Scheduling Time to Workout
Find yourself running out of time to workout? Don’t leave your training schedule up to chance!
There are many reasons someone might miss a workout. In most cases its usually a case of deciding to indulge in something a little easier (e.g. an evening spent watching TV). But in some cases it comes down to running out of time. Or let me rephrase that: perceiving a lack of time to workout. Whether it’s running out of motivation or just simply running out of time in a day, scheduling your workouts can be the solution.
A study published in the British Journal of health Psychology assessed 250 adults for motivation to exercise. One group had scheduled their workouts and the other group just went when they ‘had a chance.’ As you can probably predict (why else would I bring it up) the study showed that the group that scheduled their workouts felt far more motivated to show up. This makes sense when you think about it. Having a workout scheduled sets it up as a priority and you’re more likely to structure the rest of your day in accordance to make it fit with your other responsibilities. Instead of being something that you have to ‘get around to’ it becomes something that you are going to do.
Do it right
Of course, all the scheduling in the world won’t help if you still lack the motivation to go. So here are some scheduling tips:
Schedule your workout at a time when you’re already on the move and in-between activities (such as after breakfast or after work before you get a chance to relax into your couch at home).
Tie it to an activity that you already do and enjoy so that you look forward to it (e.g. listening to your favourite podcast, picking up a coffee etc.)
Pick a time that is unlikely to be impacted by disturbances (e.g. don’t schedule it for the same time that you usually have dinner with your significant other).
Try to go at roughly the same times to reinforce the habit
Go ahead and put it in your calendar if you need to, don’t make your fitness goals an afterthought!
Plan ahead
Since you know when you’ll be going to the gym you can plan ahead to set yourself up for success. That can be as simple as packing your gym bag before work and putting it in your car so that you don’t have to go home to pick it up or preparing your preworkout drink ahead of time (TIP: most people find it hard to resist going to the gym after they’ve consumed their preworkout!).
In a similar vein, having your workout planned should encourage you to make sure that you are properly hydrated and fed prior to exercising (for maximum performance and energy).
It’s not always easy to stick to an exercise routine, but with time it gets easier. One of my favourite proverbs regarding meditation is: “If you don't have time to meditate for an hour everyday, you should meditate for two hours.” Don’t take the quote literally, but think on it. In 99% of cases there is enough time for things we care about, whether that’s meditation or exercise.