Get creative to fit exercise into a hectic life

One week, you’re riding high on life and you even exercise four times. The next week isn’t so great and you only make it once. Lack of time due to having a life is the most common excuse that people make when it comes to exercising.

“If only I had more time” is the most common excuse made by those non-exercisers.

It’s easy to blame lack of exercise on a hectic life, but exercising doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Exercising is an activity that can be fit into your individual schedule. All it takes is some creativity to continue to get your sweat on.

Here are some creative ways to exercise that I recommend to clients.

• Start your day like a champ and commit to exercising for 10 minutes.

Do you have a busy day ahead of you that leaves no time to head to the gym? No problem.

Or perhaps you are just starting to exercise and you don’t feel comfortable heading to the gym.

The gym isn’t the only place you can exercise. Starting at home is the perfect solution for people with either of these challenges.

Commit to a simple goal of exercising for 10 minutes and gradually build up as you get more comfortable with exercising. Start by including some squats, pushups, jumping jacks and planks.

Let go of the snooze button and there’s your extra 10 minutes.

• Have your gym clothes ready before you go to sleep.

Who thinks about exercising while they’re half asleep? No one I ever met. The likelihood of you going to exercise dramatically drops if you don’t have any clothes laid out the night before.

If you work out in the evening, then pack your clothes and shoes in a gym bag and take them with you to work. Don’t fall into the trap of “I’ll go home first, then to the gym.” If you do, flipping TV channels is likely the only exercise you’ll end up getting.

• Use your lunch break to your advantage.

Instead of gossiping about the latest news in the break room, sneak some activity in. Think of activities such as taking a walk in a nearby park or strolling the streets downtown doing some people-watching.

Not only does taking a walk relieve work-related stress, you’ll also get some valuable vitamin D from the sun.

• Who needs a gym when you can have one at home?

If you are anything like me, then some days, you don’t feel like going to the gym. An alternative to going to the gym is having your own workout station at your home.

Invest in a set of dumbbells or kettlebells and performing a full-body workout becomes simple, convenient and easy since you’re not competing with 20 other people for the same piece of equipment.

• Get moving during commercial breaks.

I don’t know about you, but commercials are a huge annoyance. A sneaky way to get some exercise in is to exercise during every commercial break. One of my favorite shows is “The Walking Dead,” which is scheduled for 60 minutes; that means 40 minutes of actual viewing.

Use the other 20 minutes to exercise. If there are five breaks during the show, then you can pick five different exercises and do one during each scheduled break.

Julian Hayes II is a fitness and lifestyle coach and writer based in Nashville. He believes anyone can achieve the body they’ve always wanted while still living a fun and adventurous life. Learn more at 206fitness.com.