FITNESS By Frank Adornato
It’s About Time
I have been a coach for more than 25 years, and the number one concern I hear from my clients – whether they are competitive athletes or individuals interested in good health and wellness – is that they don’t have enough time. They may be an athlete looking to bump up their game to a new target race such as a marathon or triathlon or someone simply wanting to lose a few pounds and feel better about themselves. But the big worry is that there is just not enough time in their busy day. And this is an especially big concern to those who want to start new. How do you fit in time for exercise when your day is already crammed full?
Well, here are a few thoughts about how you can make fitness a routine part of your life.
For starters, overcome the excuse of not enough time. Consider a typical week…168 hours. After you subtract time for sleeping (56), eating (21), and work/volunteering (40), you are left with 51 hours a week. If you allow 4 hours per day for miscellaneous chores, etc. you’re left with 23 hours a week. That’s more than enough time for your workouts, since most people need only 30 to 60 minutes a day. That’s less than 7 hours a week. Perform this mathematical exercise for yourself. The numbers may be a little different, but in the end, you’ll find that you do indeed have enough time in your week to schedule in exercise.
Another thing to do is to choose the time of day that’s best for you to exercise. My own preference is to train first thing in the morning. I like getting it done before the activities of the day distract me from my daily workouts. But the actual time of day isn’t important as long as you make exercise a priority and a part of your daily routine.
Next is to choose an exercise regimen that you enjoy. Walking, running, cycling, swimming, yoga, pilates, tennis, kayaking are just a few things you can do. The list is long. Find and do what you enjoy. And here on the west coast of Florida where the air quality is the best in the country, get outside and enjoy it.
And last, if you’re just starting out with exercise, it’s OK to start small. Identify small achievable milestones that will lead up to your ultimate goal. Do more as you reach each milestone and get stronger. Remember: small steps will lead to big results.
A healthy lifestyle means feeling good, looking good, being more self-confident, and being able to enjoy the things in life that make you happy. I think these are pretty good reasons to make health and fitness a priority in your life. Don’t you agree?