Having a hard time fitting exercise into your day?

You’re not alone. “I don’t have time” is the number one excuse people give for not exercising. You don’t have to make drastic changes to your life to fit exercise into your schedule. A few small sacrifices can ensure you get the exercise you need in the least amount of time.

The first step to finding more time to exercise is to evaluate how you currently spend your time. You should track your activities over a few days. Next, categorize your activities into those that you “must” perform and those you “choose to” perform. You “must” shower, eat, and go to work every day. You “choose to” watch a television show, read a book, or surf the internet. Studies have shown that 87% of the population report watching an hour or more of TV a night, and 77% reporting that they spend an hour or more reading or otherwise relaxing. Chances are you do have “free time” but you haven’t made exercise enough of a priority.

People make time for things they enjoy and exercise is no different. Perhaps the reason you can’t find the time to workout is because you lack the motivation that comes with enjoying exercise. Consider a new workout routine that sounds “fun” to you instead of a chore you feel obligated to perform. Don’t get stuck in a rut either. Changing the way you exercise on a regular basis will keep you from getting bored and create new challenges for your body to adapt to.

Finally, commit yourself to exercising regularly and form exercise into a new habit. It is said that repeating an action regularly for just twenty days can make your brain see it as a habit, something you don’t even have to think about doing consciously. Try to exercise at the same time each day for three weeks and see if at the end of that time period you find it a more natural part of your daily routine.

The key to making time for exercise in your daily life is to start taking action today. If you still feel that your schedule is too overwhelmed then start small. Find a ten-minute activity that you can purge from your daily routine and replace with a short walk. The important thing is that you start right now.

This article was written by Amy Blades Amy is a professional health and fitness writer hailing from the East coast of Canada. She has been involved in the fitness industry for more than eight years and has several writing credits both online and in print.