How to find time in a day for exercising when you already don't have time to sleep?

I'd like to start this post by saying that you can only find time for something when it's a priority for you. Otherwise, I can give you endless advice and tips on how to find time in a day for exercising, but there will be always more important things that will stop you from doing it.

I witnessed this conversation the other day. One young woman, a mother of two, said that she was always going to the gym late at night after her kids went to sleep. And the other one replied that she would never do that because sleep was more important for her. There is nothing wrong with that response as consistent lack of sleep can make you feel constantly tired, drain your energy and hurt your immune system. Other people could also respond that they don't find time for exercising because they "work long hours", "have their hands full with kids and their activities", "would rather spend extra hour with their spouse", etc.

So if working on your body, keeping or getting yourself in shape is not high enough on your priority list, it indeed is very hard to find time for exercising. However, if you truly want to include working out in your busy schedule but are still struggling with making it happen, below are my personal tips that you can consider.

Is exercising a priority for you?

You might jump into saying that working out is a priority for you, but is it really the case? Think of these questions. How does it make you feel when you haven't been able to fit exercising into your schedule for a while? Do you have to get in shape, or lose weight because of some serious health condition? Do you have some upcoming event for which you have to get slimmer, fitter, etc?

For me personally, it all comes down to the first question. I know people who need to lose weight to lower their blood pressure or get slimmer to fit into that special dress for their best friend's wedding, but are still procrastinating taking steps towards it. Why? They are comfortable enough in their current state. It's not pressuring them enough to change anything. But when some situation makes you really unhappy, that's when you might actually get up and start doing something. 

So my advice, first of all, is to start with understanding what's truly important for you at this moment and setting your priorities. If exercising appears high on the list but you also want to spend every spare moment of your day with your child, for example, then you'll have to find the way to workout only during your child's sleeping hours. If you priority is to go back to the gym while not sacrificing quality time with your family, you'll need to find an arrangement that will make it possible, like working out during lunch time.

Secondly, start by setting realistic, achievable and measurable goals. If you haven't exercised at all for a while or did it sporadically, don't expect to be able to commit to 5 workouts a week every week. Start with going to the gym twice a week and see if you can sustain it. When it starts feeling natural and becomes a necessity, you can slowly increase your exercise frequency. Once you have your initial routine, you can find some helpful tips on how to stay motivated and keep on going in my earlier blog post here.  

Practical tips on how to find time for exercising

1.      Minimize time waste. Find an arrangement that minimizes your commute to the gym. It is, of course, ideal if you have a gym very close to home or work (depending on the time of the day you can commit for exercising.)

2.      Experiment with different times in the day to exercise. And see what works best for you. For example, in the first few month after my daughter was born, I could only manage to exercise very early in the morning. So I used to wake up at 5:30 am to do my Insanity workouts. Later on I joined the gym near our house where I could take late night classes after the baby was asleep. And next I switched to the lunch time workouts as I was able to find a gym near work with a great lunch time fitness class selection.

3.      Gym membership is not the only solution. If it is not possible to find a gym nearby, there are other options to consider, such as working out at home, jogging outside or exercising in the nearby park.

4.      Commit to something that will really motivate you. I know a few people who signed up for a marathon, triathlon, or some other future athletic event as a way to commit to consistent physical routine that would be required to prepare for it. And in some cases those were people who had never even done challenges like this before. These examples are very inspirational.

5.      Explore resources available. If you decide to exercise at home but have no idea what to do, there are plenty of options out there to get you started, from YouTube videos, DVDs, or apps. My personal favorites are the 8fit app that I use multiple times a week and a YouTube fitness channel by Lauren Hefez, which is my life saver during work travels. I have also done Insanity DVDs twice after our daughter was born three years ago.

6.      It doesn't have to be 1 hour long! Don’t have an hour a day to workout? That doesn't mean you can't have an efficient exercise routine. There are a lot of online videos and programs that offer shorter higher intensity workouts. All the workouts that I'm doing with the 8fit app, for example, are only 10-20 min long. And the company's belief is that such exercises, combined with well-balanced nutrition, is all you need to achieve your fitness goals.

7.      Consider fitness challenges. If you can't manage longer exercises but are willing to commit to short but consistent workouts, fitness challenges might work for you. Those are short targeted workouts with increasing number of daily repetitions that you do over a defined time period. Fitness challenges are great for getting you into a consistent routine. They can also be done with a group of friends, which adds extra accountability and team spirit. 

8.      Create your support group. If you are really dreaming about getting back in shape or creating a consistent workout routine, but your willpower is failing you, don't underestimate the power of "support groups" or peer pressure. Share your goals with your partner, friend or family and ask them to check with you regularly on your progress. You'll be surprised how much energy and motivation you can get from those who love you and care about you.

9.      Make it fun. Why not combining a workout with catching up with your best friend or a nice brunch with friends after? Wouldn't that make you look forward to that workout? In our pre-kids era, my girlfriends and I used to take this wonderful outdoor yoga class on summer Sundays at 6:30 am and then head out for a nice brunch nearby. This really made for a perfect Sunday morning. Later on, when I was pregnant, my friend and I made it a tradition to meet in the pool on Saturday mornings for a 1 hour swim and chat. It can also be fun to take a fitness class when traveling. When I went to Boston a couple of weeks ago, my friend offered me to join her on her regular Saturday morning gym class. What can be better than sweating with friends?

10.  Don’t get discouraged. Once you are able to establish your initial routine, there will be still times when you slip off because of other plans, travel, work deadlines, family events, etc. When that happens, it is totally okay to take a step (or many steps!) back and start small again before getting completely back to your established routine. Don't guilt yourself - it is only going to discourage you.

There are many other ways of introducing or re-introducing exercise in your daily life. If you have a child, you can look into "baby and me" classes or let your child play around you while you workout at home. You can try to find a friend who would like to wourkout with you once a week. If you are traveling, you can check if the hotel you are staying in offers some fun classes that you won't normally take at home, such as paddle board yoga. I think you got the idea. 

And now enough talking. Time for actions. But before you jump into any commitments, be honest to yourself and analyze why you want to start exercising and whether it's really a priority. Then, start small and set realistic goals. And I hope these tips will give you enough ideas to get started. I'd love to hear your success stories!