Exercising in 2023 – How To Fit A Work Out Session Into Your Busy Schedule

Like many working adults, I used to be a textbook “weekend warrior.” On Saturday and Sunday, I’d go for really long runs or hit the gym hard. But then Monday through Friday, my only exercise consisted of walking from my car to my desk at 8 AM, and from my desk to my car at 5 pm. Needless to say, it wasn’t ideal. Not only that, it wasn’t sustainable. I’d end up injuring myself during one of my warrior weekends and be out of commission for weeks.

Don’t get me wrong — exercising on the weekends is still way better than not exercising at all. But it doesn’t make up for sitting on your bum all workweek long. There’s really no way around it. Weekend warrior or not, it’s best to find a way to work in exercise at least twice during your work week. But establishing a fitness routine for your work week isn’t a big deal as long as you have a good strategy. Here are some of my best tips for making it work:

1. Focus on forming the habit first

If you’re not used to exercising on workdays, your first priority is to find a way to actually do it. The quality and duration of your workouts at this point is secondary. When we get that coveted burst of motivation, the tendency is to hit the ground running, both literally and figuratively. But be careful with this, because while being motivated is great, it can cause you to be a bit overzealous. If you start pounding out three miles every morning before work after six months of zero exercise, you’re soon going to get hurt and discouraged.

2. Turn your commute into exercise

If you’re fortunate to live close enough to your office, experiment with biking to work. Granted, this takes a little extra planning and organization. But if you can make it work, biking to work has many advantages. Not only will you get a good workout, but you’ll also save money on gas, and it’s environmentally friendly to boot! Try a test run on a Saturday for an idea of how long it will take to get there. Depending on the distance and climate, you might be able to get away with biking to work in your work clothes. But in hotter weather, bringing a change of clothes may be wise!

Again, start slow and bike to work one or two days a week. You can increase the frequency as your body adjusts, and save the car for those rainy (or snowy!) days.

3. Make physical activity a part of your workday

It’s important that your fitness routine includes activity throughout your workday. Studies indicate that eight hours of sitting every day is frighteningly unhealthy, even if you exercise. Set your Outlook calendar to remind you every hour to get up and walk around. Take the stairs to and from your office instead of the elevator. Instead of holding your next department meeting in the board room, take your colleagues for a brisk walk around the block to discuss the topic at hand and bounce ideas off each other. They seem like small, silly things, but they can make a huge difference to your health and longevity!

4. Try shorter sessions, more often

While some studies seem to indicate that it doesn’t matter how you divvy up your 2.5 hours, spreading out your sessions can make them easier to fit into your schedule. After all, no matter how busy you are, you can find 10-15 minutes to exercise. And yes, science supports that such short sessions can make a positive impact on your health and fitness levels.

To make the most of these sessions, fill them with maximum-effort exercises. HIIT is perfect for this!

5. Seriously consider early morning workouts

In my opinion, mornings are by far the best time of day to exercise. A lot of people are really resistant to AM workouts, and I get it. Mornings tend to be enough of an undertaking by themselves without throwing a circuit of burpees into them.

Getting up a little earlier doesn’t have to be that bad. Plan out your mornings the night before so that you aren’t wasting time searching for your outfit or making lunch. And remember, shorter sessions are still great! I’m telling you, get those 10-15 minutes in before 7 am, and marvel at how it transforms your day!

6. Experiment with other times to work out

Everyone is different, and a fitness routine that works for one person might not work for the next. If mornings are absolutely not for you for some reason, then the other two logical times for the nine-to-fiver are either the lunch break or after work.

The lunch break exercise session can be viewed as the best of both worlds. You don’t have to wake up early or make any changes to your evening schedule. It does take some extra strategy and organization but can work in a pinch. I’ve gotten in a 20-minute workout and then still had time to freshen up, pick up some lunch, and get back to my desk before the hour is up. But it’s not ideal if you’re doing high-intensity exercises where you get really sweaty, or if you want to incorporate a longer workout. Plus, depending on the nature of your job, there’s an increased risk of something coming up at work that totally derails your chance to work out (or even take a lunch break at all).

Evening workouts are the last option, and in my experience, the least effective time to incorporate a fitness routine. There’s a mental fatigue that tends to take hold by the end of the day, which makes me less likely to stick to the plan. If this is the only time you can exercise, I would recommend going straight to the gym from work without going home first. If you work out at home, keep your workout clothes/shoes by the front door so you can grab them and put them on as soon as you get in. And just know that if your tush so much as touches that couch, your plan to work out will go right out the window!

7. Make Your Fitness Routine Non-Negotiable

You aren’t going to just stumble into your workout gear and find yourself holding a barbell. In order to make your fitness routine work, you need to hold yourself accountable for sticking to the plan. You have to fully commit to these times the same way you would your most important obligations.

Think about when you wake up for work. Sure, you’d much rather sleep in instead of getting up at the crack of dawn to go to your job. But you don’t say, “Maybe tomorrow I’ll get up and try to go to work then.” You get your butt out of bed and go to work because you’re committed.

Finding your reasons for this commitment to a fitness routine is a whole other topic. But a good place to start is by thinking about what’s important to you about exercise. Then choose some goals to shoot for and write them down. Refer back to these goals whenever you need a burst of motivation!