1. Exercise provides a plethora of health benefits and protects from a multitude of diseases and health disorders. Spending even just 25 minutes a day on exercise (the minimum recommended amount of physical activity) will increase your productivity and protect you from dozens of hours wasted on being sick or feeling suboptimal.
Physical activity is not the question of whether you have time, but whether you can recognize the value of this investment. Thanks to improved energy, focus, creativity, and mood, 25 minutes a day can result in an additional hour (if not more) of productive time.
2. Working out in the morning should become a part of your daily routine – even if it’s just 15 minutes of stretching or a 20-minute bike ride. People who are always busy run the risk of not being able to squeeze in exercise time in the afternoons or evenings. It’s easier to wake up 20 minutes earlier and do your exercises than exert willpower or shift your schedule to exercise at the end of the day.
3. While mornings are best for quick exercises you may not necessarily look forward to, afternoon and evening workouts should be all about things that are fun.
If you’re looking forward to your session at the end of the day, you won’t need to use your willpower to exercise. Not only that – you’ll actually consider it something that recharges you, something that you can’t wait to happen. That drive will quickly make it a permanent, unbreakable habit.
4. Don’t forget about the weekends. If there’s absolutely no way you can find time to exercise during the week, you have no excuses to find one to two hours each Saturday and Sunday to exercise. It doesn’t have to be a specific sport – even a simple long walk or going for a hike will help get your body moving and deliver the health benefits associated with physical activity.
5. You can use your time more wisely to make more time for exercise. The primary ways to do so include delegating certain tasks (like cleaning), replacing daily habits (doing the same things, but in a more active way such as choosing your bike over your car), setting up a home gym or carrying fitness gear with you, having active dates and meet-ups with friends (instead of just going to a local café), using a pedometer that will turn daily activities into a fun game, and doing exercises in micro amounts such as 5 push-ups each hour.