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As we get busier and busier, fitting exercise into our schedules becomes more difficult. It seems there’s always something that needs to be done! Too often, our exercise is sacrificed to make room for other pressing matters. With daylight savings and the onset of winter, things get even more tricky. Darkness, bad weather and tight schedules aside, getting enough exercise each week is extremely important for our physical and mental health. The fact is, we’re all busy! Using ‘busy’ as an excuse isn’t going to do any favours for our fitness level and overall health, so it’s time to prioritise exercise and make a place for it in your daily routine. Here’s how!

Keep it Regular

Consistency is key when it comes to maintaining a solid exercise regime. If you incorporate time for exercise into your schedule every day, you come to think of it as just another thing you have to do – one that can’t be replaced. Make a little plan for the week where you list all of your regular commitments and figure out a way to add some exercise in there. It might be that on three days of the week you get up 45 minutes earlier and go for a run, or on Wednesdays you take a longer lunch break and fit in a gym class. Maybe evenings work better for you and you can have a slightly later dinner. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Keep it Interesting

Variation is important to ensure you stay motivated. Doing the same form of exercise every day will get boring after a while, and losing interest usually results in slacking off. I like to do several different kinds of exercise each week. As an example, you could go for a brisk walk on two mornings, a yoga and pilates class two evenings, a high intensity gym class like Pump or Spin two other days and a bike ride in the weekend. Simple! Trial and error is a good process here. Have a go at different activities and see which ones you enjoy the most and work best for your body.

Keep it Snappy

One of the main reasons we struggle to fit exercise into our schedules is because we view it as a long task that takes up a big chunk of our time. However, it’s better to exercise in short 30-45 minute bouts every day than a couple of longer sessions each week. Mix it up and have brief workouts during the week when you’re working and longer ones in the weekend when you have more free time.

Keep it Fun

Workout with your friends! This is a great way to catch up and stay motivated. Instead of meeting for a coffee, go for a walk on the beach or cycle around a park together. It’s fun and takes your mind off the fact that you’re exercising. Enrolling in a weekly class like yoga or AB&T together is another great way to encourage each other. Make it a regular thing that you do together – it’s surprising how great it can be.