How to Fit in Fitness!

Whether your goal is to tone up in 30 days for an event or establish a lifetime commitment to health, scheduling at least daily ten minute tone-ups requires time-management skills. It’s so easy to get caught up in our busy lives. How many times have you put together a “to-do” list and never get to the “doing” part? Today I want to help you explore ways to fit a minimum of ten minute tone-ups into your schedule.

Prioritizing: It is often said that if you want something done, ask a busy person. Successful business men and women, dynamic homemakers and people who pull off both roles all have two things in common: They are busy and they prioritize. You can incorporate daily ten minute tone ups into your life with a little of that wisdom. Make FITNESS a PRIORITY in 2013!

Leaving Things Unfinished: Sometimes it’s just more effective to leave things unfinished. Have you ever heard of Franz Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony?). I am by no means suggesting that you not complete your New Years fitness goals. LOL! I am suggesting that not finishing other things that aren’t as important may afford you more time to complete the high-priority items more effectively. For example when I am writing a book or a column there are always tight deadlines. I make a conscientious decision to make that a priority. Therefore, my desk is not as neat as it could be – cleaning has been left unfinished. Are there mundane things in your day-to-day life you can keep unfinished so that you can schedule a minimum of ten minutes to tone-up?

Finding a Workout Buddy: Can a workout buddy help you stick to your workout schedule and help you get great results? Now – this is VERY IMPORTANT!!! It depends on the type of buddy.

• Avoid a Bad Buddy: A bad buddy constantly makes excuses to skip a workout, such as shopping or just being too tired. He or she may spend the whole session talking, which exercises your jaw but not much else. And it’s not unusual to be coerced into going out afterwards for something fattening to eat. Boot the bad buddy bye-bye! Well, at least do not depend on this person to help you stay motivated and focused on your fitness goals.
• Getting a Good Buddy: Getting a good buddy is a great idea. The camaraderie can help both of you stick to the schedule. If you slip, he or she encourages you, and vice versa. Together, you eat healthy, stay active and committed, and offer each other helpful tips.

Entertaining Fitness:   Who says fitness has to be boring? To stay enthusiastic, you can make it more entertaining. Do your toning up while watching a favorite DVD, TV show or streamed movie, for example. Many people enjoy running on a treadmill or peddling a stationary bike while reading their kindle or Ipad. Use your MP3 player to listen to your favorite music – or perhaps an audio book. In any case, entertainment can distract you from becoming overly conscious of what your body is doing.

Toning Up as a Family or Group Activity: Because you are probably not isolated on top of a mountain, you might find that family and friends can make it harder for you to fit exercise into your schedule. It’s healthy to balance your life with fun family outings and social interaction with friends. Spending quality time with your loved ones is priceless. These people should be a priority. Show them that you care about them as well as yourself by scheduling fitness together. This is a healthy choice that can benefit all involved.

Getting together with family and friends doesn’t have to mean you all become couch potatoes. There certainly is nothing wrong with delving into deep, profound thoughts with your loved ones while you sit on the sofa pontificating, or laughing or just having fun. However, how much richer the conversation can be after a planned physical activity! Your mind is stimulated after exercise and your body feels good. Think about going out dancing with friends or taking the family on a hike. Try racquetball or a favorite sport.

Logging Your Activities: One of the best ways to schedule fitness into your life is to log your activities. Be as specific as you can with your log. Jot down everything you do, from walking at the mall to doing a ten minute tone-up session. Don’t forget to write down the time spent on all activities. Use this logged information to help you increase your activity level and to chart your progress.

Making a Support System: There is nothing like the dynamic energy and enthusiasm that can come from being surrounded by a positive support system. A team that believes in you and offers unstoppable encouragement can take your health and fitness goals to new heights. You can start to build your fitness team by removing non-supportive influences in your life, such as spirit crushers, your own inner demons, or perhaps substance abuse.

I personally make every attempt to surround myself with positive people and energy. This is not an “everything is rosy” tendency, because that’s not real. What I mean is you should try to surround yourself with genuine people who love you enough to pump you up with words of encouragement to help you be your personal best – now that’s real. Let your support system inspire you to adhere to your fitness schedule.

Using Reminders:     Tying a string around your finger is not the only way to remember to schedule a minimum of ten minutes of fitness a day. The secret is to discover what works best for you. You can leave yourself a note, keep your equipment in the middle of the living room until you complete the workout, or send yourself a text – whatever works for YOU!

Say No to Others: Sometimes taking time for yourself can cause others in your life to get upset. Obviously, I don’t mean to skip your visit to an elderly relative who depends on you for outside stimulation. I’m talking about deciding whether you are volunteering to do everything at your garden club or at work as a way of getting out of doing a workout or taking care of yourself. Remember that life is about balance!

Discovering Your Personal Optimum Fitness Time:   One of the best parts of doing a minimal simple ten minute tone-up session is that you can do it wherever and whenever you want. You may wonder when is the best time to schedule your sessions to get optimum results. Some experts push morning workouts as if they were the only option. That’s fine if you are a morning person and your schedule allows for it. It can even give a sluggish person more energy in the early hours of the day. However, if you are so slow in the morning that your techniques and form are off, it might be better to do your workout later in the day. Your workout sessions will be more effective if you do them when you are at your best. Consider what time of the day fits best into your life schedule, as well as when your body responds most efficiently. That’s your optimum fitness time.

Use the above tips to help you fit in fitness everyday of your life. You CAN be successful. I also strongly encourage you to kick it up a notch and turn those ten minute tone-up sessions into longer workouts when your schedule permits.

For more great workout tips please download a copy of TEN MINUTE TONE-UPS for Dummies (Wiley) for just 99 Cents. Now available in a portable user friendly digital “mini version”! Shhhh! 🙂

And until next time!…… Strut your stuff on the red carpet of life! Shhhh! 🙂