This is great that you are looking forward ways to develop the habit of exercising and fit exercise into your busy schedule. I personally love exercising. I feel great when I exercise. I personally love helping people schedule out times to ensure they fit exercise into their busy schedule and develop the habit of exercising regularly.
My hope and desire is for you to make time to fit exercise into your busy schedule and enjoy and experience all of the amazing benefits of exercising.
What are the benefits of exercising?
Before I give you some tips to fit exercise into your busy schedule I want to make sure that you have looked at how exercise is beneficial so you can connect to it. Here are some benefits of exercising:
- control weight (lose weight)
- decrease body fat
- fit into clothes better
- get stronger
- reduce and manage stress
- become more flexible
- improve balance
- increase stamina, energy and endurance
- get stronger
- get leaner and more defined muscles
- reduce belly fat
- walk for longer distances without getting tired
- reduce and prevent falls
- improve heart conditions reducing resting heart rate and blood pressure
- live a better life with Parkinson’s reducing symptoms
- reduce risk of heart disease
- manage diabetes and help improve insulin levels
- improve mood
- get up and down easier from a sitting position which is extremely important for older people
- improve bone density decreasing risk of developing osteoporosis and helping people who have osteoporosis
Why is Exercise Important to You?
Deciding on why exercise is important to you I think is essential when planning out fitting exercise into your busy schedule and developing the habit of exercising. I listed a number of benefits that people have experienced from exercising and I could’ve kept writing many more.
Why is exercise important to you? I had a lady who hired me to help her to lose weight to look good for her sons wedding. I have had many people hire me to reduce their Parkinson’s symptoms so they walk and move better and slow the progression of their condition. I have had people who want to look and feel better. I have had people who want to improve their balance, feel more comfortable walking, fall less or prevent falling, and feel more secure.
What is your reason for exercising? Why is it important to you? What is going to motivate and inspire you?
What is Your Goal For Working Out?
Having a goal and a reason for working out can help you to be motivated and want to do it. The key is setting goals that are important to you, making a plan and doing it.
An acronym for goal setting is:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Timely
This format gives you a structure and a focus to set a goal and go after it. The key is to have a goal, a plan to achieve it, and then to do it.
With exercising a good goal is to do it regularly.
Become Internally Motivated to Workout
Becoming internally motivated can really help you develop the habit of exercising and fit it into your busy schedule. When you know why you are exercising and are motivated to do it you will be more likely to plan it out and do it.
Plan out your workout in advance
Over the 30 years training people I have found that when people have planned in advance when they are going to workout they are more likely to do it. I have found that when people don’t plan their workouts out in advance they tend to not get their workouts in. It’s easy to forget about working out especially when you are trying to fit exercise into your busy schedule.
Plan your workout before the week starts if possible. Look over your week and figure out days and times that could work for you to exercise.
Use a Planner to Plan Out Your workout
Having something to write and record your schedule can help you tremendously to get you to physically and mentally plan out a time to workout and fit exercise into your busy schedule. A planner can help you to create structure around you workout schedule and the other things that are important in your life.
- Get a planner to write in when you are working out
- Get a wall calendar where you can schedule and see when you are working out
- Schedule your workouts in your phone or on your computer and set reminders
Prioritize Exercising and What is Important in Your Life
Many things can be either pressing for you to get done or just be something you like to do. I think it’s important to have a balance of going after your goals and relaxing and having fun.
Lets go back to why is exercise important to you. If you have deci that exercise is important to you and will make your life better then prioritize it as well as what else is important in your life.
Stephen Covey wrote I believe one of the most important books which became a best seller called The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. He talks a lot about prioritizing what is important in your life. He talks about 4 quadrants.
- Urgent and important
- Not urgent and important
- Urgent and Not Important
- Not Urgent and not important
Explanation of the Four Quadrants
Quadrant 1-Urgent and Important
- Crisis
- Deadline driven
- Pressing problems
These are things that you definitely need to tend to and take care of.
Quadrant 2-Not Urgent and Important
- Preventon
- Relationship building
- Recognizing new opportunities
- Planning, recreation
You can look at exercising as not urgent and important. No one is saying you got to do it now, however developing the habit of exercising can help make your life better in so many ways and reach your health and fitness goals.
In quadrant 2 is where you focus on what is important in your life and what will benefit you towards achieving your goals whether it’s focused on prevention or focus on taking action. The key is to align your life making sure that you’re doing things that are going to help you most as well as making time for fun and tending to crises and deadlines.
Quadrant 3-Urgent and Not Important
- Interruptions, some callers
- Some emails, some reports
- Some meetings
- Some pressing matters
Quadrant 3 can be very distracting. These things seem like they need to be done right away or done bu you. However, many of these things can be done at another time or delegated for someone else to do. Don’t let these activities interfere with you doing what is important.
Quadrant 4-Not Urgent and Not Important
- Triva, busy work
- Personal social media
- Tv
- Some phone calls
I believe it’s healthy and beneficial to have fun and make time for leisure and recreation, however it can be very detrimental to spend excessive time doing stuff that interferes with getting what is important done. it can be very tempting to stay on your phone surfing the internet, checking social media, and watching tv.
When trying to develop the habit of exercising and fitting exercise into a busy schedule look at your schedule, plan out time for what is important, fun, and be careful of spending too much time doing things that interfere with you achieving your goals and what is of value to you.
Develop Positive Thoughts Towards Exercising
What you think about exercising is very important. You are reading this article to get tips on fitting exercise into your busy schedule which is great and develop the habit of exercising. The question is what are your thought like? Do you love exercising? Do you like exercising? Do you believe exercising has or will make your life better?
When thinking about working out especially when you are trying to fit exercise into a busy schedule I think it’s important that you have a positive association with exercise.
If you are thinking I should exercise, I have to exercise, I don’t really like exercising, exercise is boring then it will be very difficult to plan out exercise and do it especially regularly.
Have Things Around You That Will Positively Remind You To Exercise
James Clear in his book Atomic Habits talks about many ways to develop a habit. He talks about making it:
- obvious
- attractive
- easy
- satisfying
A big passion and concern of mine has been to help people develop the habit of exercising. I am finishing up creating a planner designed to help people schedule their times to workout, develop the habit of working out, schedule what is important in life, and of course time for fun, rest and relaxation.
I have been creating a whole line of products to help make exercise obvious and attractive. These products are:
- signs with sayings
- pictures with sayings
- men’s t-shirts with sayings
- women’s t-shirts with sayings
- men’s long sleeve shirts with sayings
- women’s long sleeve shirts with sayings
- men’s hoodies with sayings
- women’s hoodies with sayings
- men’s sweatshirts with sayings
- women’s sweatshirts with sayings
- men’s workout pants with sayings
- women’s workout pants with sayings
- mugs with sayings
- iPhone cases with sayings
- men’s hats with sayings
- women’s hats with sayings
Many of these have sayings on them to inspire and motivate people to exercise, to develop and form positive associations with exercise to remember how much:
- they love exercise, hiking, walking on the beach
- better they feel when they exercise
- better their life is because they exercise
I want living an active lifestyle, exercising, and eating healthy to be something that people think about. I think it is very easy to forget about exercising and what is important in life. I want to help people develop as many positive associations to exercising, eating healthy and whatever is important in one’s life that will bring them peace, joy, health, and happiness.
Utilize the Power of Habit Stacking
I heard about the power of habit stacking while reading Atomic Habits by James Clear. Habit stacking is where you connect a habit you are already doing to one you want to develop. An example of habit stacking would be to walk after a meal, like going for a walk after breakfast.
give habit stacking a try to develop a habit of exercising regularly or any other habit. Decide in advance what habit you are ready doing would work to do the new habit you want to form.
Utilize the Power of Making an Implementation Intention
You are probably wondering what an implementation intention is. I learned about this from James Clear too while reading Atomic Habits. An implementation intention is where you write down your plan. An example would be, I am working out at 10am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Tom at the gym. I think creating an implementation intention gives you a plan to do something structure, clarity, focus, and direction. Deciding on a time, day, place, who to do something with in writing I think is one of the most powerful and effective things you can do to develop the habit of exercising regularly and fitting exercise into your busy schedule.
Take your habit development to a new level by declaring in writing and even better to someone to form your habit. Think through your schedule of your best times and days to workout. Then put it in writing.
Hire a Trainer
Starting to workout and staying motivated can be quite challenging. I have been training people for 30 years and have found that when people hire me they wind up working out regularly and consistently getting great results. I put people on a schedule that my clients agree to and they stick with it. It is nice to see people working out consistently week after week, month after month, and year after year.
Deciding on a time that works and sticking to it with the help of someone holding you accountable to meeting with you in person is very beneficial. I have found it really works and helps people workout regularly.
Do Short Workouts
The thought of doing a full workout might seem like too much especially if you are trying to fit exercise into your busy schedule. Breaking your workouts into smaller components would probably help you get your workout in. You could do a short mini workout for whatever time you have.
Do an Online Workout for the Time You Have to Workout
There are many options of time when doing an online workout. Fit a workout in that would work for your schedule.
Do a TRX Workout
The TRX is a suspension trainer. You can get a really good full body workout in a short time and work your core as well.
Go for a Walk
Depending on how much time you have you can decide how much time you have to walk. Even if you have a few minutes to take a walk, that’s ok. The key is to do it. If you have more time to walk like 15, 20, or 30 minutes even better.
Choose Beautiful Scenery to Exercise In
Going to places that inspire you and make you feel good can motivate you to workout. If you have beautiful and uplifting scenery you might think of going and exercising to just see and be closer to nature. I am motivated to workout and go to places that look and make me feel good.
Workout in the Morning
Working out in the morning is a great way to make sure you exercise. I love the feeling of working out in the morning. i feel refreshed and energized. I had a client I trained early 5/6am. She said she felt
Park Farther Away
You can get extra walking in by parking farther away. This is a good habit in general to exercise more. You also will feel good getting
Take a Bike
Biking is fun and a great way to get your workout in. If you are able to go places by bike in general it would be a great way to get more time exercising. I used to bike all the time when I was younger. Writing this article is getting me to think about doing it.
Go for a Run
You can definitely get a lot out of going for a run even if you don’t have much time. Say you have 5, 10, 15 minutes a good run can really be great to do.
Meet to Exercise With A Friend, Family, or Significant Other
Fitting time to get together with someone can be quite challenging especially if you have a busy schedule. To get your workout in and spend time with someone you can plan to exercise together like meeting to:
- Walk
- Go for a bike ride
- Hike
- Workout
Create a Home Gym
Private gym in luxury home 
Couple In Home Gym Exercising With Weights And Using Running Machine
Being able to have easy access to working out at home can help you to fit your workout in. You can do something simple and easy like getting some home exercise equipment like:
What are some things to get for your home gym?
- Dumbbells
- Exercise Mat
- Bands
- Exercise bench
- Recumbent Bike
- Upright Bike
- Spinning Bike
- Treadmill
- Elliptical
- Gliding Discs
- Agility Ladder
- Balance Board
- Rower
- Exercise Machine
So What is Your Plan to Develop the Habit of Exercising and Fitting it into Your Busy Schedule
Developing the habit of exercise and fitting it into your busy schedule ultimately takes you focusing on planning it out and doing it. Invest in yourself and reap the amazing benefits exercise offers. Decide on when, where, with whom you are going to work out with. Ultimately, commit to working and regularly and as Nike says, “Just Do it.”
I hope I have inspired you and gave you some ideas. Contact Jonathan Rose if you have any questions or if you need help. I would love to help you get on a schedule to workout consistently and get amazing results.