Ask the Expert: Fitting Fitness in to Your Busy Schedule

By: StacyAtZeel
Kim-Lien KendallHaving trouble squeezing exercise into your busy schedule? Yoga teacher, movement educator and single mom Kim-Lien Kendall knows just how hard it can be to find the time to work out; but that doesn't mean she lets excuses get the best of her. Kim says that she still manages to fit at least five workouts into every week.

If she can, so can you. "I think the best way to approach this is to recognize where your starting point is," says Kim. "You have to choose a workout routine that you will actually stick to." That means anything that's too easy, too difficult or too inconvenient is out-it simply isn't going to work. When your time is even more limited than usual, you need to choose shorter, more effective workouts. Here's how.

Lift at lunch. Physical activity can be a great way to break up your day, especially if you work a standard nine-to-five job. Rather than spending your break waiting online at the local deli, bring your lunch from home so that you can fit in a 30-minute workout at your local gym.

Answer the call. Don't feel like renewing your gym membership? As Kim explains, there are lots of workouts that can be downloaded right to your Smartphone, and you can do them right in the office. Set yourself up with a simple routine consisting of squats, push-ups, jumping jacks, lunges and other basic movements. No equipment necessary!

Make it natural. Physical fitness doesn't necessarily have to take up its own time slot in your schedule. Instead, integrate fitness into the activities you already do. Rather than taking the train to work, get off a couple of stops early and walk the rest of the way. If you normally take the elevator, try walking up the stairs. Are you a stay-at-home mom? Play with your child more. Pick them up; take them to the park; or trying popping in a home workout DVD and having them do it with you.

Amp it up. One of the easiest ways to lose interest in exercise is boredom. Avoid the proverbial wall by changing up your routine each time. Try adding more sets, or giving yourself a time limit and seeing how many movements you can complete within those constraints. Other options are to combine exercises or remove breaks in between sets. Whatever you do, just make sure to keep increasing the difficulty in order to challenge yourself.

Make time! You have more time in your day than you think-Kim should know! Kim encourages you to examine your day and write down everything you do. "I guarantee there is something you can cut out to squeeze in a 20-minute workout each day!" she says. In other words, you might want to nix those 30-minutes you spend on Facebook.

Take action. If there's one thing businesses love, it's office camaraderie. Convince your boss to start a corporate fitness program at your company. After all, physical fitness has been proven to boost employee productivity.


As Kim concludes, however you chose to make fitness a priority, make sure you can stick to it. For personalized fitness instruction and advice, book an appointment with Kim-Lien Kendall or co-founder of SMARTer Bodies Melissa Gutierrez on Zeel.