No Time To Exercise

by Kris Pitcher

I can see why people say they have no time to exercise. Recently I have been challenged by my new work schedule...which I love. But it's taken some getting organized. OK, A LOT of getting organized.

At my new job, I work four 10 hour days and have Friday off. LOVE THAT! But let me tell you it has taken serious attention to detail to make everything I need to have happen...happen.

I've taken to putting four outfits on hangers including socks, bras, underwear - everything I need to get dressed in the morning. There are no decisions to make because there is no time for decisions.

Food prep happened any way, but now I pack my meals the night before so I can "grab and go" from the fridge. Packing the cooler takes about 2 minutes. Everything else I need is in a little pile on the counter, oatmeal, tea, nuts, spoons, one diet twist up (I love off season) - ready to go. 

The alarm goes off at 4:26 am so that I can be on the treadmill at 4:30 am. I may take a note from Karly and start sleeping in my workout clothes (sorry honey). This is what it takes to get my 45 minutes of cardio in. I haven't figured out what I'll do when it comes time to diet. Let's not go there just yet.

Showering has gotten faster. We shave our legs on Fridays only now...TMI? Sorry, but this is how you save time. Outfit goes on from the hanger, hair gets dried, make up on, teeth brushed, cooler packed, I quickly post my blog (smile) and I'm out the door by 6:28 am to get to work by 7:00 am.

I can make it to the gym by 6:00 pm to meet my husband for our workout. We're usually done and home by 7:30-7:45 pm. It's time to eat a meal and squeeze in one final meal before bed. It's also time to pack meals for the following day.

In order to get my eight hours of sleep, which I NEED, I have to be tucked in bed by 8:30 pm. So, you can see it's a crunch. There's no time for TV, no time for facebook, no time to write.

But I've made time for my workouts because they are paramount to who I am. When Friday comes, I sleep in until close to 7:00 am. I do my cardio later in the day. I jam through loads of laundry, go grocery shopping, I write, and I'm currently working on a sewing project.

Somehow, losing two hours in the day has made me more productive, better focused, and way more organized. No excuses, find the time.