Making Time for Exercise

I receive a lot of questions about my workout routine, especially around how I am able to fit my workouts in during my lunch break!  Everyone’s life is busy and while we all have the same number of hours in a day, it often feels like there is never enough time to get alllllll the things done – I TOTALLY GET IT!  Often times, exercise is put at the bottom of the priority list, and by default, it is one of the first things we let go when we are busy.  I’m sure it is no newsflash that the key to getting in (and staying in) shape is making exercise and nutrition a priority, just as you would your job, your family, eating, etc.  Always remember that you have to be your best self to be the best for everyone around you.  Taking 30-45 minutes out of your entire day to make time for you and your overall health and well-being should not be a sacrifice, it should be a MUST!

Now onto my routine.  I typically work out 5-6 days a week.  I only do cardio on two days, and all other days are focused on strength training.  For the most part, I stick to the Faster Way to Fat Loss workouts, but every once in a while I will mix it up and do something different.  During the work-week, I do my best to go to the gym during my lunch break, but some days that cannot happen due to lunch meetings or other commitments, so I’ll go after work on those days.  My office is about a three-minute drive from my gym, so that makes it super convenient for me to go at lunch.  One of the most common things I get asked from people is how in the world I am able to get back into my work clothes and return to the office right after working out!?  Trust me, I get this!  For years I would never even think about trying to work out at lunch because I never thought I would have enough time to make myself presentable enough to go back to work.  A few years ago it started getting harder and harder to make it to the gym after work regularly in the evenings, so I decided to give the lunch-time workouts a try and ended up loving it.  I have my routine down to a science now, and since some of you wanted to know the down and dirty, I am sharing my quick “refresh” steps below.

• I do not have enough time to shower at lunch, so I keep a hand towel and wipes in my gym bag, and when I finish my work out, I try to dry up all the sweat, wipe down with the body wipes, then reapply some deodorant and get dressed.  In the past I have just bought baby wipes, but I really want to try these!
• The next thing I do is my hair.  I sweat A LOT when I work out, so my hair is always wet around my hairline and underneath.  Luckily my gym has a couple of hair dryers in their changing room.  I put the dryer on the “cool” setting for a quick minute and blow it in my face and hair just to help cool me off, and then I switch it to the hot setting while pulling my hair brush through to dry out the sweat.
• After I finish with my hair, I will touch up my makeup if needed – this usually just consists of putting a tiny bit of foundation on my foundation brush and blending it in around my hairline where I sweat the most, and then applying some lip gloss.

And that’s it!  From the time I finish working out, I am usually dressed and ready to go back to work in 8-10 mins (and I blast the A/C in my car during my drive back!).  Don’t get me wrong, I know I’m probably pretty gross, but it’s sufficient enough to get me through the afternoon, then when I get home after work, I take a shower.  I also will usually apply some dry shampoo in the evenings since I only wash my hair about twice a week.

I LOVE getting my workouts in at lunch for a couple of reasons.  One, it’s so good to have it out of the way so I don’t have to worry about doing it after work, when I am usually exhausted from a long day and don’t feel like I have the energy to do it.  Second, and most important, is that it is a huge stress reliever for me.  When I work out at lunch, it feels like I am resetting my day and getting rid of all of the stress and annoyances I may have dealt with that morning – I actually think my afternoons are more energized when I’ve been able to work out at lunch.

I know none of this is rocket science, lol, but hopefully some of you found it helpful and are feeling a little bit more inspired to try to make exercise a part of your daily routine!  I am hoping to write a post soon to share some of my favorite workout clothes for every budget, so stay tuned for that!

Have a wonderful day! XOXO