We all know by now that maintaining an active lifestyle should be one of our top priorities in life. There is always a lot on our daily agendas. We have our inbox full of e-mails, back-to-back meetings, kids’ sports, kids’ school, and you haven’t even thought of dinner yet. So there goes your workout you thought you were going to get in. The Spinning®, Yoga or Barre class is scrapped off of your calendar. Most of us struggle with making time for exercise. A few minutes of physical activity can drastically improve your mindset, stress level, productivity, and health. Yet it’s the first thing to be crossed off. So, how can we solve this paradox? I have some ideas for you.

Start Small

As the runners like to say, the first mile is always the hardest. If you haven’t been working out for a while or were never big on it before, one of the best ways to introduce exercise is by starting small. Go easy in the beginning so that your body can adapt. There is no reason to go gung-ho right away and then get injured or discouraged. Like any other goal you want to achieve, a healthy body is achieved through exercise consistency and patience. Doing simple bodyweight and core workouts will give your body time and mind time to adjust. Just start with 20-minute workouts every day. I am a big advocate of 20-minute workouts. I am sure you can set aside 20 minutes a day, and trust me, it will go a long way.

Consistency is Key

Consistency of your workout routine is essential. No one expects you to find multiple hours every day to workout. That can only happen if you are an elite athlete. You don’t need numerous hours—or even 30 minutes—to get a complete, effective workout. Have a mindset that something is better than nothing. Even a 10-minute workout works wonders. An effective workout routine and the right frequency, short and high-intensity exercises can give your mind and body excellent benefits. Don’t skip your workout with a lame excuse. Excuses will always be there; it’s too cold and dark out, it’s too late, I am too tired, and so on.  Squeeze in a workout, even if it’s a short one.

Embrace the Work-Workout

How about running to your workplace? Well yeah, that’s what I said. If you live close by, its time to embrace the run commute. You can keep a change of clothes at work.  Well, if you don’t like running, then how about cycling to work? Using the time when you might have been sitting in the car or bus is an easy way of getting in your exercise for the day. If you live far from work, then turning your commute into a workout isn’t the way to go, but you can turn your lunch break into your workout? It’s easy to take your workout clothes with you and hit the corporate gym. If your work doesn’t have a gym onsite, find a gym close to work.

Choose your Fav

It’s best to know what you like. Find a workout style you will love. There are tons of different modalities of exercise. You don’t like running; then you might like yoga, weightlifting, or dance. Self-awareness is always helpful. The more you enjoy the work out the better you will feel doing it, and you will try to fit it into your schedule more often. It might also be easier to choose a form of exercise that fits your lifestyle, personality, and taste if you don’t know which modality you like. Don’t be afraid to experiment. As a bonus, if you pick an exercise modality that is portable and can be done anywhere, whether you’re traveling or just getting home late, it will be easy to get it done. Ideally, this will be a form of exercise that doesn’t require equipment or prep work. Like bodyweight strength training, bodyweight HIIT, and running.

Early Morning Workouts

How about early morning workouts? You can wake up one hour before your routine time and get in a morning run or lift weights. Prep for the exercise at night by laying down your workout clothes at night. I had a client who loved to sleep in but, she could only work out in the mornings at 6 a.m. She used to sleep in her workout clothes. This way, when she woke up, she didn’t have to decide if she is going for the workout. She was ready to go after brushing her teeth. That was the only way she could commit to working out in the morning but, she got it done. Find ways to make it easy for yourself to work out in the morning. Your body will thank you. Early morning workouts are great mood boosters, and you can start your day with a healthy bang.

Track Your Activity Levels

Tracking your workouts is very important. It can give an insight into your progress or lack thereof. There are tons of fitness trackers on the market that will do this job for you. I track my running mileage on Strava. It helps me stay motivated in the long run. If you are not a techy person when it comes to fitness trackers, mark what you did on the calendar. Measuring your activity levels will signal when you’re slipping off your workout routine before losing the habit altogether. Tracking your activity can be a big motivator for you too. Once you start seeing the improvement, you will keep going on.

The above tips can help you on how to start turning exercise into a habit.  A big part of starting is having the right mindset about a healthy lifestyle. You will have to make some changes and adjust your schedule. Try to stay positive about your decision and don’t let the excuses take over. These changes will be easy if you start small, squeeze in the workouts in the time you already have, and track your daily activity. Soon scheduling your workout will not be stressful. In fact, you will have so much fun working out that you will want more of it.