It has been a CRAZY busy few weeks. Honestly, it’s really been about 2 months since I have had a decent amount of time to blog, let alone work out. 2020 started off great, then with COVID hitting us mid March, 2020 became very, very slow. I found it easy to do at-home workouts, go on hour long walks with my husband, and stay active even while not getting to go to the gym. Fast forward to August 2020, and I started my new job teaching high school again! Such a blessing, but also such a whirlwind. I leave my apartment at 6:15am every day and don’t get off work until about 6 or 6:30pm every day. My commute to work is at least 45 minutes….so sometimes making it to the gym seems near impossible!
Working out and being active is something I am SO passionate about. I think my passion started when I was on Drill Team (dance team) in high school. I loved being active, moving my body, sweating, and feeling really accomplished after a long and hard practice. When I went to college, that was the first time I ever lifted actual weights! I took an intro to health class and we would learn how to use the weight room, how to implement different exercises, and basically…how to be fit! I loved this class so much.
Staying physically active has been such a big part of my career. With doing freelance dance choreography, I have to be able to do the moves, work long hours, and stay upbeat and positive all at the same time. Finding the time and energy to get my 30-45 minute workout in everyday has been somewhat easy. No excuses. This year, however, there has been a HUGE curveball thrown my way.
Like I said earlier, I work 12+ hour days….and that doesn’t always include my drive time. So, finding time to be a good wife, have a good career, be the best teacher for my students, and also have a social life has been TOUGH. I can easily see how people get burned out quickly in their careers. Work life balance is SO important. If you are saying “yes” to all the things I am saying, then this post is for you.
How then, do we find the time, energy, and drive to squeeze a workout into our already crazy and chaotic day?
Finding the TIME to workout
When it comes to finding the time, planning ahead is KEY. Set your alarm 30 minutes earlier than normal. If that is not your style, start blocking off a certain time every night to workout. This is something I always tell my students! If you have a lot of work to do (or homework), set your alarm for 30 minutes. Work super hard with no distractions until your alarm goes off. Once it does, stop what you are doing and do a quick 30 minute workout (it’s truly all you need!). You will feel super productive and have no guilt over not working because your intention was to work for 30 minutes at a time.
What about the ENERGY?
This one can be really tricky…but we gotta make it work! If you are a pre-workout lover, then this is a simple step. I have found that pre-workout performs best if you take it 10-15 minutes before you start your workout. That way once you warmup and start working out, the energy will start kicking in!
If you don’t want use pre-workout, then I will say, mindset is everything. We are all busy. We are all tired. But we can’t use that as an excuse. To muster up some natural energy, try doing 3 minutes of stretches. Stretching helps get the blood flowing in your body and that simple movement helps wake you up!
Lastly…the motivation..
Now this is the hardest part. How do we find the drive or motivation to actually workout?! There are some simple things we can do to get motivated. Here are my favorite ones..
- Create a vision board: post some motivational quotes, goal pictures, favorite celebrities, or whatever might motivate you. When I was trying out for dance teams, I would just stare at their uniforms or post the team photo where I could always be reminded of my goal.
- Make a workout plan: this will help hold you accountable. If you write out a plan and then put it to paper, it almost makes you feel guilty for not working out when you said you would!
- Get a workout buddy: I’m serious…when my husband goes to the gym with me, even though we don’t workout together, just knowing he is in the gym pushes me to not give up and to actually workout!
- Pack ahead of time: if you have your gym clothes already in the car, you feel pretty silly not putting them on! You don’t want to waste that time you spent planning out your workout outfit, packing it up, and putting it in your car for nothing!
- Tell People: share with your close friend that you are working out that day. More than likely, they will ask you the following day how your workout was….and if you didn’t workout…that’s sad!
Easy Ways to Workout
- Park farther away from the building!
- Take the stairs and not the elevator
- Do 5 minutes of abs when you wake up or before you shower
- Waiting for something to cook? Do some squats, lunges, or calf rises!
- Drink water during the day instead of soda
- Go to the gym. Even if your workout is only 15 minutes. That is still SOMETHING
- Watching your favorite TV show? workout during the commercial breaks!
I hope this post inspired you to workout! What are your favorite ways to workout?
