I’m a wife, mom of a seven year old and a three year old, dog mom, webmaster for a school, Beachbody Coach, friend, daughter, sister, etc etc. BUSY is my middle name. Well ok it’s not but it should have been because I am on the go from the moment I open my eyes in the morning until the moment I close them on my pillow at night.

People say to me “I don’t have time to workout.” To that I say, “Yes you do. You choose not to make exercise a priority. There’s a difference.” I don’t say that to be dismissive or judgmental or mean. It’s just that we all have the same 24 hours in a day. What we choose to do with it depends on our priorities. I used to think I didn’t have time either but when I made my health a priority in my life, suddenly I found time for it.

Here are my top 5 tips to make time in your life for your health.

1. Identify your Why and make it a good one.  Before you can take another step, you have to get your mind right. Identify the reason that you want to make exercise a part of your life. Don’t use a fluff one like “I want to be skinny.” That will last about as long as a Frosty in the Florida heat. Dig deeper. Maybe you want to be a good example for your kids. Maybe you have health issues related to being overweight. Maybe you aren’t feeling great about yourself or your lacking energy and you just want to change that. Whatever your reason, make sure you have thought about it and really care about it.
2. Choose a fitness program that fits your lifestyle and preferences. In other words, don’t pick a fitness program with hour long workouts if you are having trouble finding time to workout. Go for something with 30 minute or less workouts. Also, don’t choose a program with dance workouts if you hate choreography and don’t choose a weights program if you love dancing. (I’d be happy to help you choose the right program for you – contact me at rachel.ramos1107@gmail.com)
3. GET UP EARLY AND WORKOUT. Yes, I was yelling there. This is by far the MOST important tip. I know, I know, you probably are like, “I already get up early. I’m not getting up any earlier to exercise” or “I hate getting up early. No way am I going to do that!” If that’s what you’re thinking, go back to number one and reread your Why or come up with a new one because your mind isn’t right yet. Morning workouts are the key to consistency. Also, getting up and working out BEFORE your kids wake up will make life much easier.
4. If your kids are up and they’re interested, have them join you and workout together. This is a great way to get them active and show them the importance of being healthy. My kids love to get in on the action when I am working out.
5. If your kids are up and not interested in joining your workout, these ideas work great to keep them entertained for 30 minutes: electronics (iPad, phone games, etc), snack time (give them food, kids love food), set up some kind of craft for them to work on (coloring, creating cards for people, etc), put infants in a bouncy chair/swing with snacks, bribe older kids with a promise of going to the park or some other fun activity if they are quiet for your workout.

Consider this, There are 24 hours in a day, 168 in a week. If you spend 40 working, there are 128 left over. Of those, you’ll spend an average of 56 hours sleeping (8 hrs a day), which leaves you 72 hours to do with what you choose. If you spend 30 min a day working out, that is only 3.5 hours. Can you commit 3.5 hours out of 72 to exercise? Can you give up 30 minutes a day of sleep or 30 minutes a day of tv to reach your goals? YES YOU CAN!

To join my next online fitness and nutrition accountability group, fill out this short form and I’ll get in touch to give you all the details!