1. Fit Workouts into Busy Your Schedule

For those of us with hectic, on-the-go lifestyles, it might feel impossible to find the time to get a good workout in. Maybe work is eating up most of your schedule, or your children are demanding much of your attention. Whatever it is that’s keeping you busy, there are solutions to help you take back control of your schedule and find time to get active. 

2. Be Realistic about your Schedule 

One of the first things you should be clear on before you try to incorporate a workout routine into your schedule is to be clear on just how much time you have to go to the gym. You wouldn’t want to overbook yourself if you know your present schedule just wouldn’t allow for it.

Before you start planning out your gym time and prepping your meals, assess where you’re at in life right now. How much free time do you have? How much of that time do you realistically have to commit to working out? 

3. Start out Small

Don’t overbook yourself when you’re first trying to tailor your workouts around your schedule. If you start out too ambitious too fast, you might overwhelm yourself and have to cut back on your workouts, which might put you back at square one. This can not only be a real physical defeat, but it can be an especially great mental defeat. 

To avoid overbooking and overwhelm, start out conservative with your workouts. Once you get a grip on a lighter workout routine that works for you, you can then gradually increase your time commitments to working out if you see that your schedule allows for more. 

4. Plan your Workouts in Advance

Planning your workout routines in advance will help take the guesswork out of your gym time. You won’t have to waste precious mental energy deciding what to do at the gym, and instead use that energy to hit the ground running when it’s time to work out. 

You can take the time to plan out your workouts yourself, or you can hire a personal trainer who can help not only customize your workout routine around your schedule, and on your time, but can also discuss any other diet or fitness goals you have for yourself. 

5. Workout when You know You’re Most Likely to

You should be planning your workouts for when you know you’re going to have the time to. If you know you have some time to spare before work, wake up a bit earlier than you usually would and hit the gym before you clock in. 

If you don’t want to wake up a minute before you need to, consider taking some time to hit the gym after work. You’re more likely to have more time to dedicate to your workout after you clock out, and you’ll have more freedom to relax afterward. If you have a more unconventional schedule, try to take some time during your lunch break or when the kids are at school to make time for a workout. 

6. Utilize Supersets and Circuits

Incorporating sets and circuits into your workout routine is going to be a huge time saver, which is perfect for those of us who have a busy schedule. Performing a superset basically involves performing two different exercises back to back with a rest in between. Performing circuits is similar to performing sets, but instead of doing two exercises, you may perform several exercises in rounds of 3 or 4.  

Doing supersets and circuits is great for those who want to dedicate time to work out, but may not know exactly where to start. It’s a perfect way to start out small and simple without compromising efficiency.

Now that we’ve covered the foundational matters that will help you get into and stay on a routine workout schedule, let’s get into some good workouts for those with on-the-go lifestyles

7. Jump rope 

This childhood school yard activity can easily become your go-to workout for when you have a busy schedule! Jumping rope is the perfect exercise for those who may only have a bit of time to get their blood going.

It’s an excellent way to get cardio in, in addition to being a total body workout. When you jump rope, you’re activating your entire body from your arms, to your core, down to your leg muscles. To get the most out of jump roping, try to dedicate at least 10 minutes of nonstop rope action. Jump roping for just 10 minutes a day can be the equivalent of going on a 45 minute run!

8. Yoga

Yoga is one of those fitness practices we’ve certainly all heard of. With loads of benefits that extend past the physical, yoga is an excellent form of exercise for those who may only have a sliver of time to spare. 

Doing yoga on a regular basis can not only help in relieving stress and helping to tend to sore muscles, but it can also assist in major strength gains in the long run. Yoga doesn’t always have to be this slow gentle movement, it can actually be quite vigorous and sweat inducing if you want it to be! Doing yoga for even just 5 minutes a day can have major bene

9. HIIT Training 

HIIT, or High Intensity Interval Training involves intense, maximum effort movement followed by short periods of rest. Doing a HIIT workout is one of the best ways to get that intense workout out in a short amount of time without compromising efficiency. 

Somewhat similar to circuit work, you can do several exercises for 6-8 rounds with 20 seconds of movement followed by 10 seconds of rest to get a sufficient workout that will help build endurance, muscle, and mental strength. 

10. Pilates 

As of late, pilates have become increasingly popular among people for its efficiency, and for the incredible results it yields. Most people think that you may need a $3000 machine in order to get the full benefits of pilates, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. There are plenty of floor pilates exercises that can be done in the comfort of your own home.

One of the best benefits about pilates for people on the go is that you will likely begin to feel the burn within the first 30 seconds of engaging in the workout. What is different about pilates from other workouts such as weight lifting is that pilates is specifically focused on keeping rest time to an absolute minimum so you can get the most bang out of your buck. Finding time to engage in pilates for just 30 minutes is enough to make you break a sweat and feel that burn.

11. Running

Getting back to the real bare essentials, going on a good old fashioned run will always be one of the most efficient ways that people with busy schedules can get a quality workout in. If you have a bit more time, maybe about an hour or so to workout, consider going on a run to get a total body workout with the least amount of complexity. 

You can go for different types of run such as sprint intervals where you sprint for 30 seconds, and rest or lightly jog for a minute. If you want a challenge to go for total endurance, go for a straight run for 45 minutes to an hour. This will give you the maximum benefits for your body and lungs to perform at the fullest capacity. 

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Sources
GQ Article
The Ladders Article