busy, busy, busy…

Lately, I’ve been struggling to find the energy, motivation, and time to exercise.  I love a good workout, but with life being super busy these last few weeks – and no sign of it slowing down anytime soon – I realized I needed to start prioritizing my workouts more.  It’s not always easy to fit movement into your schedule, but it’s always worth it.  Here are my top tips on fitting exercise into a busy schedule!

set goals

Whether you want to get stronger in general, be able to lift a certain amount, run a specific distance, or just do some form of movement that you enjoy every day… I encourage you to make it a goal.  I decided to make it a goal of mine to move my body for 30 minutes every day until the end of the year, and just the act of setting a realistic goal and timeline has helped me tremendously.  

*It also helps to write down your goal and put it somewhere you will always see it – your planner, lock screen, mirror, wherever you know you’ll see it each day!

schedule it in

Because I’ve participated in sports for most of my life, I got used to having someone else schedule my daily movement.  Now that I’m not on an athletic team, I’m in charge of my exercise routine.  This can come with a lot of pros and cons – for one, I love getting to set my own schedule and choose what to do that day, BUT it also makes it harder for me to actually follow through because I don’t have someone holding me accountable.  

What’s helped me overcome this is scheduling my workout into my planner, setting reminders on my phone, and telling Nick my plans.  

make movement joyful

Your daily workout should not be something you dread!!!!  You should be excited to do it – or at least excited about how great you’re going to feel after.  Don’t force yourself to exercise in a way that doesn’t make you feel good.  Listen up: if you catch yourself not enjoying a workout, YOU DON’T HAVE TO FINISH.  I used to start a workout, be miserable and bored while doing it, and still continue because I thought it was “quitting” or “cheating” or “bad” if I stopped partway through.  But guess what!  It’s perfectly fine to stop doing something if you’re not having a good time.

mix it up

I’m sure some people out there (Nick) are perfectly content doing the same form of exercise every day.  I, on the other hand, would rather not.  Sure, there are things I enjoy doing more than others, and I definitely go through phases where I do just want to do one form of movement every day, but that’s not how I usually am.  

I like to mix things up by running, strength-training, do flexibility workouts, golfing, biking, walking, swimming, passing a volleyball around, jumping on a trampoline… you name it.  Don’t be afraid to try new things; it’s a great way to mix things up, and you might even find something you LOVE!

be kind to yourself

If you’re really not feeling up for a workout (which happens to all of us), don’t beat yourself up.  If your workout didn’t go exactly as planned, or you didn’t do as well as you wanted, don’t beat yourself up!  Nothing good can come out of that.  

Instead, try to re-frame your perspective.  Instead of saying, “I should’ve done better,” say, “I know I can do better next time.”  Be nice to yourself. (:

listen to your body

If you’re tired and sore and feel like you need a break… take one.  Not every workout is going to be hard-core, sweat dripping everywhere, face on fire – and it shouldn’t be.  Your body needs some easy days to relax and recover.  So if you’re feeling like you need to let up a little bit, I encourage you to do some light stretching, a calming yoga workout, go on a slow walk or bike ride… do something you know will help rejuvenate your mind and body while also being enjoyable.

I hope these tips gave you some inspiration and encouragement to go make yourself a priority and move in ways that make you happy.  I’m proud of you! (: