Making Time To Exercise - No Matter How Busy Your Schedule Is

If there is one thing thats true about human nature, its that we are creatures of habit. To be fair, this can work for or against us. One of the habits we often want to foster is the one of exercising more, yet our schedules seem to be so busy that they conspire against us. Is it really possible to fit exercise into a busy schedule? Yes it is, and here are three ways to do it.

Think in short blocks of time - Believe it or not, you do not always have to engage in marathon sessions of exercise. The old rule of thumb was that you needed to exercise for 30 minutes straight to get any benefit from it. Newer studies have shown that even three blocks of ten minutes each throughout the day can be beneficial, too. This is good news for those who have busy schedules, because it is much easier to find or free up ten minutes of time, than it is thirty.

Write it down - As long as we are talking about schedules, we may as well mention this tip right away. If you want to make time for exercise, then write it down as an actual part of your schedule. Do not make a mental note to stop at the gym on the way home, and dont rely on the good intentions of taking a walk right after dinner; no, that wont do. There is almost a magical power that comes from putting pen to paper and making something an actual part of your schedule. Any time you look at it through the day for your other appointments, its there, staring back at you and reminding you to do it.

Use every available moment - Apart from short blocks of time, and writing down exercise breaks you can also harness those odd little moments that seem to pop up frequently. Even a few seconds of jogging in place, a few jumping jacks, or running up and down an extra flight of stairs or two will add up over time. Stretching, tensing and relaxing muscles, walking, or lifting weights can all be made to fit any of amount of time you have free.

It really is possible to make time for exercise in any schedule, when you know how to do it. Remember, these tips look good on paper, but will only produce results if you actually use them. Make the decision to get fit now, and foster exercise as a good habit. When your friends ask you how you could possibly get into shape with your hectic schedule, you can tell them, then smile confidently knowing that you made it happen.