How to Pick a Fitness Regime That Won't Affect Your Daily Schedule how to choose a fitness routine that actually won't affect your daily schedule
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
Contrary to popular belief, staying fit is not about having time, but about making time. It's easier said than done, however, especially for those who joggle family responsibilities and work on a daily basis. Still, finding the time to exercise is not entirely impossible – you just have to arm yourself with determination and creativity.
After all, the only bad workout is the one you didn't do. Physical movement is essential to your overall health, and there's hardly a bigger priority than that. With this in mind, your goal should be to build a regime you can stick to no matter how busy life gets.
Here's how to choose a fitness routine that actually won't affect your daily schedule.
Quality over Quantity
The quest for balance in life starts with prioritizing: whatever you do, try to focus on quality instead of quantity. The same goes for fitness regimes, which is why you should seek those that are well-rounded and diverse. Since time is of the essence, you'll have to pack it all up in a single, but explosive routine.
Whether you want to get your body ready for the summer in a couple of weeks, or make physical exercise a part of your daily schedule for good, avoid training sessions that concentrate solely on one area. Body part split routines might be easier and more convenient, but they offer less overall calorie burn and you might not get to train the big muscles 2-3 times a week, which is essential for natural lifters who want to develop the most strength and put on as much lean muscle as possible.
The "Wherever, Whenever" Rule
Now you have to find those training programs that fit the previous request, but are also doable wherever you are. In order to retain your established schedule, you'll need to squeeze exercises in between carpooling, grocery shopping and office meetings. Ideally, this means that your training shouldn't require much preparation. Here are some ideas.
Interval Training: By maximizing both aerobic and anaerobic fitness, interval training targets muscle tissue at a cellular level. The trick is to combine series of low- and high-intensity exercises with relief periods. Doing 27 minutes a day, 3 times a week of interval training produces the same effect as 60 minutes of cardio, 5 times a week!
Tabata: Though this system benefits from rowing and kettlebell swings as well (which you cannot do just anywhere), burpees, push-ups and lunges are enough to keep you moving. Similarly to interval training, tabata challenges you to push yourself for about 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and then repeat the cycle.
Bodyweight Exercises: Improving strength, balance and flexibility, this routine requires no training equipment other than your abs, chest, shoulders and legs. Most popular moves are the squat, inchworm, tuck jump, bear crawl, mountain climber and plyometric push-ups, all doable in your office!
Just like running, these three routines can be done wherever you are and whenever you can: the only thing they require is some space and 20 minutes of your time.
Moreover, a ketogenic diet plan can help you junk those extra calories and harmful carbs to use the body fat as a source of energy that helps with obvious weight loss. The Keto diet is well known to be a low carb diet wherein the body produces ketones in liver which are later used as energy.
Set Your Alarm Early
Busy fitness enthusiasts claim that the best time to exercise is early in the morning while the rest of your family still sleeps. Since long office hours aren't the only obstacle you have, we must agree that this makes perfect sense! For parents who want to spend every spare moment with their kids, morning routines are an excellent choice.
Besides, they are a great way to kick-start your day. Whether you're a parent or not, you'll find that evening training sessions are hard to stick to. Not only does mental work leave us exhausted, but there's always something that comes up during the day. As long as you set an alarm early, being consistent with your morning routine is much easier.
Multitask!
In case you're not a morning person, don't worry. There are plenty of ways to incorporate regular workouts into your schedule through the power of multitasking. Commute on your feet! Instead of carpooling to work every single day, try cycling. You'll need to prepare the night before and change your clothes at the office, but that's a small hassle for a big goal.
You can do your interval training, tabata and bodyweight exercises during a lunch break, or even squeeze in a quick gym visit if there is a gym near your office. Since this requires some efficiency and good time management, you'll have to be well-organized and truly determined. Alternatively, combine them with TV time! This trick is even better, since it allows you to use equipment and get really sweaty.
YouTube Regimes
Busy scrolling up and down your Facebook feed? Switch to YouTube, but save cat videos for later. It's an endless pool of DIY fitness tips and ideas, along with full body regimes that last under 30 minutes. Arrange them in a playlist, and take them along wherever you go.
Be careful, though: since basically anyone can publish a video in YouTube, some of these exercises might actually be a waste of your time. Do proper research! Snoop around wellness blogs and forums to find the best YouTube workouts and channels and discover what fitness community experts have to say about them. Make sure to check the video's comment section as well – if a routine is any good, it will be full with positive feedback by satisfied viewers.
Finally, stay consistent! You shouldn't let your fitness regime affect your schedule, but don't allow your schedule to meddle with your health either. Set your goals, track your progress and enjoy every moment.