Once your goal is specified
you must make it a PRIORITY. Working
toward your goal becomes another part of
your life, just like going to work or eating lunch. Believe me, you can find time. You may have to get up a little earlier or
skip a TV show, but even 15 minutes can be beneficial.
Weekly Scheduling
First, examine your week and establish what days will work best for your work outs. Take into consideration your job, commute, children, spouse, and weather. Shorter workouts can easily be completed during the week and weekends can be reserved for longer workouts. Once you have a good weekly schedule planned, it will be easier for training to become part of your routine.
Here’s my reasoning for establishing my workouts:
I work Monday – Friday from
7:30 to 3:30 and I have a 50 min drive each way to work. Therefore, I plan shorter workouts during the
week and longer workouts (1 hr+) on the weekends.
Daily Scheduling
Once you have determined
which days to workout, think though your day and decide the best time of
the day to work out. Write down your
schedule and determine if things/events can be shifted to create a block of
time. Also, decide what type of workout
you want to complete (walking, running, strength training). Take into consideration your workload for
each day. Do you usually have overly
stressful Mondays full of staff meetings?
Do your children routinely have a ton of homework on Tuesdays?
Here’s how I had to think about my day:
I have to be at work at 7:30
a.m., I have a 50 minute drive to work, and I would have to fit in a shower if
I did a cardio workout. To get in an
hour of cardio in the morning I would have to wake up around 4:30 a.m. and
begin working out at 4:45 a.m. It is
still dark at that time and I do not like to run on a treadmill. I would also be dehydrated and hungry! Therefore, the morning is not a good time for
me to complete a cardio workout.
However, my husband and I wanted to add strength training to our
routine. I don’t sweat when lifting
weights at the gym and I don’t need to be as fully hydrated. So lifting weights in the morning and doing
cardio in the afternoon works for us.
Workout Gear
Decide the gear you need to
complete your workout and pack it or lay it out the night before. You might need shoes, socks, sportsbra, hair
tie, sunglasses, watch, googles, swimsuit, towel, water bottle, nutrition. This list could go on and on! I have a different gear bag for each type
workout (bike, swim, strength).
So far we have planned:
·
The day of
the workout
·
The time
of the day for the workout
·
Workout gear
for the workout
Obstacles
Sounds like you have a great
plan going, but now we must think about obstacles. For example, I like to work out as soon as I
get home from work around 4:30 p.m. But,
right now (August) it is 105⁰ and hotter
than Hades in Texas. It would not be
safe to run at that time, so I have to run about 7:00 p.m. From 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. I do the household
chores I would normally complete after my 4:30 p.m. workout.
Plan B
What are you going to do if
all your plans go south? You need a Plan
B! Things are going to come up, you are
going to get sick, get held up in traffic, or have to take care of your
children. You must decide if you are
going to skip the workout, postpone the workout, or do another alternate
activity.
It’s not the end of the world
if you miss a workout, but you must get back on track. Also, it is OK to modify your training
schedule to fit your lifestyle, but always try to make working toward your goal
a priority. A successful training plan
is most effective when it is in balance with your life. Try to set yourself up for success by
planning and getting organized.
Organization may take more work up front, but it will take away some of
the stress later on. Planning and
organization will also help your training become part of your normal routine.
Stay Tuned for Part 3: Training and more training!
