How to Find Time for Your Workouts

Ask anyone why they haven’t made it to the gym in a while and you’ll likely hear the same mundane excuse—I don’t have time. Unfortunately, this is an excuse we’re no longer buying into, at least for the most part. Yes, life gets busy at times, and you may have to skip a workout or two, but if you’re not making it to the studio each week, it’s not really that you don’t have time, but that you’re not finding the time. Let us help you put an end to this common excuse once and for all with a few simple ways you can find time for your new exercise routine. Remember, your health is worth it!

Block it Off on the Calendar

You already schedule and prioritize plenty of other events throughout the week, such as doctor’s visits or baseball practices, so why can’t you schedule and prioritize your workouts just the same? Health and wellness should never be low on your priority list, as both of these things can affect every other aspect of your life. Therefore, your workouts deserve a reserved timeslot on your calendar each week.

This process might require you to change your perspective on what is or isn’t considered a priority—there are things that may come up and seem urgent at first, but in reality, they can actually wait until the next day or even the next week. Once a workout is on your schedule, do not change it. Commit to your fitness goals and don’t let other things that can wait get in your way. This will help you stay on track, even when it seems like unexpected things are popping up more frequently. Plus, pre-scheduled workouts are a great excuse for getting out of those less desirable events.

Now, if you must miss a workout for another important commitment, it’s okay! Don’t beat yourself up about it. However, the important thing to remember is that you must get right back on track with your next scheduled workout, or else you might start a new habit of skipping your exercise each week. Always aim to never miss more than one or two workouts in a row so you can continue reinforcing your good exercise habits.

Prep Ahead of Time

The best way to find time for your workouts is to plan ahead, but we’re not just talking about when you plan to visit the gym. There are plenty of other important tasks you can get a head start on to help make time for your workouts, so nothing gets in the way of your scheduled sweat sesh. For example, you can pack your lunch (and your gym bag) the night before, so you don’t spend your whole lunch hour driving around to get food. This can free up some time for a quick, 30-minute workout during the second half of your break before you get back to business.

You can also complete certain tasks in advance as well to make it easier for you to head out to your workout. This includes chores such as laying out your gym clothes, filling up the car with gas, packing a water bottle or snack, or anything else you usually need to do before you head to the studio.

Meal prepping is another great habit you can form to help plan ahead, especially on busy weeknights when there’s little time to spare. Take advantage of free time throughout the week to pre-chop vegetables or marinate meats, so you or someone else can simply toss them in the oven or crockpot when it’s time for lunch or dinner. This can help free up time for a KILLER workout, and you’ll still have a delicious dinner waiting at home when you’re finished.

Lean on Friends or Family for Help

There are probably plenty of people in your life who are willing to help, and all you have to do is ask! It’s incredibly difficult to balance your responsibilities and your new fitness routine in the beginning, so why not lean on friends or family for help? You don’t have to do this alone—you can reach out to people you trust and delegate certain tasks to get them off your plate, so you have extra time for working out.   

For example, maybe your spouse could start getting the kids ready for school on alternating days, freeing you up to squeeze in a morning sweat sesh before work. Or, perhaps, you could ask your parents or a trusted friend to pick up the kids after school, so you have 30 minutes to work out before heading home. Delegating tasks to others you trust is great way to free up time for your workouts, so you can focus on your own health and wellness without distractions.

Another reason to lean on friends or family for help is to gain accountability for your workout routine. If someone is going out of their way to help you with a particular task so you can focus on your fitness goals, you won’t want to skip your workout and let them down. You also could find a punch partner who is willing to be tough on you when you don’t show up for a workout, so you can be held accountable for your fitness goals, even when you lack the motivation to get to the studio.  

Make it Convenient

Renowned author, James Clear, talks about how you can make small changes to improve your daily habits in his book, Atomic Habits. This New York Times best-seller offers countless evidence-backed ideas for how you can make good habits more attractive and bad habits less attractive, but one of the key points Clear makes in his book is that you need to make your good habits easy, or convenient.

Of course, exercising daily or weekly is one of the best habits you can form to work toward your fitness goals, and the more convenient you can make working out, the easier it will be for you to stay on track. 9Round already helps with this principle by removing class times with our nine-round circuit system, so you’re never stuck to a specific timeframe. We also keep things short and simple with a brand-new, pre-programmed workout that only takes 30 minutes, so you don’t have to think about what to do, and you don’t have to spend hours at the gym trying to get fit.

Find out how easy it is to get your KILLER workout in at 9Round. Start this week with a free session at your local studio, and we’ll tell you more about how we can help you work toward your fitness goals with our triple-threat approach to wellness.