Set yourself up for success early in the week
On any given day, you might be juggling work, social events and family time. When you already feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day, it can be extra tough to get a workout in.
Meet two fitness experts at the YMCA, who each have a few ideas to help you regularly fit exercise into your routine.
Tips for finding time to workout
Heidi Weinberg is a part-time Personal Trainer at the Ridgedale YMCA, specializing in ForeverWell fitness, Kettlebell/TRX Fusion, Pilates Reformer and strength training. Heidi is certified as a Personal Trainer and Health Coach by the American Council on Exercise. To help get yourself to the gym, she suggests:
- Blocking time on your calendar for exercise—just like you would for a meeting or doctor appointment.
- Working with others to keep you accountable—make plans to meet a friend at the gym, buy sessions with a personal trainer, or join a class.
- Making it easier to get to the gym by planning ahead—set out workout clothes the night before, stash your gym bag in the car, and keep healthy fuel (think protein bars, almonds, apples) handy for pre- and post-workout.
Tips for weaving wellness into the week
Jennifer Menk is the Senior Director of Fitness for the YMCA of the North. Two years ago, Jennifer transitioned from spending 10-20 hours a week leading Group Exercise classes
and Personal Training sessions, to a role that required her to spend more time in the car and in office meetings. To maintain the health and wellness level she expects of herself, her weekly routine now includes:
- Planning ahead and packing healthy lunches and snacks to eat while on the go throughout the workday
- Working to get 10,000 steps in each day—parking at the end of the lot to get extra steps to her car, taking a quick break between meetings to walk around the building or through the skyway, and taking a stroll up and down her street once the kids are sleeping
- Committing to one high-intensity cardio and one strength workout during the workweek
- Using weekend free time to head to a yoga or Pilates class, or get in a longer cardio workout
It’s true, all of these tips still require hard work—but the benefit is worth it. Jennifer says, “I have a new appreciation for the dedication and commitment it takes to maintain a healthy lifestyle when it isn’t part of your job. Taking the healthy road requires hard work, but the rewards are countless, and quality of life is much enhanced when you put health and wellness first.”