People with busy lifestyles: Advice on integrating fitness into schedule

Lately I've been getting up at 6AM to put in a 45min workout, either a Bowflex (weights) or a NordicTrack (ski machine), which seems to be working well for me. I do this because I am very much a morning person and prefer working out in the AM.

For general fitness in a space limited environment, you might look at running, which you can do with a minimal/medium startup cost (shoes, running clothes) and do almost anywhere and anytime with a bit of planning and if you don't have a time of day preference. You can buy a perfectly good set of dumbbells cheap or second hand and do quite a lot with them, finding various exercises online.

Calisthenics are another option.

I'd avoid the P90X thing. While I've heard it's quite effective from various sources, it also wants you to buy a boatload of supplements and other stuff that just doesn't get mentioned in the infomercial. Assuming you have the space to do it of course. No idea if the other similar programs do this or not.

Hope this helps,

Todd

 

I wake up extra early to do the Insanity workout DVDs before going to work. I never know when I'm going to get home from work (could be 8 pm, could be 1 am), so before work is the only time I can do it. As much as I am NOT a morning person, I find that working out in the morning makes me feel better all day.

 

The tips that I found online were:
-Wake up an hour early
-Put your goal up on a board or on your goal so you have a reminder
-Start off easy so you don't feel discouraged, and work up to higher goals
-Be very specific: i.e. set a time fram in which you want to reach your goal, stick to one goal for at least a month and then change it, for variety's sake.
-Try to give yourself an incentive, and make it a priority, that way you won't feel it's easy to give up on it, and it will eventually become a habit.

Hope this helped. I'm starting to work out myself. :goodluck:

 

I think I heard this on The Biggest Loser and found it inspiring. I'm paraphrasing it since I don't remember word for word: If you were diagnosed with treatable cancer would you not get treatment because you don't have enough time? Granted that's for people who are pushing the line between a little overweight and obesity but it struck a chord with me. We don't "find" time we have to "make" time. I'm now doing p90x every evening (I don't like showering in the morning - totally ruins my hair for the day ) and it feels great. Well, the first week was hell, but after that, I felt great

 

It's a bit insensitive to compare a person of size to a person who has cancer (for both parties). I realize it comes from elsewhere, but I just wanted to emphasize that having some extra pounds is not a disease - some people find it preferable, even.

However, if you do want to start working out, there's something to be said for the idea that you just have to make time. Many people find that once they do start working out, they have much more energy and time becomes less and less of a problem.