Fitting It In

We get it. You’re a busy guy. You have a long commute to your job. You have a girlfriend or wife, kids, friends and daily errands. You’re spread thin. So how can you possibly find the time to exercise?

You only need 30 minutes a day: Reallocate wasted time into exercise time.

• Add up the amount of time you spend texting unnecessary stuff on your phone.
• Add up the time you spend tweeting random stuff.
• Add up the time you spend mindlessly scrolling through your Facebook timeline.
• Add up the time you spend standing in line at a fast food restaurant buying the stuff that’s going to clog your arteries anyway.
• Add up the time you spend sitting in traffic because you left your house at the wrong time.
• Add up the time you spend drinking beer.
• There are probably a few more time wasters in your life. Eliminate them and you just found at least 30 minutes a day.

Exercise in the morning: Morning exercise will make you more alert and help you be more productive on the job. Plus, you’ve got to take a shower afterwards anyway, so it’s easier to make exercise part of your morning routine.

Schedule your workout session: Plug it into your smartphone as a recurring meeting with a 30-minute reminder. You don’t miss meetings do you?

Choose your clothes at night: Set out your work clothes and your workout clothes the night before. That’ll save you time in the morning.

Make it social: Need a workout buddy? Connect with your wife or girlfriend, co-workers, neighbors or friends. Check out sites like ExerciseFriends.com or FitLink.com. If you’re a cyclist, your local bike shop can help you locate other riders. If you’re a runner, check out the Road Runners Club of America site for running clubs near you.

Combine activities. Do you have a small child? Get a jogging stroller to maximize your time. Do you have a dog? Take it on a run with you.