How I Stay Motivated To Work Out Even When I’m Busy

How I Stay Motivated to Work Out Even When I’m Busy.

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” – Jim Rohn.

One of the things I’m frequently asked about is how I stay motivated to work out, even when I’m busy. I’ve always maintained an active lifestyle and working out for me has always been part of who I am and what I do.

There are so many benefits to working out. Aside from the obvious physical benefits, research by Stanford University has proven that working out contributes to increased energy, elevated mood, reduced stress and better quality sleep.

Despite managing a busy schedule, working out is a non-negotiable component of my daily routine. No matter how much I have going on, I always try to make it a priority to look after my physical and mental well-being.

In this blog post, I share the strategies I use to stay motivated to work out, even when I’m busy.

1. CREATE A ROUTINE

I work out at the same time every day, and it is by no coincidence. A couple of years ago, I established a morning routine which I am constantly looking to fine-tune and optimise.

After spending a significant period of time and resources into studying the habits of highly successful people, I realised that there were a number of commonalities. One of those factors was that most world-class performers, CEOs and successful entrepreneurs rise early and follow some kind of morning work out routine. For example:

• Oprah Winfrey: Spends the first hour of every morning to exercise. Oprah will go for a run or do some resistance flexibility training.
• Arianna Huffington: Begins each day with meditation and yoga.
• Barack Obama: Starts each day with a cardio and weights routine.
• Richard Branson: Plays a very hard game of tennis every morning at 6am.
• Tony Robbins: Starts every day with a priming meditation exercise followed by an intensive 15 minute workout.

At some point, I realised that working out in the evenings lead to a whole lot of inconsistency. Due to the nature of my role, I often work long hours and am pulled into deal with impromptu situations and meetings. I would constantly miss my 6:15pm class at the gym, and would in turn go home feeling frustrated and exhausted.

By switching my workout time to the morning, it has resulted in me being able to maintain consistency in working out 6 times per week. No one is going to be bothering me at 5 or 6am in the morning, so this is the time I choose to workout.

You can read about my full morning routine here.

2. PREPARATION & DISCIPLINE

Discipline is a highly desirable trait, and comes easier to some than to others. Whilst I am highly disciplined individual, I do find that I’ve had to create a level of discipline and planning when it comes to working out. For example, if I set my alarm to 5am with no plan of where I have to be or what I have to do, chances are I would hit the snooze button and opt for a couple of extra hours of sleep.

I work out at F45 training 5 times per week and go for a coastal walk once per week. I book in all my workouts via an app two weeks in advance, which means that I’ve made a commitment to attend those classes. When my alarm goes off first thing in the morning, I know I need to get up, get dressed up and show up.

To take preparation a step further, I lay out my gym clothes, shoes, towel and water bottle the night before. When my alarm goes off at 5am I’m not thinking “where is that grey nike singlet I wanted to wear?” By preparing for the gym the night before, I reduce the number of decisions I have to make first thing in the morning.

If discipline is not something which comes natural to you and requires more effort, consider creating a work out arrangement whereby there are consequences for not showing up. For example:

• Book in sessions with a personal trainer.
• Book in workouts where there is a cancellation fee for non-attendance.
• Organise a time to workout with a highly disciplined workout partner or friend… who would not be happy with you leaving them hanging at the gym / park etc.

3. PRIORITISE

We prioritise the things that matter to us, and maintaining health and fitness is something that is really important to me. I believe that without our health, we truly have nothing else.

Why not take the 30-60 minutes of your day when you are watching tv or scrolling though instagram and instead, invest in your mind and your body? Even with a demanding job, or being a parent to young kids, it’s still very possible to workout daily. These days, there are so many gyms that offer child-minding services. There is also the option of at-home workouts via an app or a 30 minute power walk during your lunch break.

When you do something that’s good for you, you’ll be so much better for everyone around you.

STAYING MOTIVATED TO WORK OUT

What are some of the ways in which you stay motivated to work out? I would love to hear your thoughts, please leave your comments below!