Busy, busy, busy. It seems, as the years flow into the future, we’ve become busier, more to do, extra to witness, goals to achieve. It is a truth that our existence relies on the necessity that we stay active. But are we experiencing the correct type of activities? Namely, Gym-Time! 

Hark! I hear a communal justification for not exercising, “I don’t have the time”. Let’s be honest, we can all find the time to exercise. I don’t believe it’s due to not having the time, I believe it is due to when and the time it takes to exercise. 

People are busy, we all have our lives to lead. But we, as a society, have grown to expect immediate results; we have become impatient and have grown indolent. As a result, our overall health is declining. So how do you find time to exercise? I’m taking you back to school. 

First you should identify the time of day that it is best for you to exercise. Everyone is different so you must discover what is best for you. To ascertain, ask yourself these questions: 

When am I at my best during the day? 

When do I have the most energy? 

At what point in the day is my mood at its best? 

My answer to these questions is The Morning. I rise early and start my day around 4:30am. I allow myself time to wake up, drink coffee, and take care of natural needs. Then I head to the stationary bike and crank out 25 miles. Later that morning I will consume nourishment, tend to business, and then head to the gym for resistance training. Then shortly after 11am I will complete my day’s training with cardio, usually one of my High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) sessions I designed. I schedule my day so all my exercising will be complete before noon. The paramount reason for this is due to the fact that I am not at my best past early afternoon. 

Now, that is MY exercising time frame. This is just an example. Many would not want to devote 3+ hours to exercise. I do, because it’s my passion and my job. Obviously, yours needn’t be so strenuous and time consuming. Remember, it has been recommended that older adults engage in moderate physical activities at least 2 times per week and strength training 2 times a week. Your Personal Trainer Will recommends an equivalent mix of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity 3 times a week and strength training 2 or more days a week. 

The next step is to break up your workouts. I recommend doing cardio/aerobics as early as possible. Doing cardio/aerobics late in the evening may disrupt your sleep. Also, starting your day with cardio/aerobics will give you energy throughout the day. 

Next, weight/strength training. If you must do cardio and strength training on the same day, I recommend performing strength training 2 hours after cardio, even better would be the afternoon. This will allow your body time to recover so you can get the most out of the strength training. The most achievable plan would be to alternate cardio and weight training on different days. The weekly program would look something like this: Monday, Wednesday, Friday cardio in the morning, Tuesday and Thursday (Saturday if you feel strong) weight/strength training in the morning. You can substitute the time of day to best suit your needs. 

Lastly, establish a routine. In the beginning a new routine will seem tough. Just stick with it. Be consistent. Soon you will develop a routine and exercising will become second nature. New healthy habits take approximately 14-21 days to become routine; often this can be achieved in fewer than 14 days. Tough out the first week and by the second you’ll be on your way to a new healthy you. I know you can do it! 

If you would like assistance in getting a routine started, please contact us at contactus@khronologyfit.com . We can set you up with an exercise routine and specialized diet plan that will change your life! 

Khronology - Functional Fitness and Nutrition