Perhaps the biggest excuse for not exercising is time. Not only is this the biggest excuse, it is also the worst. Let’s be honest. We all waste a lot of time in our day.
I have a hour commute (each way) to work. That is two hours during which I can’t do much other than complain about people driving in the passing lane and listening to the news or podcasts. (I think audio books would put me to sleep.) Still, I get in one to two workout sessions most days. I don’t totally neglect my wife (we do our best to keep up with our “15-minute check-in”) or my kids. Moreover, I waste my fair share of time on Facebook, checking e-mail, and playing games on my phone. Truthfully, I should be making more time to exercise.
Now, some may have busier schedules, and, honestly, my teaching schedule allows me a bit more flexibility than the traditional 9-to-5er. Nevertheless, there is time to exercise, and I still get around 7 hours of sleep most nights.
I do it by prioritizing my exercise time and using the time wisely. Sure, I could get better results training differently and training more (and if I focused on diet more), but I strive to be balanced.
It does not take much time to exercise effectively. To maintain cardiorespiratory fitness (and maybe even see some improvement), it doesn’t take much more than 20 minutes a few days a week. You have to be willing and able to ramp up the intensity, but it can be done. Unless one is training for bodybuilding or physique competition, 3 to 4 hours a week will be sufficient to see results. It is all about time management.
Begin with a time allotment. How many days a week? For how long? Commit to a time schedule.
For me, I have actually cut back on my time lifting weights. As a high-frequency lifter, I am taking a leap of faith and trying Jim Wendler’s 5-3-1 workout (https://jimwendler.com/blogs/jimwendler-com/101065094-5-3-1-for-a-beginner) four days a week. If I am on task, I am done in around 45 minutes. There are other similar programs, but I like experimenting for teaching purposes. It is built around four core lifts (squat, bench, deadlift, and press) and I add back to round out my “basic 5”. My schedule is as follows: Sunday—squats (Romanian deadlifts); Tuesday—bench and back; Thursday—deadlifts (front squats); and Friday—press and back. The main lifts are according to the 5-3-1 scheme. The exercises in parentheses are accessory moves done for 5 sets of 10. I don’t do other accessory work, e.g., arms and abdominals, as these are done on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons as part of my high-intensity interval resistance training (HIIRT; refer to my “HIIRT 100s Challenge, November 16, 2018). Cardio sessions are Monday and Wednesday mornings (moderate intensity steady state, MISS) and Tuesday and Thursday afternoons (HIIT) for 30 minutes each. This gives me my best balance of muscle strength, muscle endurance, cardiorespiratory endurance, and body composition work. The time commitment is minimal and flexible.
This fits my schedule. Everyone’s goals are different, and our time commitments are variable, as well. I have to get up before 5 every day and try to be in bed by 9-10 o’clock, but it works. If time runs short, I adjust. If I have to cut exercise short, I look at first being more time efficient—less wasted time. This can be accomplished with shorter rest times between sets and/or “super setting” exercises. If anything is cut it is what is least necessary toward my goals and such as to still benefit from the exercise I can do.
Before making time excuses, consider what you are presently doing and trim the fat—i.e., cut the unnecessary. If you have to watch TV, for example, watch it while you do your cardio. The time is there, if you would just commit to it.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!