory system uses your heart to pump blood and oxygen throughout your body. But the lymph system has no direct pump.
The closest thing your lymph system has to a pump are your muscles! Your muscles create a “pumping” action when you move to get the immune cells where they need to go. So when you aren’t exercising, your lymph system is not working well, which means your immune system is severely compromised. Crazy right?
If you’re sick a lot, your lymph system may not be as active as it could be. You can fix that by simply moving more!
Exercise supports mental health
Exercise is AMAZING for your mental health and well-being. If you struggle with any mental health issues like anxiety, depression, seasonal disorders, or anything else, exercise can help.
- Exercise releases endorphins and other mood-boosting hormones, while helping control the release of stress hormones.
- Regular exercise will help you learn how to self-regulate by supporting your mind-body connection. When you exercise, you build trust with your body and build confidence in your ability to manage stressful situations.
All movement counts!
Exercise does not have be high intensity, boot camp or cross fit style (unless you really truly enjoy it like that!). It doesn’t have to be miserable and definitely should never hurt.
Exercise should be ENJOYABLE. Because you will never make a habit out of something that you hate doing. Find a form of movement that feels good to you.
- Walking
- Hiking
- Yoga
- Strength Training
- Dance, etc.
If you have never liked exercise, I just want you to leave this article BELIEVING that there is such thing as movement that feels good. It is possible. You just have to find it.
Don’t believe me? Take a chance and sign up for my Getting Started with Cardio Program where I’ll walk you through a whole new way of exercising – FOR FREE.
Get the family in on it!
If you’re struggling between making time to exercise and being with your family – Combine them! Your kids will LOVE if you take 10 minutes to play with them and you’ll be building a stronger bond for your family.
- Get outside if you can
- Throw a ball around
- Practice balancing on one leg
- Do an Animal Workout – Check out the workout I did on Tuesday with my kids!
Some final inspiration:
Believe that you can make time to exercise because your body and mind need you to. When you start consistently exercising, even if it doesn’t seem like “enough,” you will see results. You’ll see your mental health improving, your outlook on life will get brighter, your health will get better and you’ll build a stronger relationship with your body.
When you make time to exercise, you build a positive relationship with your body and you make a habit of showing up for yourself. This has a trickle down effect on your life and those around you.
What other life-elevating habits will you create? What crazy goals will you achieve? Commit to yourself and find out!
You will have an impact on future generations. You’re showing your family and the world that it is possible to love yourself as you are and work toward self-improvement. That caring for your mental, physical and emotional health is a beautiful and inspiring way to live.
How to Make Time to Exercise
- Find Your Why – use all that info I just shared to decide why exercise is meaningful to you and what value it’s going to bring to your life.
- Schedule Time to Exercise. The more often you do something, the faster it becomes a habit, so if you can, plan a little time every day to exercise. If you can only start with a few times a week, that’s fine too. Just schedule it in!
- Use the 90-100% Confidence Rule. Whatever and whenever you choose to do your exercise, you want to be 90 to 100% confident that you can do it. If that means starting with 10 minutes of walking around your house then do it!
- Need some accountability and support to make a lasting habit? Join the Making Sense of a Healthy Life Community!
- Want a workbook to guide you through all this? Enter your email and I’ll send it your way!