How Do Busy People Make Time to Exercise?

Tips on How to Create an Exercise Routine You Can Stick With.

No matter our age, marital status, work, and family life, the one thing that seems to be universal, around the globe, is that we are all leading incredibly busy lives. Cat Kom, the founder of SSoD, is joined by another busy woman in business Marie, who both still make time to work out daily amidst the chaos. In this vlog, Cat and Marie share some helpful tips on how you can make fitness a part of your life, and why it’s so important.

How can you fit in fitness?

1. A workout doesn’t have to be a whole hour to count. The hour of exercise stems from old school “Group X” thinking. It may be daunting to add another hour into your day. If so, even 20 minutes of movement is ok.
2. Schedule it like a meeting. Both Cat and Marie put their workouts directly into their calendars. And we’re not talking about just penciling it in. Make this appointment with yourself and commit to it.
3. Be accountable. In fact, be accountable to the most important person in your life – yourself. Make a date with yourself and then adopt the same mindset you do if you make a date with someone else. Don’t cancel. It can also be helpful to have a workout buddy or an accountability partner. Not so secret tip: this doesn’t even have to be someone in your own town. We’ve got a lot of Komrades who are workout partners with friends from around the world.
4. But what about those days you just don’t feel like it? Just get moving for a short time. Tell yourself you can just do 15 minutes of activity. You may find at the 15-minute mark, you’re ready to keep it going. Or not, which is also ok. Giving yourself this permission takes some pressure off. Cat sometimes will go out for a short 15-minute run to push through the doldrums, and once she’s warmed up and going, can power through 30 minutes or more.

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Find something you enjoy. You’ve maybe heard Cat say “the best exercise is the kind you will do.” Yep. If you look forward to it, you’re more likely to stick with a program. Any physical activity works, so try hiking, biking, swimming, kickboxing, you name it. Try shaking up the “where” to try a gym, a park, a lake, even your family room. There is so much variety out there, that if you keep trying, you’ll find your fit.
Marie will sometimes “stack” her workouts. For example, let’s say she doesn’t have a full hour to commit to a class. She might start with a 20-25 minute Spin class to get her heart rate up. Then when she’s all warmed up and in the zone, she may find a short upper body sesh to carve her arms and shoulders.

Why is fitness so important?

Stress relief. Cortisol (your stress hormone) will decrease when your endorphins (happy hormones) increase. Obviously, being happy is better than being stressed, right? Well, exercise is the way to make that happen. In the immortal words of Elle Woods, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands. They just don’t.” (Legally Blonde, 2001)
Physical fitness matters. Exercise helps you look better, feel better, and helps with weight management.
Injury Prevention. Increasing your body’s range of motion, strength, and flexibility will impact your ability to safely participate in daily activities. Exercise is also an important component of healing from an injury (of course, with your doctor’s approval).
Disease and illness prevention. Those who exercise regularly are less likely to get seriously ill. Regular activity can also reduce your risk of many chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, some types of cancer, and dementia.
Regular exercise helps promote positive mental health and overall sense of wellbeing. You’ve probably heard the recommendation borrowed from flight attendants to “put your own mask on before helping others.” Exercise is one way to boost self esteem, emphasize a positive attitude, and can help with anxiety and depression.