Tips for fitting exercise into a busy work schedule

Many people find it a constant struggle to fit regular exercise around work commitments. However, if we can make time for working out, the rewards are more than worth it. There are significant physical and mental health benefits of exercise, and the NHS advice is that adults should participate in a minimum of 75 minutes of vigorous activity or 150 minutes of moderately intense activity every week.

As well as benefitting individuals, improved health and fitness of the workforce also helps employers, as typically, people who exercise tend to require less time off work sick.

Even though it can be challenging to establish an exercise routine around a busy job and lifestyle, there are tips and tricks to help you make it happen. The key is to approach it from two angles – motivating yourself to want to exercise and removing barriers that might stop you.

Motivation to exercise

  Find an exercise you love

When you’re tired from work, you definitely won’t want to do exercise that you find gruelling, boring or a chore. The secret is to find something you love so you actually want to go, even when you’re tired or short on time. Try a few different things until you find the one that sticks. Some people find that revisiting a childhood passion, like horseriding, swimming or dancing, reignites their love for exercise.

  Get an accountability partner

A clever trick to encourage you, even when you really don’t feel like exercising, is to find yourself an accountability partner. It might be easy to break a commitment to yourself, but knowing that you’ll let someone else down if you back out of your plans can be enough to get you out the door.

  Organise a group class at work

Exercising in a group can be great fun. Ask around for local fitness instructors who can come to your workplace to deliver an in-person class during a lunch break or after work to make it even easier to attend a class. Yoga is popular (partly because it doesn’t get you too sweaty), but really, anything that requires little or no equipment and could be done at work. You just need the space to move around and enough people who want to join in.

Removing barriers to exercise

  Look for gym membership discounts

Getting a gym membership at a reduced price makes working out more affordable and removes an excuse for not exercising. Some workplaces offer free or subsidised gym memberships or access to sports facilities for employees. It’s worth checking if your workplace does something similar. If not, you could volunteer to ask around at local gyms to see which offers a corporate discount and encourage your boss to register your company. Even better if you can find one with a fancy spa or health club attached to make every visit feel like a treat.

  Find something easily-accessible

When you participate in organised exercise, you might have to look for classes that fit your schedule, book in advance, check timetables, remember opening hours, commit ahead of time… If you know that all of that will put you off, try something that you can do by yourself whenever it suits you. Running is the perfect example; you can simply get changed, leave your house and start. No organisation involved!

  Move more in your daily life

Exercise doesn’t have to be a standalone activity; you can simply build more movement into your day. Perhaps you could try walking or cycling to work, as you’re going there anyway! If your employer is part of the Cycle to Work scheme, you could even get tax relief on a new bicycle. If walking or cycling to work isn’t safe or practical, we’ve all heard the oft-repeated advice to get off the bus or tube a few stops earlier or park further away and walk. It may sound obvious, but it can really make a difference – especially when you don’t have time for dedicated workouts.