Back In The Office?
Tips around how to not let your new schedule obliterate your fitness routine
By Coach Elise Perez
If going back into work has landed you in a no-time-or-energy-for-exercise rut, you're not alone.
After over a year of working from home, many of us have developed routines that have taken place of the old. This was life as we knew it and we got used to it, we made it work.
It was perhaps easier to step away from our computers and our phones to hit a noon workout class, or roll out our mats for a yoga flow, or make it to the gym before it got too late because we didn't have long commutes cutting into our evenings.
Now that we've been called back into work, we are having to yet again transition and figure out how to fit movement into our days. Whenever there is a disruption in our routines, the things that seem to get compromised are those that don't make us money or don't take care of our families. Frequently our own personal fitness is one of the things that gets put on the back burner.
Whether your workouts have been disrupted by new work and commute times, increased work demands or lack of energy and motivation, here are three tips that may help you get back on track.
1. Carve out a new workout time
Time blocks in your schedule have shifted and your workout may need to follow this pattern. This may require you going to bed at an earlier time so you can get in an early morning workout before the day begins. Early morning workouts, although not easy, can be one of the best options for a busy and constantly changing schedule. It's a lot less likely that anything will come up to keep you from your workout and there is a lot of value in doing something for yourself as the first part of your day, before you start doing things for everyone else.
2. Break it up
Getting in a workout doesn't always mean you need to block off an uninterrupted hour or more of your time. Try breaking it up throughout the day to make it more manageable. Go for a 15-minute walk or jog around lunch time to get your cardio in and complete a 20-minute strength training workout later on in the day, for example. In the end, multiple bouts of movement throughout the day can add up to quite a lot by the time the day is done. Remember, something is ALWAYS better than nothing. The same is true when it comes to frequency; maybe you were hitting five workouts a week when you were working from home, but now three workouts a week are what's realistic. There's nothing wrong with that! Start with what you can do and go from there.
3. Stick to what you enjoy
Don't give up on the types of exercise you enjoy because life has changed once again. Enjoyment is one of the biggest factors that determines adherence. If you don't enjoy what you do for your workouts, you won't be able to stick to it. Running outside may seem quicker, more simple or easier to get done but do you like it? If not, don't do it. Carve that time to make it to your group classes, keep to your strength workouts or whatever it is that brings you genuine joy!