MAKING TIME TO EXERCISE

In 1999, shortly after graduating from law school, I passed the bar exam and accepted my first job as an attorney.  I learned rather quickly, that practicing law is a demanding career and it requires far more than 40 work hours a week.  Many professionals, not just attorneys, work far greater than 40 hours a week.  Combine working hours with the hours many of us spend in our daily commute and shuttling around our children, there are often few hours left in the day to do anything else. 

When I started my fitness journey, I would get up at 4:30 in the morning so that I could head to the gym to exercise with my personal trainer.  I would exercise for an hour, shower, get dressed and then dash off to court.  Initially I was exhausted every day because my body had not adjusted to waking up that early.   I would come home each night and go to sleep by 8:00 p.m.  It was brutal on me.  I could not stay up late for anything.  I remember going to dinner with friends and nearly falling asleep at the table.  But, eventually, my body adjusted and to this day, I still wake up at 4:45 a.m. 

Today, I cannot dash off to the gym first thing in the morning.  Now that I have my daughter, I get up early and get on my treadmill at home for no more than 30 minutes and then I start preparing for my day.  After I get my daughter up and off to school, I head to work.  I normally hit the gym an hour or so before I have to pick my daughter up from school.  This has become my routine.  It does require a tremendous amount of discipline.  

Do I have bad days?  Sure.  Some days I over sleep.  Sometimes I have to finish a project at work that takes up all of my day and I cannot go to the gym.  But, when I have days like this, when I get home, I will head outside to my back yard with my daughter in tow and I do lunges, burpees, lift free weights and do abdominal work.  When I exercise at home, I try to include my daughter as much as I can so that she will learn that exercise is a permanent part of our lives.

I challenge you to keep track of how you spend each hour of your day for a week.  I can almost guarantee that there are more than enough hours a week that you could be exercising.  It will mean sacrificing some things.  For example, that hour or two you spend watching television a day could be used to exercise.  You will have to be committed to making a change.  I don’t watch much television at all.  In fact, the only television in my home is in my daughter’s paly room.  I don’t own another.  Why?  Because I realize that the television can take far too many precious hours away from doing things that really matter in life like spending time with your family or taking care of yourself.  Am I suggesting that you get rid of the televisions in your home?  No, not necessarily.  But, I do encourage you to make a sacrifice.  And once you reach your fitness goals, I guarantee you will not regret it. 

Schedule your daily exercise the same way you would a doctor’s appointment.  I keep a calendar with all of my workouts scheduled.  There is power in writing things down.  It helps keep you focused and accountable.

Make exercise a priority.  Put yourself first.  For that 30 minutes to an hour you plan on working out, don’t get tempted to do something else.  Emergencies will come up occasionally, but many things that we tend to use as an excuse not to exercise can be done at a later time.

Get a personal trainer.  Nothing holds you accountable like a good personal trainer.  I never missed a training session with my trainer when I started my fitness journey.  I felt that if I cancelled on my trainer at 6:00 in the morning that would really make my trainer unhappy with me.  So, I never missed.  And, if I did try to wiggle my way out of training he would not let me!  Invest in a personal trainer.  A trainer’s knowledge and ability to hold you accountable is invaluable.  If you are not ready to hire a trainer, sign up for a group fitness class.  That way you can begin to establish a fitness routine.

Find a gym, boot camp or group fitness class that is close to your home or job.  Busy professionals need to maximize every minute they have and a long commute to the gym can be counterproductive.  Find a gym that is close to your home or job.  There are many great small independently owned gyms that can meet your fitness needs.  You do not have to look for the big name gyms.  Convenience is key.

When looking for a gym, take a tour, ask questions.  Finding a gym that makes you comfortable is very important.  Don’t just sign up at the first gym that is running a special.  Take the time to speak to the employees at the gym.  Is the gym clean?  Can you try out the gym or class for free before you join?  Try to visit the gym during the day and hour you will most likely be there working out.   

Get a workout partner.  Even if you have a personal trainer, having a workout partner is great.  You both can help each other during your workouts and keep each other motivated and accountable.

There many ways you can try to incorporate exercise into your life.  But, the bottom line is you must be committed.  It will be tough in the beginning because it is new.  Someone once told me that any thing you do consistently for 21 days becomes a habit.  I don’t know if this is true or not, but when I start a new routine I keep this in mind and never give up before 21 days has passed.  Every time I have tried this method, it seems to work for me.  So, give it a try.  Do what you know will work for you in becoming consistent.  And as always, I’m here to help and give advice.