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How to Get Exercise and Feel Great — Even With a Busy Schedule
Exercise. Working out. Physical activity. No matter how you say it, we all know how important being active is for a healthy, productive and long life. There are studies to prove it, experts who talk about it and television shows that promote it.
We get it…we know that going to the gym or plugging in those workout DVDs will be good for us. But there are days when, if you’re like me, the gym sounds about as enjoyable as waiting in the longest checkout line at the grocery store. Then, there are days when, upon looking at your to-do list, you would need a 25th hour to fit in a run or a fitness class.
The good news is, it can be done. I know it can be done. And it’s not just what I know, but who I know that proves you can fit a healthy lifestyle into the most hectic of schedules.
Meet Jennifer Nagel. She works full-time; is a mother, a wife and a fitness instructor; and also happens to be training for an upcoming fitness competition. Yes, a fitness competition! She’s also a friend of mine who works at the same university as me. A few years ago she encouraged me to attend a group fitness class she was teaching, and the rest is history!
I’ve always been amazed at how she does it, so I thought I’d pick her brain for some tricks on making fitness and wellness a priority in life. And you don’t have to be training for a competition for these tips to apply.
Nagel’s Tips on Fitting in Fitness
- “Start Small: Many times people think you have to spend three hours in the gym to make a big change. Instead, if you’re sedentary, start by committing to doing something two or three times per week for 20-30 minutes. Start slow, and just get into the habit.”
- “Plan for Your Workouts: Lay your clothes out, put it on your calendar, and go for it!”
- “Get a Buddy to Help You be Accountable: You can help each other out — plus it’s always fun to have a partner in crime.”
- “Find Something you ENJOY: There is no rule that says that exercise has to be at a gym. Play a sport, do yoga, go walking, dance! I love the gym, but I also love dancing, kickboxing, weight training, yoga, volleyball…and the list goes on.”
Nagel’s Simple, Sample Workouts:
- “Turn on your iPod and have a dance party for 20 minutes.”
- “Do a mini-circuit: Five moves, with 1 minute for each — and then repeat the full circuit three times.”
- Pushups
- Jumping jacks
- Crunches
- High knees
- Squats
Nagel is refreshingly candid. Even though she comes across as quite the rock star to the outside world as a woman who effortlessly makes it all work, she admits that fitting everything in isn’t always easy: there are always tradeoffs, and she must prioritize what means most to her.
In a recent blog post of hers, she points out that she (and her family) practice prioritization rather than balance because “having it all,” she says, isn’t exactly realistic. Instead, she writes, she and her family spend their time in a way that reflects their priorities.
“Family time is the most important thing, so I schedule my training and fitness instruction schedule to maximize my time with my husband and kids,” she said. “That means, some days I’m at the gym at 4:45 a.m. just so that I can be at home with my family in the evening. So my life is a series of constantly thinking about what is important, and re-prioritizing.“
I asked Nagel why fitness should be a priority in people’s lives. Among her responses: heart and bone health, maintaining a healthy weight, balancing one’s mood, an outlet for emotions, and (my favorite): confidence.
The moral of the story: Nagel’s example goes to prove that if we make something a priority in our lives, like being active, we tend to find ways to make it work out.
