How often do find yourself abandoning your exercise plans because life gets in the way – you have too much work to do, family commitments arise or you just get caught up in the day and before you know it you only have 30-minutes left to spare for the exercise you had planned? I am 100% guilty of this! I feel swamped in work and end up sacrificing my own training to fit everything in. Or I get carried away in my usual midday break and suddenly the time before my afternoon clients start is too short to fit in my planned session.Just last week I was feeling the pressure to fit in more office work on the day I have a track running session in my training plan (marathon training for next year is underway!). The same thing happened the week before and I ended up only getting in half the session and being annoyed with myself for not making the time. So this time I stopped what I was doing and made a conscious decision to put ME first! I went to the track, had a great run and soaked up the sunny weather Melbourne found for us! When I got back to the studio I felt energised and ready to spend the time I had left before afternoon appointments productively – more so than I would have if I had slumped into the desk chair for the whole afternoon!
Sometimes you just have to put YOU first – prioritise your health! Exercise has been proven to reduce stress, increase productivity and lead to a longer, healthier and happier life. You owe it to yourself to make time for it – by doing so you will be better equipped to handle the overload of work, juggle the family commitments and feel better doing it!
So close your never-ending stream of emails, tell the kids dinner will be a little later and make time for some form of exercise. Even if you can only fit in a shorter walk or gym session than planned, you are still making the decision to PRIORITISE YOUR BODY and lead a healthier active lifestyle.
It may seem almost impossible at times but, trust me, to borrow Nike’s line – JUST DO IT! You will feel invigorated, fitter, stronger, ready to tackle the rest of your obligations and proud of yourself for making time for YOU.