To maintain a healthy body and mind, and give life your all, experts say that you need to make time for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day of the week. Believe it or not, after just one week of inactivity your body and brain go through some pretty shocking changes.
While I try to commit to the gym at least four times a week, there have been weeks where I’ve just not been able to find any time at all.
Still, I recognize the importance of getting in a minimum of 30 minutes each day to keep my body and mind in tiptop shape. To that end, I use a nifty little mobile app called Aaptiv and find small gaps in in my day to make sure I’m doing right by my body. With Aaptiv, you basically get a personal trainer in your ear set to some sweet tunes, so you can make sure the workouts you're doing will actually make you sweat.
Here are five ways I use Aaptiv and find time to workout during a busy week:
Work out during your commute
While this may not work for everyone, if you’re as lucky as I am, you’re just a 30-minute jog from your office. Don’t live close enough for a jog? A one-hour jog is the same as a 20-minute bike ride. This method is great because you’re going to have to get to work or school somehow anyway. You might as well kill two birds with one stone and get your thirty minutes out of the way while completing an essential first task of the day.
Aaptiv has a growing catalogue of running classes to help guide you as you get started. (If you do this, please make sure to bring a fresh change of clothes so you don’t get any strange looks in the office!)
Skip the elevator and take the stairs
While I know this one also doesn’t work for everyone, if you’re taking the elevator to get to your office or class instead of climbing the stairway, you’re missing out on some calorie-burning! How many times a day do you have the opportunity to get in a climb instead of taking the elevator? It may sound like a daunting task, depending on what floor your office or class is on, but your body will appreciate you.
Hit the ground running right out of bed
The first thing you do in the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. If you’re like me, when you wake up you’re groggy and sluggish, and things just don’t happen very quickly. There’s one surefire way to beat this: hit the ground running. Literally. Run a mile. Or do calisthenics.
I promise you that if the first thing you do out of bed is 20 push-ups, 20 sit-ups, and 20 pull-ups, or whatever your Aaptiv trainer tells you to do, then your morning sluggishness will be gone in a single elevated heartbeat. You’ll start off the day already crushing it. If you need that extra boost of motivation, Aaptiv has your back.
Take an Aaptiv class on a five or fifteen minute break
Taking an occasional 5 or 15-minute break from work is proven to boost productivity. Additionally, getting your blood flowing will improve your cognition, focus, and energy so you can continue to crush it the rest of the day. Chances are you skip breaks too much or just don’t do much on your breaks. If you take just two 15 minute classes, you’ve hit your 30 minutes each day.
Take a real break from the grind for the gym
What’s that? You thought this was a list about finding time to squeeze in workouts if you did not have time for the gym? It absolutely is, but hear me out on this one. I didn’t start taking my personal health & fitness very seriously until just about a year ago. Before then, I told myself that I was just way too busy at work and didn’t have any time for the gym.
Thinking back, I am certain if I had dedicated 30 minutes to exercise each day my productivity would have absolutely skyrocketed and my boss sure would have noticed! That’s not even mentioning how much better I would have felt. Yes, I understand that there are going to be some points where you may truly not have the time in a given week to dedicate 30 minutes to going to the gym, but there’s a good chance that you’re not quite as busy as you think you are.
For the days you are truly too busy, revert to the tips above. All things considered, figure out where you can make time to take time off work or studying and go to the gym for a dedicated workout. Your body and mind will thank you for it and your performance will soar.
If you are like me, and struggle with motivation and getting yourself into “workout mode” then Aaptiv is an excellent solution to help you meet your exercise goals and adapt your day to fit your needs. Aaptiv can be used anywhere, and anytime, and for any of the tips I suggested in this guide. Equipment or no equipment, I use it both inside the gym and out. Even if the only thing you can do on this list is take the stairs instead of the elevator, you can climb to the beat with many of Aaptiv’s stair climbing classes.
You can start your free trial with Aaptiv here.
