Busting Busy

Happy Friday, Ladies,

These last few weeks, we have been lightly (I use the term lightly because there are many layers in each barrier that can hinder a person.), covering how to break some of the obstacles that hinder us from our health or fitness goals.

So far, we went over: time, unrealistic goals, and support. Today we will chat about Convenience.

About three years ago, I weighed almost three hundred pounds.  I remember waking up and saying, “how did I get here?”

The answer was simple.  I chose to put everyone else before myself.  I am highly driven, and I want everything I set out to do, done with excellence. So, I kept a tidy house, cared for my tribe, and made sure they had time for sports and anything else on their list. Then, I gave it to my husband, friends, & family; everyone except me.  When family encouraged me to go to the gym, my line was, “I’m too busy to get to the gym. My kids have sports; I work then have to keep the house; I need to spend quality time with the husband.” I honestly did not know where or how to “make the time”; it was too much work.

After almost hitting three hundred pounds and health issues popping up, I had no choice but to make adjustments and reclaim my health. I finally made myself a priority, and trust me, that was not easy, but I did it one step at a time, and you can too.

Living busy lives and caring for so many people around us, it becomes easy to neglect our own needs. So often exhausted and thinking of grabbing another coffee to keep us awake, we are not thinking of hopping on a treadmill or bike.

So how do we set ourselves up for success by cracking through the “busy barrier?” Start by making ourselves a priority.

Here are a few simple tips to help make getting active easier.

1. Keep a gym bag in the car: extra clothes, an empty water bottle, and a towel.
2. If your gym is near your house, take that root home, so it’s on the way.
3. If you are an earlier riser and plan to work out in the morning, try setting out gym clothes out the night before.  It makes rolling out of bed and getting ready easier
4. Find a thing you love.  It can be biking, walking, yoga, HITT, swimming, CrossFit.  The list is endless.  But if you find one thing that you love, it makes it easier to “want to do it.”
5. Schedule 30 minutes at least three days to do that thing you love. Before you know it, you will be adding time or days. The keyword is a schedule.  If you do not set a time for it, something else will take your time.

Practicing these simple tips will limit our excuses for not working out.

Have a good weekend and stay moving.