Ask Stew: How to Make Time to Work Out

When you do not have time to exercise, you need to make time to exercise. I know that sounds easier said than done, but the No. 1 excuse to skip the gym is, “I don’t have time to go to the gym.”

The good news is that you can save a great deal of time doing other physical activities that have nothing to do with gym membership. Here is a question from a reader who is trying to get back on track but is stuck with how to best fit exercise into the day:

Stew, I know this is an old excuse, but with commuting to work, family activities, and other fires I have to put out each day, I find the time I planned to train slowly slips away to another excuse. Any suggestions to help? Thanks, Alfonso.

Alfonso, you are right. This is a common reason why we all have difficulty staying consistent with a training program. This may help you, or it may be an oversimplification, but you must figure out how to make the time to exercise. According to Dr. Peter Attia, a renowned longevity expert, exercise is our No. 1 and most powerful tool for longevity. Your physical activity now will help determine how you live 20 years from now, so it is too important to make excuses.

Here is my top-10 list to help you incorporate physical activity into your day.

1. Keep Activity Short, and Accumulate Throughout Each Day

Prioritize short, effective workouts such as 10-minute walks during breaks. Try a 10-minute routine such as calisthenics or dumbbell exercises that can be done at home, even between daily tasks. Keep track of daily steps, and set a goal of 5,000 to 10,000 steps a day for starters.

2. Choose Walking and Steps All Day Long

Add physical activity into your daily routine, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking farther away from your destination, or walking during work phone calls. Soon, these choices become habits, and you’ll notice little challenges you can add to your life multiple times each day.

3. Try AM Workouts

Schedule your exercise as you would any critical appointment. Block time in your calendar, and treat it as non-negotiable. It is statistically easier to do this before your day normally starts. Even for 15-20 minutes, focus on physical activity before you shower and get ready for that work commute. While you miss a few minutes of sleep, you typically never have a conflict when you get into the habit of morning movement.

4. Share Fitness with the Family

Combine family time with movement by going for a walk after dinner, playing a sport with kids, creating an obstacle course in the house or backyard, or just wrestling around. It is a great way to connect with your kids and show the importance of activity for weight management, overall health, and wellness. Eventually, your kids will be old enough to lift weights or do other things like running and swimming with you, and those moments have been some of my most memorable.

5. Build a Home Gym

Build a home gym on the cheap. But keep investing each year in equipment and more space, and you may never need a gym membership again.

6. Leverage Technology

Use fitness apps or online videos for quick workouts that fit your schedule and keep you motivated. These can be done in the privacy of your living room at any time with little to no equipment.

7. Leverage Leisure Time

Often, people say they have no time to exercise but spend hours each day scrolling on the phone or binge-watching television. Try adding a timer during your video-watching time every 10-15 minutes, and do pushups, squats, walk around the house, or go up/down the stairs 5 times. You do not even have to break a sweat, but accumulating 2-3 minutes of activity every 10-15 minutes can add up to 15-30 minutes after a few hours. This is a good way to start building a habit of watching less television or phone videos per day.

8. Make it Social

Find a co-worker, friend, or neighbor to hold each other accountable. Making excuses tends to have another layer to clear if you have a workout partner counting on you to show up. This can be a walk in the morning, a lunchtime walk, or a full workout at the gym or a home gym.

9. Make Fitness a Chore

Whether housework, furniture moves, or yard work, you have a never-ending to-do list where you live. Time yourself mowing the grass, raking leaves or sweeping an area. Turn it into a competition with the watch.

10. Make Fitness Less of a Chore

Focus on making exercise enjoyable so it feels less like a monotonous activity you despise. Select activities you genuinely like to do, and set a goal to improve the time spent doing them each week.

In the end, finding time for exercise is less about searching for extra hours and more about making it a daily priority. Even small steps can lead to meaningful progress over time. By rethinking how you approach physical activity and embracing creative ways to fit fitness into your routine, you can build habits that support your health, longevity and overall well-being. Remember, the most important workout is the one you do, so start where you are, and let consistency be your guide.

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