Finding Time For
Fitness By Monica Ciociola
"Until you
value yourself, you will not value your time.
Until you value your time,
you will not do anything with it." M. Scott
Peck
 No Time to Work Out? 7 Ways to Find the
Time
The
perceived lack of time is one of the main reasons people on the Message Boards
give for not exercising regularly. Even those of you who have discovered the
wonders of in-home fitness still find it difficult to juggle work, family, and
fitness—especially during the holiday season. We hear you asking for help,
and here are 7 smart ways to find more time for your workouts.
 Shop
online. Now that you can basically order anything and everything over the
Internet and have it delivered, consider doing your holiday shopping this way.
Most major retailers have online stores, and provide gift-wrapping services
along with shipping options. So there's no need to go to the mall or the post
office.
- Farm out some chores. Try
dropping off your laundryespecially if you're
 already going to the laundromat. You'll find that it
doesn't cost that much more.
- Wake up 30 minutes earlier.
Work out before heading to the office. A little trick for waking up faster is
to touch your toes as soon as you open your eyes, bringing blood to you head so
you feel alert more quickly. After your workout, you'll be more energized for
the day ahead and hardly notice the lost sleep. Working out in the morning as
opposed to midday or at night also saves you the double cost of showering,
getting dressed, and making yourself beautiful.
 Make it a family affair. Mike Y. and his
wife Christine and daughter Samantha made shedding pounds with the Power
90® program a family activity. By working out together at 5:30
AM each day, before getting ready for work and school, they managed to get in
both some family time and exercise. They become Beachbody Success Stories and
were invited to Hawaii to star in the 2004 Power 90 TV show. It may be a little
more difficult for you right now, with everyone's schedule crammed with holiday
events, but working out together as a family ensures a built-in support system,
and that support is crucial when you're trying to keep your fitness goals on
track.
 Prepare meals in advance. Try to get most of
your meal preparation for the week done over the weekend. That means washing
all your lettuce, veggies, herbs, fish, and poultry up front, and stocking
complete salads-in-a-bag to take to work. You can also prepare individual
slices of poultry and fish and a variety of veggies for dinner. Also make vats
of soup, pasta, and brown rice that you'll be able to microwave throughout the
week. Filling up on healthy meals and having low-fat, good-for-you snacks
readily available at work will reduce the temptation to sample the goodies at
the officethe gingerbread cookies, chocolates, and inevitable fruitcakes.
- Take your DVDs with you. If
you're traveling over the holidays, make sure you pack your favorite fitness
DVDs along with your laptop so you can work out wherever you are, whether it's
at your in-laws', your friend's house, or in a hotel room.
 Pop in a 20-minute workout. Beachbody
makes some superfast and effective 10- to 20- minute workouts for when you're
seriously short on time. Try the Turbo Jam 20-Minute Workout for an
excellent calorie-blasting session, any of the Fast 10 workouts for excellent
muscle-toning and fat-burning results in as little as 10 minutes, and the Great
Body Guaranteed! collection to focus on specific trouble areas in even less
than 10 minutes. It's only about 10 to 20 minutes, but the rewards stretch far
beyond that to stronger bones and muscles, a sharper mind, and a lower risk of
cancer and diabetes. And remember, working out reduces stress. You'll enjoy the
holidays much more if you're healthy and energized. |
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