Last night after a full day of homeschooling and several hours of personal training, I finally got time to exercise. Getting on the treadmill at 8:00 p.m. was not what I wanted to do either. I wanted to go home for dinner!
My energy was in the basement and I felt a little nauseous. I started at a jog to warm up then took the speed up to run. Over the next 45 minutes I stopped a few times to get a sip of water and let my stomach calm down. It was not my best workout for sure, but I got it done and hit my calorie goal.
Tonight a client told me how difficult it is for her to exercise consistently. Her schedule varies from day to day and exercise gets pushed out. “If I could exercise at the same time every day, it would be so much easier,” she said.
True! (I would love to get my workout done early in the morning before breakfast!)
I encouraged her to fit exercise in however she could. “My exercise schedule is all over the place,” I told her. “Monday and Tuesday I work out at night. Wednesday in the middle of the day. Thursday and Friday in the morning. And the weekend, could be morning or afternoon.”
For me, I look a day or two ahead and plan it out. As my schedule fluctuates, I rearrange my exercise time. But I ALWAYS make time for it.
This can be tough and frustrating. I don’t like exercising any other time than in the morning. If I have too much food in my stomach I feel pukey. If it’s evening, my energy is shot for the day.
I’ve come to realize that not every workout session is going to be fantastic. I have to give it my best effort each time. When I can exercise in the morning, or when I’m feeling strong, I work my tail off and get in a “super” session. I know I will have a day or two of mediocre workouts.
The point is, whether you can get a great workout in or not, get some exercise in! Any time of day or night (my cousin walks her big dogs in the light of the moon), squeeze it in. Make it a daily practice. Make exercise a priority no matter how tough your schedule is.
