As a busy fit mama & coach I hear this phrase quite often ‘how do you find the time to do it all?’. Great question!
Here’s the honest truth – do you ever really ‘find the time’ to do anything? No way! You MAKE the time, right?! Wanna go to the movies or on a hot date – you make the time for it. Wanna read a good book, or go watch the sunset – you make the time for it. Exercise and fitness follow the same rules. If you wanna rock that bikini, you make the time to work on that body of yours. After all, it is the only one you get in this life, so let’s take good care of it!
Here are my top 10 tips for making the time to exercise when your schedule is simply bananas…
1. First things first
I say this to my challengers quite often. Do your workouts first thing in the morning before your brain figures out what you’re doing. lol. But seriously, getting it done first thing frees you up to the entire day ahead without any guilt or fear of failure.
2. Block it out
If first thing in the morning just isn’t an option for you, then set a realistic schedule and stick to it. If you stick to your iCal as closely as I do, then block out the time and don’t let anything else push it off.
3. Have a plan for how you’re going to sweat
The most common mistake we all make is to say ‘I’m going to get into shape’ without giving much though into HOW we are going to accomplish that. Having a workout system with a clearly laid out calendar, rest day and even a meal plan will help you focus on getting to those goals faster. I highly recommend the 21 day fix program with Shakeology. The fantastic portion control containers and 30 minute workouts with all those superfoods and nutrients are setting you up for ultimate success. There’s no room for failure if you stick to the program!
4. Include your kids
If finding that dedicated quiet time to get your sweat session in just doesn’t happen – then don’t fight it, work with it! Include the kiddos in your sweat session and watch how much more you’re able to accomplish! I even go so far as to get them their own yoga mats and little 1lb weights so they can really ‘get into it’ with me.
5. Make the jungle gym your bootcamp
My kiddos love to run and play so we often spend our days together at the park. I try to make the most of it by running around with them, chasing after them, and getting my workout in while still being mom. I like to think of it as my bonus calorie burn for the day. Why not?!? Instead of sitting on the sidelines checking your email or Facebook, jump in and make it count!
6. Don’t beat yourself up
Let’s be realistic, some days just get away from us. You can’t always plan for a sick child, or a sick parent, or just a no-good-very-bad-day. Don’t be yourself up for missing a day. Just don’t quit! Pick yourself back up the next day and try again. One small step every day, makes one GIANT step down the road.
7. Make any space a home gym
The reason I fell so fantastically in love with BeachBody systems is because you can do them just about anywhere you can find space to do a pushup. A hallway, a garage, a living room, you name it and viola! You’ve got yourself a home gym. Especially with the new BeachBody On-demand feature. Any place with an internet connection and a smart device is now my home gym. Thank heaven for that!
8. Have a support system in place
It’s just so much more fun to workout with other people. Maybe you’re a little competitive like me and you like to have someone else to push you to do just one more sit-up, or maybe you’re a bit extroverted and you just like having other people around. Whatever your thing is, honor that by finding the right support system for you. I’m a natural introvert so I don’t really like being in a room full of other people, let alone a room full of people watching me sweat. So running online support groups is totally my jam! A nice, quiet space to check-in online and hold each other accountable is exactly what a lot of us need. If you like the sound of that shoot me an email so we can chat about the next group I’m hosting online. { kelly@kellywestover.com }
9. Make it worth it
At the end of the day you want to be able to look back at the day’s happenings and feel accomplished and satisfied. One of the mantra’s I’ve adopted is ‘make it worth it’. Blogging, coaching, full-time job-ing and all the other things I do can take a lot of time away from my family, so I very carefully evaluate things before I commit to them to make sure they fall in alignment with my mantra. If I’m going to choose to workout in my living room instead of build a giant block tower with my kids, I better make that workout worth it the entire time!
10. Make your well-being a priority
I remember after each of my two pregnancies allowing myself to get a little lost in all the hustle and bustle of life, mama-hood, wife-hood and job-ing. It wasn’t until I make the decision to make me a priority that things actually starting changing for the better. Life got a little sweeter each day that I chose to make the time to work on my physical being. And now that I weave personal development and coaching into my days they get even sweater as I work on my spiritual and mental growth too. Making yourself a priority is a must. After all, we only get this one life and this one body, so let’s make it count!
PS – I still have 2 spots available in the mentorship program running this month.
Click on over here to apply and let’s take you places together! <3