14. Be yourself.
Part of the reason you can’t make time for
exercise may be because you’re not focusing
on the right workout for your personality, say
Marta Montenegro, MS, CSCS, CPT, celebrity
trainer and exercise physiology professor at
Florida International University. For example,
don’t assume you’re a runner just because
your best friend loves to run, she says.
“Instead, analyze your lifestyle and personality
to find a routine that suits you.” Once you
understand your fitness personality, you’ll be
able to identify activities you actually enjoy,
and squeezing them into your schedule won’t
be nearly as hard. (For more, see “Your Fitness
Personality.”)
15. Bring the family.
If family obligations prevent you from fitting
in regularly scheduled workouts, rope your
gang into other types of group activities.
Schedule family hikes, soccer games, after-
dinner walks, bike rides or family trips to the
gym. Let the kids suggest family-activity
options. And remember that exercise is
something you’re doing for your family, says
Pai. “When the kids see that exercise is
important to Mommy and Daddy, it will be
important to them, too.”
16. Take your show on the road.
As you’re packing for a business trip or
vacation, be sure to include your workout
clothes, says tennis champ Chris Evert. Just
packing them signals to your brain that you
intend to make time for exercise. As for what
to do? “Spend 15 to 20 minutes swimming
laps, running stairs, or jogging on the hotel
treadmill first thing in the morning,” she says.
No gym or pool? Ask the front desk if they
offer guest passes to a neighborhood gym. “Or
when my schedule is tight,”says Evert, “I do
some yoga while catching the morning news o
TV.”
17. Hit “play.”
“Exercise DVDs are cost-effective, private and
flexible, and they allow you to stop and start
your workouts based on real-life time
constraints,” says Hammer. (So, for example,
you can do laundry while working out.)
Hammer used this approach to shed more tha
100 pounds while going to school full-time an
working. Try Pilates workouts from Brooke
Siler (Anchor Bay), fitness training with Erin
O’Brien (Acacia) or yoga with Shiva Rea
(Acacia).
18. Rise and shine.
For most people, the day only gets more
demanding as it goes on, says celebrity trainer
and fitness DVD star Sara Haley. “Exercising
first thing in the morning will ensure you fit it
in,” she says. Lay out your workout clothes th
night before, she suggests. “This way you won’
waste any time and can’t claim you forgot
anything.”
19. Ditch your ride.
Whenever feasible, hop on the bus, train or
subway, or ride your bike to work or to run
errands, says Haley. If you can’t do it every
day, try for once a week. People who take
alternative transportation tend to get more
exercise than daily car commuters.
20. Master the micro-workout.
Whether you’re at work or home, never let
yourself sit idle for more than a couple of
hours, says Mark Lauren, certified military
physical-training specialist, triathlete and
author of You Are Your Own Gym (Light of
New Orleans Publishing, 2010). Build in a loop
around the block when you grab a cup of
coffee, or plan 10-minute breaks at regular
intervals to stretch or do a brief circuit
workout. “I like to throw in random sets of
body-weight exercise throughout the day. One
hard set of 12 or fewer reps won’t make most
people sweat if they’re in an air-conditioned
building, but it will be enough to make a
difference if done several times throughout
each day,” says Lauren. It takes less than 30
seconds to do 15 pushups or sit-ups, he points
out. So don’t say you don’t have time. Set an
alarm on your computer to remind you. (For
specific exercise ideas, see “Workday
Workouts.”)
21. Hit it hard.
“When you’re short on time, focus on higher-
payoff workouts,” says Timothy Ferriss, author
of The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to
Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming
Superhuman (Crown Archetype, 2010). “If
you’re focused, there’s no reason you can’t get
results in less than 20 minutes a week.” His
favorite routines? Kettlebell swings (consider
keeping a kettlebell by your desk) and slow-
motion resistance training. “One female case
study cut her body fat 3 percentage points in
roughly four weeks with only five minutes of
kettlebell swings three times a week,” he says.
The key is staying focused and maintaining a
high intensity throughout the mini-workout
session. For a fast and furious workout idea,
check out weightlifting complexes in
“Simplicity Complex ” — or search on
“HIIT” (short for high-intensity interval
training).
22. Wear your pedometer.
“As we get older, we typically take fewer steps
per day,” says Wayne Andersen, MD, medical
director of Take Shape For Life, a nationwide
health and lifestyle coaching program based in
Owings Mills, Md. “By age 60, most people are
down to about 4,500 steps. Your goal should
be to maintain 10,000.” The best way to do
that is to get a pedometer at your local
sporting goods store, or download an app that
converts your cell phone to a pedometer.
Those wearing pedometers tend to walk more
because they’re more conscious of their steps.
Looking for extra credit? “Climbing a flight of
stairs is the equivalent of walking 100 steps,”
says Andersen.
23. Adopt a DIY mentality.
“Start doing things by hand instead of letting a
machine do them for you,” suggests Andersen.
This might include snow shoveling, pushing a
lawn mower, raking leaves or hanging laundry
to dry. “Also, ditch remote controls and other
automatic devices that undermine your body’s
energy use.”
24. Work while you wait.
Katy Gaenicke, mother of two boys, found a
creative solution to her “no time” dilemma.
She spends a lot of time on the sidelines of
football practices and games near their home
in Boston. “I started bringing my bike with me
and riding around near the fields while my son
practices,” she says. Evert has used this
technique, too: “Instead of cramming in one
more errand while your kids are at their
activities, put on your sneakers and
take a walk for the hour.”
25. Phone it in.
Have a conference call you can’t miss? Need t
return a few phone calls to family and friends?
Grab your cell phone (and, ideally, a headset)
and get walking. Assuming your area has
reliable reception, strive to walk whenever
you’re on the phone. A note of caution,
though: Talking and listening will tend to
distract you from the fact you’re exercising.
That can be a good thing, or a dangerous
thing. So always take care to remain aware of
your surroundings, traffic and so on. The goal
is to squeeze exercise in wherever you can —
safely.
Part of the reason you can’t make time for
exercise may be because you’re not focusing
on the right workout for your personality, say
Marta Montenegro, MS, CSCS, CPT, celebrity
trainer and exercise physiology professor at
Florida International University. For example,
don’t assume you’re a runner just because
your best friend loves to run, she says.
“Instead, analyze your lifestyle and personality
to find a routine that suits you.” Once you
understand your fitness personality, you’ll be
able to identify activities you actually enjoy,
and squeezing them into your schedule won’t
be nearly as hard. (For more, see “Your Fitness
Personality.”)
15. Bring the family.
If family obligations prevent you from fitting
in regularly scheduled workouts, rope your
gang into other types of group activities.
Schedule family hikes, soccer games, after-
dinner walks, bike rides or family trips to the
gym. Let the kids suggest family-activity
options. And remember that exercise is
something you’re doing for your family, says
Pai. “When the kids see that exercise is
important to Mommy and Daddy, it will be
important to them, too.”
16. Take your show on the road.
As you’re packing for a business trip or
vacation, be sure to include your workout
clothes, says tennis champ Chris Evert. Just
packing them signals to your brain that you
intend to make time for exercise. As for what
to do? “Spend 15 to 20 minutes swimming
laps, running stairs, or jogging on the hotel
treadmill first thing in the morning,” she says.
No gym or pool? Ask the front desk if they
offer guest passes to a neighborhood gym. “Or
when my schedule is tight,”says Evert, “I do
some yoga while catching the morning news o
TV.”
17. Hit “play.”
“Exercise DVDs are cost-effective, private and
flexible, and they allow you to stop and start
your workouts based on real-life time
constraints,” says Hammer. (So, for example,
you can do laundry while working out.)
Hammer used this approach to shed more tha
100 pounds while going to school full-time an
working. Try Pilates workouts from Brooke
Siler (Anchor Bay), fitness training with Erin
O’Brien (Acacia) or yoga with Shiva Rea
(Acacia).
18. Rise and shine.
For most people, the day only gets more
demanding as it goes on, says celebrity trainer
and fitness DVD star Sara Haley. “Exercising
first thing in the morning will ensure you fit it
in,” she says. Lay out your workout clothes th
night before, she suggests. “This way you won’
waste any time and can’t claim you forgot
anything.”
19. Ditch your ride.
Whenever feasible, hop on the bus, train or
subway, or ride your bike to work or to run
errands, says Haley. If you can’t do it every
day, try for once a week. People who take
alternative transportation tend to get more
exercise than daily car commuters.
20. Master the micro-workout.
Whether you’re at work or home, never let
yourself sit idle for more than a couple of
hours, says Mark Lauren, certified military
physical-training specialist, triathlete and
author of You Are Your Own Gym (Light of
New Orleans Publishing, 2010). Build in a loop
around the block when you grab a cup of
coffee, or plan 10-minute breaks at regular
intervals to stretch or do a brief circuit
workout. “I like to throw in random sets of
body-weight exercise throughout the day. One
hard set of 12 or fewer reps won’t make most
people sweat if they’re in an air-conditioned
building, but it will be enough to make a
difference if done several times throughout
each day,” says Lauren. It takes less than 30
seconds to do 15 pushups or sit-ups, he points
out. So don’t say you don’t have time. Set an
alarm on your computer to remind you. (For
specific exercise ideas, see “Workday
Workouts.”)
21. Hit it hard.
“When you’re short on time, focus on higher-
payoff workouts,” says Timothy Ferriss, author
of The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to
Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming
Superhuman (Crown Archetype, 2010). “If
you’re focused, there’s no reason you can’t get
results in less than 20 minutes a week.” His
favorite routines? Kettlebell swings (consider
keeping a kettlebell by your desk) and slow-
motion resistance training. “One female case
study cut her body fat 3 percentage points in
roughly four weeks with only five minutes of
kettlebell swings three times a week,” he says.
The key is staying focused and maintaining a
high intensity throughout the mini-workout
session. For a fast and furious workout idea,
check out weightlifting complexes in
“Simplicity Complex ” — or search on
“HIIT” (short for high-intensity interval
training).
22. Wear your pedometer.
“As we get older, we typically take fewer steps
per day,” says Wayne Andersen, MD, medical
director of Take Shape For Life, a nationwide
health and lifestyle coaching program based in
Owings Mills, Md. “By age 60, most people are
down to about 4,500 steps. Your goal should
be to maintain 10,000.” The best way to do
that is to get a pedometer at your local
sporting goods store, or download an app that
converts your cell phone to a pedometer.
Those wearing pedometers tend to walk more
because they’re more conscious of their steps.
Looking for extra credit? “Climbing a flight of
stairs is the equivalent of walking 100 steps,”
says Andersen.
23. Adopt a DIY mentality.
“Start doing things by hand instead of letting a
machine do them for you,” suggests Andersen.
This might include snow shoveling, pushing a
lawn mower, raking leaves or hanging laundry
to dry. “Also, ditch remote controls and other
automatic devices that undermine your body’s
energy use.”
24. Work while you wait.
Katy Gaenicke, mother of two boys, found a
creative solution to her “no time” dilemma.
She spends a lot of time on the sidelines of
football practices and games near their home
in Boston. “I started bringing my bike with me
and riding around near the fields while my son
practices,” she says. Evert has used this
technique, too: “Instead of cramming in one
more errand while your kids are at their
activities, put on your sneakers and
take a walk for the hour.”
25. Phone it in.
Have a conference call you can’t miss? Need t
return a few phone calls to family and friends?
Grab your cell phone (and, ideally, a headset)
and get walking. Assuming your area has
reliable reception, strive to walk whenever
you’re on the phone. A note of caution,
though: Talking and listening will tend to
distract you from the fact you’re exercising.
That can be a good thing, or a dangerous
thing. So always take care to remain aware of
your surroundings, traffic and so on. The goal
is to squeeze exercise in wherever you can —
safely.
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