So you’re a busy professional who is on-the-go from sunup to sundown. You want to take charge of your fitness but you can’t figure out how to make time for exercise. You’ve got a demanding job and a family to take care of. I’m going to give you the 4 principles that will allow you to make time for the gym, your business and your family.

First, you must set goals. As a busy professional you already understand that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  The same goes for fitness. You need to create goals and a vision to guide you along. Be very specific about your goals. For example: 

– How much weight do you want to lose?

– How many pounds of muscle do you want to put on?

– What do you want to look like when you see yourself naked in the mirror?

– What days and time are you going to workout?

– How do you want to feel?

– Why do you want to achieve these goals?

The more detailed you are with your answers the more you will achieve. When you have a clear target you are more likely to hit it. The more you achieve the more motivated you will be which carries you through the difficult days when you’re tired and don’t feel like going. 

Set up your surroundings to reduce the possibility of giving in to excuses. Keep sneakers, a few pairs of shorts and t-shirts in your trunk so you are always prepared.  If you don’t have time for a full meal before you leave the office then keep some protein bars or protein powder and flavored rice cakes at your office. Lundberg brand is the Absolute Best!…and no, they don’t taste like cardboard as other brands do.

Plan your workouts in advance. Take 10 minutes on the weekend to write each of them out.   Instead of wasting time, right before you exercise, deciding “what should I train today?” you can be listening to some pump-up music to get you in the mood to go KILL IT!  Planning also allows you to design a balanced program and keep track of your progress (weights and reps). That is your goal right?…progress?! Decide how many days you will commit to exercising and how much time you will allot to each workout.  You can get a lot done in 30-45 min if you work hard and efficiently. Get in and get out!

Finally, get your family involved. This can be fulfilling on several levels for you. It’s hard enough making time to strength train during the week.  You may also have the goal to keep your heart healthy with cardio training but that’s another thing you have to make time for. Instead of doing family movie night, make your family time activity time. Do a family hike, a family bike ride or family ultimate frisbee. You get to spend precious time with the ones you love, you get in your exercise and you help instill in them the value of staying active and having fun together.   You can make these outings fun and playful challenges. On your bike ride… “Last one back home has to wash the dinner dishes”. Frisbee… Losers serve desert to the winners tonight. You can be creative and make it interesting if you want.

You can make time for fitness. In order to make time for fitness you need to set specific goals, optimize your surroundings for fitness success, plan our workouts in advance and get your family involved. Follow these principles and you’ll be on your way to the cover of Men’s Health and the front page of Forbes. 

If you’re struggling to make time for fitness, then schedule a call with me and let’s create a plan for you to succeed.

Until next time, Be Relentless!