How To Fit a Workout Into Your Workweek

TIP #1:  SET A SCHEDULE

At the beginning of the week set a workout schedule.  I’m not talking about saying to yourself, “Ok, I’m going to workout three times this week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday after work.”  I’m talking about pulling up your iPhone calendar (or whatever you rely on) and actually inputting a 60 minute time slot into those three days at specific times.  Throughout the week as things come up, this will allow you to schedule and plan around your workouts.  If I have a workout on my calendar and my girlfriends text me to grab drinks I’m able to say, sure, I’m free after 7:30!  And stick to that 6:00pm run.

If I just say loosely “I’m going to exercise after work tonight” it’s so much easier to get distracted by all of the other things in my life—work, social events, TV shows that I’m binge watching, google image searches of the royal babies—important things that come up throughout the day and cause me to completely forget that I had a workout in mind.  Honestly, simply forgetting to workout is often my biggest problem.  I get caught up in life and work and all of a sudden it’s midnight, I’m going to bed, and I realize I completely forgot I had planned on working out.  If I had scheduled a workout and it was on my calendar (with a reminder set), I probably would have allocated my time differently during the day to stick to a more efficient schedule.

How many of you just google image searched the royal babies? ; )

If you’re a morning workout person, you especially have to do this—get it on the calendar and commit.  If you allow yourself to decide when you’re going to bed at 11:30pm (or when your alarm clock goes off at 6:30am) the likelihood that you’ll make an excuse and sleep in is so much higher.  The excuses I’m able to weave in a semi-comatose state when my alarm sounds at 6:00am and I’m supposed to decide whether or not to workout that morning are nothing short of extraordinary.  If you have it on your calendar and you’ve already decided (and better yet, prepaid for a workout class maybe?), you’ll be able to plan ahead so you can get to sleep earlier the night before your workouts and in the morning, there’s nothing left up in the air… except for a few expletives when you’re heaving yourself out of bed.

TIP #2:  FIT IN SHORT WORKOUTS & MIX IT UP

Ideally, we’d all have time to workout for 90 minutes a day, five days a week.  However, let’s face it.  Ain’t. Nobody. Got. Time.  If you know you have a super hectic week where you just can’t make your favorite 90 minute yoga classes, don’t forget that it isn’t all or nothing.  There are easy 10-20 minute workouts that you can do anywhere.  If you can’t schedule those full-blown sweat sessions, still schedule 20 minutes at home where you do a simple circuit of sit-ups, lunges and push-ups, for example.

In general, mixing up your workout routine is not only better for your body, but also better for your state of mind.  Personally, I can be a creature of habit and will sometimes end up doing the same workout class for weeks in a row.  However, after a few weeks I’ll burn out and all of a sudden feel bored of the routine, and eager to make excuses.  To prevent this, find a group of workouts that you enjoy, rotate them throughout the week, and don’t be afraid to periodically throw in a new workout class into your schedule.

Here are the 5 primary workout types that I do:

1. I’ve been a runner since I was young, and whether it’s on the treadmill or the streets of San Francisco, this is my cardio of choice.
2. There are a couple parks and some buildings in my neighborhood that have super long outdoor stairs.  I’m a big fan of a couple sets of stairs at the beginning or end of my run.
3. I love pilates, and particularly love pilates-yoga fusion classes.
4. I LOVE barre method classes.
5. I love Barry’s Bootcamp.
6. I keep 5, 10 and 15 pound hand weights in my apartment so that on days when I don’t have time to get to the gym, I’m able to do some lunges, sit ups, and simple weight training at home on a yoga mat.
7. I love the arm workout you get from bringing a cheeseburger from the table to your mouth.

I know, I know, there’s no spinning on that list.  It’s quite possible that I’m the only girl on the planet that despises spinning classes.  I can’t explain it.  I’ve tried several times and have always despised the whole thing.  Go figure.

TIP #3:  GEAR MATTERS

I spent the majority of the first 18 years of my life either at a sporting event or en route to my next sporting event.  Between that and growing up with boys, I was never big on what I used to call “cutesie” workout gear.  Admittedly, I used to roll my eyes a bit at the girls who show up to the gym in head-to-toe pink lululemon matchy-matchiness.  I was always more of the girl who threw on a pair of old basketball shorts, a t-shirt from an 11th grade tournament and ran out the door.  However, after getting some amazing Under Armour running shirts for Christmas a few years ago, I was shocked at the enormous difference they made in my workout and immediately started hoarding them in troves.  For me, lightweight, breathable fabrics that wick sweat away are among the most prized possessions in my closet.  Below is all of my favorite workout gear:

P.S.  Was this post helpful?  Are there more topics that you’d really like to hear about?  Please let me know in the comments!