Make Time For Exercise

I don't know about you but I really find it hard to make time for exercise. Maybe you feel this way too. Whether you work at home, outside the home, are raising a family or are single, there never seem to be enough hours in a day. We are on the go from early in the morning until late at night. Most of us look back on each day and think about what slipped down the to do list. For me, it's usually exercise.

If that describes you too, how then do we make time for exercise? I've tried all kinds of ways to build it into my day. I'm sure you have too. I've tried the health club track a few times. I walk/run with friends but with us all having different time demands it's inconsistent at best.

As years went by and because I became a work at home mom, I thought joining a health club that would be the answer. It would get me out of the house. However, going to a health club just became a time consuming, guilt-producing chore.

I mean first you have to "get ready", then drive there, do your work out, shower there afterwords or come home and change. Minimum 2 hours. I don't know too many working moms that can make time for exercise 2 hours a day. That goes for many singles and non-working folks too. We are all busy.

My Create A Home Gym Attempt

My next attempt was purchasing a treadmill and some small home exercise equipment. I often wonder how many of us have done this sort of thing, whether it was buying an exercise machine or two to building an entire home workout area. I have to say I loved getting my shiny almost-new treadmill. I had visions of getting fit and saving loads of time because all I had to do was go into another room to walk for miles. Next thing I knew we were using it as an extra place to hang laundry. Sound familiar?

Recently a reader wrote and asked how she could make time for exercise when it never seemed like she could fit it in with her family's busy schedule. She mentioned that she had a elliptical machine sitting in her basement collecting dust, along with some hand weights and an exercise ball.

An Exercise Machine... Desk?

I did a little research and discovered several sites that teach exercise at home routines that include very little equipment. On one of those sites, I learned about treadmill desks. Treadmill desks?? I had never heard of such a thing but the idea intrigued me. I mean most of us are on the computer for one reason or another through out the day. Whether you're working, paying bills, Facebooking or e-mailing it's time that we are typically just sitting.

One thing led to another and I discovered that if you already had a treadmill or most other common exercise machines, you could add a desk to it quite inexpensively and exercise while you work on the computer. An efficiency experts dream! You could also spend thousands of dollars and purchase a high-end custom exercise machine desk. And there are all kinds of options in between.

Build Exercise Into Your Activities

I sent the reader who inquired the idea for the treadmill desk and some suggestions on how to make time for exercise which included the following...

• Sit on your exercise ball when watching TV, working on your computer or at other times when you are sitting. You actually are working your core when sitting on it even if you're not intentionally exercising.
• Keep your hand weights in a spot where you'll walk by them everyday. That means picking them up too! Do a few sets each day even if it feels like you aren't doing enough. Every little bit of toning you do adds up.
• Try doing some of Denise Austin's (my favorite fitness expert) quick exercises that you can do throughout the day like her mini "desk-ercise" routine. They all work to help you tone.

Update On My Treadmill Desk

I really liked the treadmill desk idea since I work at home online and already owned a treadmill. However, the more affordable options pretty much meant building your own treadmill desk which never materialized.

About a year later I came across a new and simpler solution called SurfShelf which is a laptop holder that attaches your laptop to ANY exercise machine (treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical trainer, stair master, etc.). After I conducted some due diligence I discovered it was extremely durable and affordable at the same time so I went for it.

I'm happy to say my treadmill is no longer a clothes hanging rack but is now my new office area. I highly recommend turning a treadmill or other exercise machine into a work area as an efficient way to make time for exercise. You can pay bills, watch YouTube videos, write e-mails, or even work while you tone up and walk off the pounds.

Hope some of these "make time for exercise" tips work for you.

Do you have a quick tip for building exercise into your busy schedule? I'd love to hear from you!