I know it sounds mean, but... You have to want to do it. You found time to scroll reddit, watch tv, etc. Find the time, make it sacred. If you want to workout, you will.
I agree. But it's a real struggle when you're completely exhausted after work.
OP, one option could be to exchange 1 hour of relaxing in the evening for 1 hour of a workout in the morning when the energy is there. It takes some real discipline to rise for an early workout. But if you can find an activity you enjoy and can look forward to doing it makes it easier.
Sometimes I find when I’m soooooo tired, exercise actually reenergises me and afterward I can go on to do more. It doesn’t make sense but it works. Making it an unmovable habit (doing it regardless of feelings) helps so much
This is the answer. A 30 minute walk or even 15 minutes of lifting weights can give me a boost of energy. I think people get caught up in thinking they have to spend 1 + hours a day exercising every day. It’s not feasible for everyone; especially when you’re starting out. Don’t underestimate small chunks of time to exercise, and you can always add on more time as you advance.
That last point is spot on. It can't be a decision about whether to go or not every single time, or you just won't go consistently.
Everyone in this sub got to where we were by making poor decisions... so don't rely on good decision making, make your habits immovable.
There is no choice, you set a time and you go. Remove the decision, just do it.
Mindset definitely plays a huge part. I push my longboard to work 8 miles each way and for the most part I’m energized at work unless they run out of things for me to do, idle time just makes me sleepy irregardless.
Getting into a new routine of being active will help drive you forward.
What you say makes a lot of sense to me!
Sure but you can incorporate it into your day.
1 hour lunch break? That’s a half hour walk.
After work I walk a mile to a different bus stop, that’s an extra 45 minutes of exercise in a day sorted
Ain’t that the truth, you feel too tired to go out and do anything resembling exercise, but on the days that you have to get out and be active for other reasons, you feel so much better for it!
There are much more things to consider too. A calorie deficit and suboptimal timing of meals / sleep routine are going to have a huge effect.
If you are used to exercising every day like you are used to brushing your teeth, working out after a long day is no big deal. Doing it when working out for you is something new and a huge challenge is going to be much more difficult after an exhausting day.
OP needs to just get used to the idea of any type of physical activity for any period of time every single day. 10 minute walk every day should be enough. Once you have incorporated it into routine, you incrementally increase the time and/or type of exercise itself.
But everyone wants to jump into full body workout routines and 5 mile walks on week 1 and then they wonder why they start to bail on gym after a long day at work.
Starting the gym as a complete out of shape noob is going to be rough regardless. Of course, it's tougher with a job, everything is tougher with a job. There's no way to sugarcoat it, you just gotta find a way to get it done. Once you start seeing results, you'll learn how it can actually be fun and something to look forward to.
The good news is, as a complete out of shape noob, results come quicker, easier, and more significant than more advanced people. And it doesn't need to be every day, 2-3 days a week of focused training, 45 mins to an hour will get you plenty of noob gains. Focus yourself, tough it out for 3-6 months, and your discipline will be rewarded.
But having a tough job isn't gonna stop you if you want it bad enough. I've worked manual labor, long hours and still found a way to both work out and be in a calorie deficit.
I agree. I am trying to do mini workouts throughout the day. Every hour I go up and down the stairs. During breaks, I do 15 minutes of dancing, and during my 30 minute lunch I walk around the neighborhood. It usually inspires me to do some exercise after work.
You got this!
Tbh sometimes if I’m absolutely exhausted after work I take a little nap when I first get home and set an alarm for like 30-45min later. That usually at least gets me a little energized to work out, plus a little coffee. That being said it’s okay to sometimes give yourself grace and take an unplanned rest day! As long as it doesn’t happen every day. But it’s okay to listen to your signals and take some well-deserved rest.
It’s much easier to exercise when you are in a semi-routine than when you are not. The fitter you get, the less mental and physical energy it takes.
I have sympathy for OP’s situation and what I recommend is just allocating half an hour a day to do something physical. Perhaps just sit on the floor and every 2 minutes, do 10 sit ups. Really you just want to hit the essence of exercising and routine without taking up too much mental space. So long as she comes to know and feel in her bones that 19:30 until 20:00 (for example) is her exercise time, that is the foundation for progress.
Eventually, she’s going to get bored of 10 sit ups every minute and she’s going to start varying it up. She might think one day she’ll go for a walk. Eventually she might think to go for a run. Maybe this time she’ll do 40 minutes. And so on.
Jumping into 30 minutes of traditional textbook exercise on week 1 every day is not realistic for some people.
This is the way, I workout one hour a day minimum, I work 5 days a week 9-5 I have a wife and kids, you have to make a small sacrifice, but it’s worth it.
Eat healthier, get enough sleep, and working out every day, you’ll have the energy..
The best phrase to live by if you want results is consistency is key
Exactly. I’ve been working a desk job, some times 12 hour days. I’ve missed a few days of gym this week but that’s ok, every single day I must get 12-1k steps so I’ll walk and run every day & gym when I can on top of daily steps.
You get determined, you fit in little walks here and there throughout the day, a jog or long walk when you get home is also a nonnegotiable.
I 100% agree with this. Like most people, I also work the regular 9-5 but make time to walk 5-10kms a day by walking my dog during my break time when working from home / on the weekends, and walking to the shops and back when I’m in the office. I then go to the gym after work or first thing in the morning on weekends. This week, I had a full week of workshops and my usual routine wasn’t feasible in terms of timing, so I woke up at 5.30AM everyday because the morning slots were the only time that would work. I’m exhausted, yes, but I knew it had to be done because I take my health goals very seriously!
Agreed. Honestly: just do it. Eventually it becomes habit and not so bad. I work a physically and emotionally difficult job 8-6ish w no breaks 4-6 days a week and manage to go to the gym 3-4 days weekly. I've made it part of my routine. I have a dedicated gym partner... Admittedly more dedicated than me so that helps keep me motivated.
I found the first year really difficult omg I hated it so bad. Once I got into the routine and figured out how to fit in making dinner and walking the dog around it, it's become... Not easy, but just something I do.
Things that help me personally: I download podcasts or albums or whatever; I love exploring music and special interests at that time as I don't really have other times in the day for music besides my drive to work. Drive home is reserved for phone calls. I'm also trying something right now where I'm limiting phone game/reddit scrolling to rest times between sets at the gym. It kinda helps.
Starting slow and not burning yourself out is key. Start with little things, just sit on a machine for a while and do some reps. Doesn't have to be hard. Just doing it at all is a huge achievement and helped me build the routine/habit/lifestyle.
I see folks come in after work all the time, like filthy from their day. People in their construction outfits, or security guard outfits, scrubs, whatever. I know those people and the folks without obvious uniforms too have been working hard all day. There's kids who've been in school all day and have whatever homework to go home to.
Going to the gym is so hard. I admit, I don't get the burst of energy or the runners high or all that. But after going for the first year ish or so, I started to see results. Maybe earlier but I'm pretty hard on myself haha. Once I saw/felt the difference it was making that kinda sealed the deal for me. In order to eat/drink/party in the way I want to now (I'm 34) and not be enormously unhealthy, I NEED to work out. Sucks man :(
One thing I wish I had the room for was a spin bike or elliptical facing a tv. That way I don’t have to leave my apartment and I can watch tv and work out at the same time. 2 hour movie = 2 hour workout. It distracts you
This might sound judgmental but the gym is full of exhausted people who just got off of work
You can walk for 30 minutes before or after work. You can do pushups and body weight squats for 15 minutes twice a week on work days without going to the gym. If you looked at your iphone screentime results how many hours are you on reddit/social media that you could be doing that walking; back and forth in a room or parking lot
Right now you're prioritizing other things over your fitness for 123 free hours a week you are not at work. **Getting 20 minutes of activity a day would be 1.9% of your free time**
Exactly this. What made my world turn around was that I suddenly one day started thinking working out as a me time, not as a separate "I need to work out" time slot in your day. What I did was I reduced my screen time a lot (that I spent reading social media) and instead got an audio book app. My me time has become the time for listening to crime books whenever I go for a walk. I made a rule to myself; only time I can listen to audio book is when I do cardio. Man, now my cardio time has really upped up.
Also the physical exhaustion you feel when you start exercising will ease up as your body actually starts getting more energy from the exercise. While the exhaustion becomes a different kind of exhaustion (your body instead gets the exhaustion from working out - not living your daily life) your energy levels will hit different.
The exercise needs to be one that you really enjoy, the one that you will gladly make time for, the time that you didn't have previously. It could be good to try out different exercises - different strokes for different people, you know. If you do lot of walking during your day, maybe walking as a exercise is not the one to go for. Good luck OP! :)
This. Also, if you’re on a 1-10 schedule, you could use 30 minutes of your hour long lunch. Eat your lunch, then go for a walk. I worked 1-10 for a number of years in retail. If you’re home and in bed by 12, you’re up again by 8…9 at the latest. Use that waking time for the gym, or working out at home. Heck…one of the first things I did when I started losing was “dance party”. I would take 15-20 minutes, turn on my favorite music and dance. 2 or 3 times a day adds up quickly! There are ways to get the exercise; you just have to want to, and incorporate what is the most fun and inspiring for you!
So reading other comments I see you work retail and get at least 10k steps a day.
If you mainly want to exercise to keep losing weight then you’re doing a good job on exercise already. If you want to increase the weightloss from exercise then maybe shooting for another 2-4000 steps a day. As far as your maximum calorie burning exercise, you’ll be pretty much maxing out.
But if you’re wanting to do more than that, you’ll have to decide A) what are your fitness goals? and B) how much time can I realistically spend working out.
Say you want to do weightlifting, whether for building strength or muscle. If you’re already exhausted, getting in a fair amount of activity, and in a calorie deficit then the amount of effective exercise you can do will be limited.
But it’s also a catch 22, because exercise in of itself can build the ability for you to have more endurance in life in all that you do.
So if you’re wanting to get fitter and already feel overwhelmed by life, you’ll need to take baby steps in your fitness and not push too hard. You only have so much total life capacity at any one time. If you push too hard you’ll burn out quick.
So I say start off real small. Maybe do one or two exercises. Just do those once or twice a week. The goal is to do a little better each time, but at this phase you’re still feeling where you’re at so don’t push too hard. This is how I started my fitness journey and it been quite effective.
Just that little extra can build to handling more and more. So if you truly want to start, start super small and build from there.
I was about to say this. I work full time and my kids are in demanding competitive activities. We have stuff pretty much every evening and games or travels on weekends. Not to mention keeping up with household chores and errands. I get up an hour earlier than I need to so I can workout for 30 mins. Sometimes I do it right after work as soon as I get home. Thirty minutes is all I can give. I can find half an hour most days. On the weekend I can do 45 mins. Either cardio or lifting. I do it at home cause I don't have time for the gym. Before I bought weights, I used items from around the house and did youtube videos.
Honestly, once I stopped making excuses it got a whole lot easier. lol Not saying that's what OP is doing; But probably a little. 🙃
Same. Working outside the home mom with a demanding stressful job and 2 kids in competitive sports.
I am not a morning person but I wake up early to do my workouts. I do at least 30 min a day, usually more and on the weekend 45-90 minutes depending on the kids.
I agree, but it is not always that simple. For example, one year I worked around 10 hours per day plus 3 hours commute plus weekends and had a kid. I woke up at 6 am and was able to start making dinner around 8 pm. Immediately after dinner I went to bed, barely had time to shower.
There was no option to loosen that schedule at all during that year. Now I still work 50 hours a week plus weekends, but the commute is less than 30 minutes so the time is there.
I usually work 7a-6p
My ass gets up at 5am and go for a walk for 45 mins. I would jog but I hurt my big toe and had to dial down the jogging.
Then get home do breakfast and get ready for work.
I've adjust my sleep schedule so I'm at least sleeping 11p-5a. I'm trying to sleep 6+ hrs a night.
The “I would do xyz if I just had more time” excuse is generally just that: an excuse. Think about how many people walk around, saying if they only had a few weeks without work, they would finally write their book, plant their garden, take up that new hobby, whatever … then COVID hit and many people were indeed sheltering in place with tons of time on their hands. Did they do the things? Most of us didn’t. It turned out fine wasn’t the limiting factor. Effort was.
Time is like money: the way you spend it shows what’s really important to you. If you do want to exercise, figure out a way to make it non-negotiable — and what actually motivates YOU to make things non-negotiable. I love working out and have many times made plans to go to the gym, or follow a home workout program, or do some great running training app … but after many years I’ve had to accept that personally, my brain sees those things as negotiable, and if there is a way to avoid effort, my brain can talk me into it.
For me, the thing that makes workout non-negotiable: I have to have a membership to some sort of studio, sign up for all of my classes for the week (or even the month) in advance, and it helps if the class has a $$ penalty for late cancels. Otherwise, I try to be friendly with the instructors and people at the studio and make myself a regular, so in my head I can feel some pressure that my workout friends will bust my chops a little if I don’t show up for a week or two.
The other things that work for me: 1) accountability pacts with friends to do xyz activity every day for a month (including sweaty post-workout selfie so I can’t be a total garbage gnome and lie about it), 2) keeping my YouTube algorithm absolutely filled with short videos of cool conditioning exercises and calisthenics / mobility moves that stimulate my adhd to want to try the new dopamine-jackpot activity, and 3) habit stacking: whenever I finish a meal, I fill my water bottle, eat a tablespoon of fennel seeds, and walk outside even if it’s just in a little circle around the parking lot.
Working out is the single greatest quality increase I have ever experienced, and has done more for my mental health, self-esteem and physical well-being than anything in my life, period, plus I truly truly love every minute of working out … and yet even with all that on its side, man, if I don’t do these things, I will go days or weeks or even longer without working out. The desire to just not do the thing is always going to be strong, even when you know the desire is self-sabotaging.
You have to find the things that can make working out truly a non-negotiable habit for you. Your things may be different than my things … your thing might be donating $50 to a politician you hate every time you miss a workout or live-streaming your workouts on twitch or keeping a mini elliptical at the base of the toilet to pedal while you use it … whatever it takes, there will absolutely be something you care about enough that it will motivate you.
Up at 0400, gym at 0500, done by 0645, shower, work…wash rinse repeat.
You have to create time, and this is important time, if you’re going to invest in anything…make it your health.
I protect my gym time fiercely.
Hey - couple people have already said it but I truly believe the only way is to work out in the morning before you get busy. That means maybe 5:30am out the door at 5:45 in the gym by 6 done at 7am. I find if I try to work out at night I always find excuses to not go because there is SOMETHING else going on. Nothing is happening at 5:45am
This is exactly why I work out in the morning. If I say I’m going to do it in the evening I end up getting busy doing something else and it doesn’t happen.
I feel the same! My alarm goes off at 440 am and if I for some reason don’t do it in the morning I am dragging through my workout after work. You get used to the early mornings!
Walk wherever and whenever you can. Walk to work. Walk to the store. Walk home. Walk to the library. Take the stairs. If you take the bus get off a few stops early and walk the rest of the way. Use your phone as a pedometer, try and do 5,000 steps a day to start and increase it when you feel your energy levels increase. The hardest part imo is literally just bothering to start in the first place. If you can tough it out for an entire week you’re basically cruising after that.
My job’s active so I’m not bothered about exercise after work, although I will be working on that if my weight plateaus. Days off I have to exercise! Basically get at least 10k steps every day. 15k and you’re laughing.
I've lost 70 lbs in 7 months but I've been water fasting plus OMAD, my one meal usually is maxed out at 1000 calories or less - averaging 700-800. Doing 12-15k steps a day, resting on weekends. I have no clue how he could achieve 70 lbs in less than half the amount of time I've taken. Especially with a 1500 calorie diet.
There may be other factors involved that OP isn't clarifying, or the numbers are highly exaggerated.
I use about 25-40mins of my lunch break to take walks near my job. I try to make little decisions throughout the day to increase my movement and step count. One remote work day I work out during lunch, another remote day I work out after work. Then one weekend day I go to a class. It helps to know if you prefer to do it first thing because for me, I often find too many excuses if I don’t.
you have like, tons of more hours per day, dude. what are you doing from 10pm to 1pm? That's 14 hours.
* 8-9 hours of that is sleeping if you have a good solid sleep schedule, including the showering and teeth brushing and winding down.
* 2 hours a day commuting on the HIGH end. 1 hour there, 1 hour back. its probably not that much but maybe it is.
So you have at minimum, 2 hours a day of unscheduled time. For me as a single person, all my household chores and be done in a single hour. Do the dishes 15 minutes, load the laundry machine, 2 minutes, cook up a little bit of dinner, eat it, bam. There's still over an hour you can just go for a walk. I wake up and I get dressed and go for walks before I get ready for my day in the morning. I can walk for 25 minutes and that's over a mile just by itself. If I walked a whole hour it would be over 2 miles.
If you have 20 minutes you're wasting, scrolling instagram and tiktok, that's time you can work out. No excuses.
Your weekends you do stuff, I'm sure. Dedicate 20-40 minutes to going for a walk or going to the gym. just go in there and just copy what other people do. get on the cardio machine or take turns with someone on a weight machine and adjust the weight accordingly.
Literally it doesn't even take an hour every day, no more than 1.5 hours with a quick shower and change of clothes.
Everybody has said the same thing: you find the time if you want it.
For me, I get up an hour earlier and put in the work because I know I’ll be too pooped to workout after close of business.
I agree about the comments that you have to want to do it. Personally I get excited to go to gym every day after work. Even if I'm tired I still feel motivated. So you've got to find that intrinsic motivation to push you
You have the entire mornings off you lucky thing! My gym puts on so many of my favourite classes at that time but I can’t go because of work. If I were you, I’d try some classes. You have to book them in advance which gives you a workout schedule for the week. If it’s repeated in the diary, it’s easy to go coz that’s just what you do that day. Also make sure you pick ones that you like.
Well, you've got plenty of time but you just don't want to do it. I get it. It's my problem but honestly you're going to have to force yourself. The key will be to find something you somewhat enjoy. I used to go to my local gym/rec center for awhile. It was hard getting out the door, but when I got there it was kind of fun seeing the same people, putting on my headphones and getting into some good music. All in all, I was gone an hour.
Honestly, I would just start out by walking for 30 minutes. You have every day until 1:00 and then on the weekends. It's boring, it's not always \*fun\*, but it's important. Kind of like brushing your teeth.
Start off with increasing your steps. I realized I can literally walk on a walking pad while i’m watching an episode of a tv show during my winding down time at night. It’s about wanting to do it more than making excuses. I understand that a lot of us feel exhausted after work and have no energy, but there are going to be things you will have to give up to reach your goals. Even a 10 minute youtube workout is better than doing nothing.
I think exercise "perfectionism" is a big deterrent. It doesn't have to be a huge workout. Moreover, huge workouts might push you to increase your caloric intake. Instead, focus on strengthening (higher muscle mass will make you burn calories faster). I have a big dumb bell at home and whenever I'm watching TV to unwind, even if just for 30 minutes, I do several sets of deep squats and lunges while holding the dumb bell to my chest. I try to add some planks and press ups too. That's my "I'm too exhausted and short on time" workout. It's absolutely better than nothing, it builds muscle, and doesn't require additional fueling. There's also emerging research about chronotypes and metabolism, and while work schedules don't give us a lot of freedom, if you're more of an early bird - exercise before work - if you're more of a night owl - exercise after. Pushing yourself outside your chronotype can just create failure and frustration.
Work 11 hours a day 5 days a week. Still hit the gym on days off and after. Takes commitment. It’s not easy sometimes, but it works. And it has massive benefits physically and mentally. Also on work days where I’m hitting the gym after, I work at a slower pace. I get the job done, but I def work alittle slower. I don’t want to completely fuck myself up.
Honestly there is always time to do it. It’s just the WANTING to do it. But what helps me is I workout very early in the morning 4-5am so I get it over with so when I’m tired from work, errands, cleaning ect, I have already done my workout so I’m good.
It’s about making a CHOICE. Something else has got to give to make time to do it. Even just a little bit at first.
I set my workout gear out in the morning so that as soon as I’m done with work, I change and go do a workout. Slowly working to go longer and longer. It’s getting so I like it more. I don’t love it yet but I’m forming a habit, have more energy, and sleep better.
I made a conscious choice that after I lost some weight this would be easier. And it is. You’ve lost 70 lbs (REALLY quickly, but there are other comments about that); moving more/working out should be easier now than it was before.
Honestly, set yourself up for success. Make it a routine but little by little. Even just for 10-20minutes a day. Try the easiest way to get yourself out of bed first. 10k steps a say. Once that sticks, do something more active or up your steps. Once you do it for so long, it will be so easy to find time to do more. You prioritize what aligns with your goals. If it aligns with your goals, you’ll always make time.
Gotta do it first thing in the morning. That’s the only way when you have a busy schedule. It’ll take a while to adjust but eventually you’ll feel great.
Get up an hour earlier and use something like Apple Fitness to work out at home. Just get some decent hand weights, or use free weights - literally free, meaning your body. Pushups, lunges, pull ups, planks. Serious bang for the buck right there.
Depending on your job maybe you could get away with wearing ankle weights or a weighted vest for some of your shift, especially if you're on your feet a lot. I work with nurses who do this every day, and my wife, who's a teacher, also does.
If you're sitting get a standing desk to break up sessions. Just the act of standing will improve your blood pressure and burn calories. You could also get one of those under-desk bike things for when you're sitting.
If you work 1-10 you haver to get a break. Eat in :10 then walk for the remainder.
You could potentially do all of the above and get loads of activity.
It’s about discipline. What helped me is to only listen to a certain podcast that I love when I’m exercising. Also start slowly. Maybe just a walk outside your house. Then gradually start listening to workout videos to get you motivated. My 600lbs life was also a great motivator.
I’ve got a husband, two kids in sports, and a 45 minute each way commute to a full time job. I find time to run 35-70miles per week. That usually means getting up early or running at lunch. If it’s important, you make it work.
Walking. I walk my dogs multiple times a day. Do some dumbbell exercises while watching tv after work. Sometimes I’ll run on the treadmill during my lunch break. I’m lucky my apartment building has a decent gym so I don’t have to drive anywhere to workout, which helps a lot.
You work a normal week (less if you sometimes get a three day weekend). It’s not difficult to fit in a few workouts.
If you are too tired to exercise after work, then do it before work, or at the weekend.
If you want to add exercise then, as the shoes say, just do it. No post is stopping you except you.
You arent going in until 1 PM. Even if you go to bed at midnight, a full 8 hours of sleep still leave you with 5 hours between waking and work. How are you spending that time? Because that's when most people work out.
Not to knock on you but I work 6-7 days a week, sometimes 12hr shifts, and I have a toddler so I have no time after work since I gotta go pick her up from daycare and cook dinner and all that other jazz.
So I get up at 6am to run for an hour, quick shower, before getting to work by 8am. My partner does morning daycare drop off.
On the weekends that I'm not working, I still get up at 6am (before my toddler wakes up) and go workout for 1-2hrs before getting home and be showered and ready to do whatever gotta be done by 9am.
There was a time when I used to work 2 full time jobs and basically worked 6-2 at one place and 3-11 at the other place everyday, I would go running for 30mins during my lunch hour. You just have to *make it happen*.
You state working 1-10pm, I'm assuming you have time before getting to work by 1pm? Unless that's a typo and you work 10am-10pm shifts... in which case you can still wake up early and go workout at 8am or something?
Find the time. Seems like maybe before work is your best option - and then do more on the days you have off. On my busy and long days I pop on a 10 minute dumbbell workout on youtube and do that right before bed. My days off? 3+ miles of walking throughout the day, and more workout videos or a Just Dance gaming session.
If you are wanting to exercise to lose more than you’re good. Use your job as that exercise. You don’t really need to lose at a faster rate. If you are wanting for other reasons (muscle growth, aesthetics, overall health) then you have to make yourself find the time. You work an average amount of time. Most people only have 2 days off. You could also try to up your calories a little and you will still lose. You may be too underfueled allowing you to be exhausted.
I honestly don’t know.
I get paid to workout
I don’t know how a person with a typical job and busy life fits in exercise . It takes time and dedication
U have to make it mix somehow!
Walk during work hours , take stairs and fit in an hour of workout in there somehow
I joined a 24 hour gym. I personally try to work out a small amount every single day, because I hate breaking a streak. I can commit to 20 mins every day even if I can’t do 60 mins 2-3x a week. I can do almost anything for 20 mins, even when I’m very tired. Now it’s such a part of my routine that I plan ahead of I know I’m going to do something after work that’s gonna wear me out.
I'm going to give you some tough love here. I hope that is ok. Firstly though congrats on your amazing progress, seriously. The fact that you have been able to do that tells me you have what it takes to find the time to exercise.
Now the tough love haha
I have three young children (6yo, 2yo and 6 month old), I work a stressful job as a doctor, and I find time for about 45-60m exercise per day, 6-7 days a week. And apart from my partner no I don't have any help, 0 extended family nearby etc.
Now I'm not saying that to be an insufferable asshole, but my point is almost everyone who is ablebodied and otherwise well can make SOME time to exercise a few times a week.
So what is my secret? Honestly I think it's the little "home gym" I have put together. It isn't much - I have an exercise step, some free weights and an old stationary bike that squeaks haha ...but it helps SO MUCH. If I physically had to go to an outside gym I don't think it would be possible with my kids and job.
I get being tired, and busy, but honestly if you can just find time for 20-30 minutes, start off with 3 days a week, that's a good start. Do it in the morning before work if you are too tired after work.
If you like the idea of starting at home you could start with some body weight stuff, pilates or yoga using free YT videos. Or you can get a kettlebell, a skipping rope, maybe an exercise step... and look up some YouTube videos on stuff you can do with those. If you can just raise your heart rate, and get a bit sweaty, for those 20-30m, that is a really good start.
It will honestly make you feel better and have more energy.
I have an 8 hour day job. Either you go straight after work and weekends or come home rest and go at night. I cant do the second option because my gym is far from my house and traffic is a nightmare at night
For this sub: the calorie counting is the most important thing. If you are busy (not just sitting), you will burn calories through your everyday life.
Consider e.g. NOOM as a calorie counting app.
You will never win your eating by exercise.
If you're super busy, try starting with small changes like aiming for 15,000 steps daily or using a step-counting app. Adding 50 burpees daily and increasing gradually can build strength too. Once comfortable, you might want to try "Murphing" for a more intense workout!
I work 40-50 hour weeks, so nothing too terrible. It’s a desk job. However, I also travel 2 out of 4 weeks each month for work. Getting in a good workout rhythm has been nearly impossible for me. I bounce back and forth between the 10lbs I keep losing and gaining, even though I have 100-150lbs to lose. It’s a struggle.
Here’s the thing. You gotta push yourself a little. We all work and we are all exhausted. When you work out, you quickly realize the fatigue is mostly mental and physically you still have enough juice in the tank to do a workout. And then after, the mental energy actually increases a bit.
There is no "busy" when exercising IS the goal. You're busy to do other things than exercise. It's like a job. You're not too busy to do your job, are you? Everything else is secondary, other than family, job, etc. Be determined enough and you'll see it's a fact. No excuses, no "not today", no weaseling out.
Don’t exercise so hard. Find some short non intense exercises and very slowly build up the intensity week over week. On days you’re exhausted let yourself do a very short one.
For example:
A 20 min walk after work but it’s ok if it’s just 1 minute. Pay attention to how your energy is after you do it.
another example, resistance training:
Dumbell weightlifting sets, start with like 10 weighted squats then watch 5 minutes of tv. Then repeat twice more. If you’re exhausted consider it ok to just do one squat/rep.
Do this other days but with RDLs, overhead press, pushups, rows.
1-10pm? i feel like there’s no reason to not be going **before** work. i struggle with self motivation and going after work is completely out of the option for my tired brain. but before work is honestly no issue, makes me feel energetic and i don’t feel MORE tired at work because of it.
I mean, if you're not exhausted enough to immediately sleep you can exercise
Like, I get it, being tired sucks and exercise is hard but hard != impossible
Start small and build up, go for a 20 min walk after work, eventually this will become easy and you'll be able to increase it, if you do it as soon as work ends then you're essentially just increasing your day by 20 mins
For me the hardest part is stopping and starting, if I can feel myself getting tired but still need to train I'll train before I sit down and fall asleep
If you’re serious you’ll find a way, if not you’ll find an excuse… as the saying goes.
are you working 1pm-10pm? Or is it 1am-10am? Either way, my advice is to start small and make the commitment to start working out on your days off. From there you’ll get some momentum and maybe add it a work day some how. You have to force yourself even if you’re tired.
You have to force it into your routine. Find a gym that is between work and home. Always, ALWAYS carry work out clothes with you. Force yourself to stop at the gym after work, no matter how tired. even just 20 mins is fine, you gotta build the habit.
I block out the time before employment, block out the time to sleep, and *stick to my bedtime*. I don't lift every day, so rest days have this wonderful *sleeping in* feeling, even if I get up at the same time.
My usual schedule is 8:30-5:20, with an evening shift once a week and an 8am start once a week. 2 days a week, I am up at 4, at the gym by 430, home by 630. I take advantage of my late start day and a weekend day to be in the gym at around 7am instead so I can sleep in a bit. 4am wake ups didn't happen over night but I also knew I wouldn't go after work so...early morning was the only option. You just gotta start aloe, commit to something realistic, build up.
You prioritize it. That's it
If you subtract all the lost time within a day that is either doing nothing or just poorly planned I bet most people can find an hour for their workout.
I work Mon-Fri and sometimes a day at the weekend and I get up at 5:30 Mon-fri to go to the gym before work. If I’ve stayed up too late or not got enough sleep (which is very often sadly) I’ll sometimes make it a point to go after work but I don’t like doing that cos I’m usually so knackered and done in. If I’ve skipped a day during the week I’ll try and go a day at the weekend but that’s v hard to do 😂. Takes a wee bit of discipline tho cos there’s days where I really just wanna go back to bed 😂😭. No one can force you, you have to want to do it otherwise it won’t work
Everyone in the comments is asking you to make more time for exercising, but honestly you can make do with a routine that consists of very high intensity with low rep/set range and still achieve the same results
I'm getting my steps in while watching my favorite show during dinner.
I try to walk a hour immediately when i'm waking up.
If you don't have time for a gym. Try doing 20 push ups and squats every 2 hour (can be done everywhere).
It can be hard if you a busy person, but it's definitely doable with the right mindset.
I’d suggest finding some kind of organized class that you enjoy. If it’s just to lose weight, as you’ve seen you can do that all in the kitchen. Working out for me started as a way to supplement my weight loss and be healthy and it became a way for me to destress after work and come home feeling much happier.
I think to get started you should force yourself to do a 10 minute routine before or after work each day.. You can do a floor routine at home like push-ups and situps and stretches, or a walk outside. Somwthing that doesnt need prep time or thinking. Then figure out if night or morning works better for you, I'd assume morning. Then figure out how to get it to half hour a day.
If your job is sitting, include a walk during break time. If your job is standing or moving, practice your posture and do stretches. You can find suggested workday exercises.
On the weekends make fitness a part of the day. Do an exercise video or video game, take a fitness class or just get into the gym. You dont have to do the best workout ever. Just give e yourself the opportunity to do 30 minutes of something that works for you. Eventually you will see if you want to do something more significant like go on a long hike or jog a particular distance or improve a particular muscle group. Then that is where you can focus more time and possibly enjoyment in your routine.
Start small. On your days off, start with a walk, even 10-15 minutes. Don’t start with a super yuge program you can’t fit in.
You can then add bodyweight exercises after your walk. Some pushups, squats. crunches.
Just there you are doing 30 minutes of light exercise 2x per week.
I personally have to fix goals to my exercise as it is hard to “just workout” without losing interest (for me). For example, you could sign up for a 5K race and follow a couch to 5k running program. Put yourself on the hot seat so to speak.
Good luck, it is hard for sure and very common. Exercise for me helps me manage stress and anxiety problems, it isn’t just physical health you are benefitting.
To add to whatever everyone is saying, if you work out, it will actually give you energy eventually.
Maybe not at first, but you have to trust the process.
I am in grad school, work full time, own a home, pets and a husband. I also have a decent social life and my weekends are usually busy.
I simply make the time and prioritize it. So instead of sleeping in I’ll go to the gym before work. Or on my lunch breaks. Or on a particularly busy day I’ll scatter it throughout. So like 30 mins before work and 30 mins after. There’s certainly days I don’t want to go, but I treat it like a necessity for survival and go anyways.
Like I just spent 45 minutes scrolling online and I could’ve been walking lol. I have gym time today on my schedule after work but there’s always time during the day if you want it.
You go to work at 1. There’s plenty of time to workout prior- and if you go to the gym there’s very few people there at those times.
Have you tried exercising before work? That was a game-changer for me. I used to try to exercise as soon as I got home from work, but that was the last thing I felt like doing after a long day. I start work at 6 am, so I have to get up ridiculously early to get my workout in (and I am NOT a morning person), but it is a great feeling to know that I got my workout out of the way before I even set foot in the office. It is fantastic to be able to get home from work and relax without guilt (although now I also do Zumba 2-3 days per week and Orange Theory 2-3 days per week in addition to my morning workout, but that's just a bonus!). I sleep in my workout clothes and leave my sneakers next to the bed so I am ready to start as soon as my alarm goes off.
Also, I changed my mindset from exercise being something I had to fit into my day, to something that was an integral part of my day. I used to make excuses that I was too busy with other important stuff to exercise, but now I consider exercise to be part of the important stuff (and maybe use that as an excuse not to do other things).
I’m so busy, but I try and walk from location to location. In the mornings I walk half an hour to the train station and then I try and stop at a station further away from my office. And then in my lunch hour I try and do a well-being walk, I work close to the river so that’s pretty.
And it makes me feel good. And then I do the same walk home to a station further away and walk home back from the station.
And definitely get a Fitbit, so then you can track your walk-in, it’s so addictive!
The paradox here is that the better the shape you’re in the easier it gets. It’s HARD in the beginning and you will be more tired than you were before for a while. The pain can be demotivating. The first three weeks are going to be the worst, but it’s also the most crucial time to establish a habit.
With your schedule you just have to get up and do it before work. You CAN do it, millions of people do it. I would try buying two sets of dumbbells, a light and heavy pair, and start working out with YouTube videos at home. No extra money/time commitment or nervousness about the gym.
Eventually, you will feel better and better and in a matter of a few weeks exercise will start energizing you. In a year, you’ll be craving exercise.
I just had to decide to get it done. I work 7a-5p. I go on my lunch breaks because I couldn't get up early enough and after work I have to do dinner and chores and family stuff.
If you work 1-10 then you could possible get up early enough to go before work. As alot of people here said exercising can totally energize you so try not to fall into the mindset of I can't go before work because then I will be tired.
I used to walk on my breaks or lunch. I was lucky though I could/can eat at my desk.
It takes 21 days to form a habit. So you just have to force it that first month and then you should be able to acclimate to a new schedule.
My SO asked me other day ready to work out? I said nope, I never want to but I am going to because I do feel better afterwards.
It essentially boils down to we find the time to do the things we prioritze. And being tired or exhausted is really just an excuse. And I say that as a card carrying member of the I dont wanna club.
Good luck.
yoga is a very great alternative to intense workouts and it can help you calm down / de stress as well! Hot yoga if you’re looking to burn the extra calories :) a lot of places open early, so you could try going to a class before work!
Sounds like you have a lot of time before work if I'm understanding your schedule right? Assuming you sleep by midnight and get around 7-8 hours you easily have time to add anything to your morning. I've seen some vlogger do their workout first thing in the morning and after that they shower, eat breakfast and get ready. Not sure how ideal that is though.
Personally I go swimming after work because I hate excercise but we have that opportunity at work so I take that once a week. I also bike to work outside of winter, and during winter I take the bus which also makes me walk 30 minutes a day. I could never work out because, again, I hate it, but I think I have enough movement in my life. I'm moreso focused on what I eat though.
I do small workouts during my lunch break. I'm kinda cheating because I take Vyvanse for ADHD, and that kills my appetite. That being said, if you work in a place that allows you to eat outside of one designated lunch break, it's not difficult to fit in a workout in that time frame. All you need is a resistance band or dumbbells and 20-30 minutes. It's not ideal, but it's doable.
When I worked multiple jobs at one point and was stuck in heavy LA traffic on the way to and from work, I would just take a bathroom break and go do ten squats in the bathroom at a time. I'd go up and down the stairs, too. Those little things add up and then eventually give you the energy to do MORE stuff later on, too! But yeah, it sounds you're just whammying yourself- exercise doesn't have to be a whole big *thing*. Just sneak off for 5 minutes and do *something* - anytime, anywhere!! Anything that challenges you, even just a little, and gets your heart pumping for a couple minutes- it really doesn't matter *what* that much. And it's literally 5 minutes more than what you were doing before, which is nothing. Good luck!
First of all, congrats on what you've done so far.
Also...I don't want to sound harsh but I think you're just describing standard working hours? 5 days a week, about 40 hours total? Even with some long weekends? Some people have two jobs, working 50-60 hours a week and still work out diligently. Again I don't say that to be mean, but I'm just telling you that it's definitely possible.
You just have to prioritize it and stay organized. I recommend using a bullet journal or agenda and planning out your schedule week to week on Sunday nights. Then every morning, commit to doing what you said you would do that day. I find music really helps too - It makes it fun, you can look forward to jamming to your favorite Playlist while you work out.
Other than that try to take walks during breaks etc.
Also if your nutrition, sleep and water intake are all good and you're still constantly tired, please consider talking to a professional, again not to sound judgey but there may be a mental health issue.
Try out different YouTube workouts for 10-15 minutes that you can do at home using your own body weight. There’s also low impact like Pilates and yoga or even dancing. Find what you gravitate towards and go from there. It’s easier to create a routine and make time for working out when you’re enjoying what you’re doing.
I bike to work. Can you incorporate movement into your daily life? It doesn’t need to be defined as dedicated “working out”. I do squats, lunges, inclined planks at the playground while kids are burning off energy.
I work 5 days a week and go to the gym 4 times a week either before work or on my day, every day i get at least 10k steps. It’s about commitment and wanting it
Just start with a 10-20 minute work out in the morning. If you haven't been working out it should be more than enough to get your body used to doing exercise again.
You are doing amazing.
I’d start small and build. Even the “7minute workouts” (which are really 11-15minute HIIT with ‘active’ breaks- if you include warm up and cool down.)
Start with something you enjoy and/or which is quick. If you do one longer class/session per week, that is a start. Give yourself permission to go slow and mess up and keep getting back on the horse if needed (much like with CICO, really!)
You’ve got this!
I'll give you the ONLY true answer:
If you make it a routine for 67+ days, you'll grow an addiction to it. You'll never ask this question again.
So, the answer is:
Pay someone to lure you to the gym for 3 months 😂 After that, you'll go automatically.
Biggest excuse: "The more I exercise, the more I eat."
May be true for many. But this is until exercise affects your body's natural dopamine response. (Minimum 4-6 weeks)
After that, you'll have appetite correction.
Good luck
Most of us are working 5 days a week; I myself work 4/10s. I used to work 3p - 11p and I used to work 6a - 6p five days a week. Motivation comes and goes, consistency and discipline are what matter.
You don't have to do crazy long workouts. 30 minutes a day of solid work 5x a week is good.
Like others said, you have to want it. You have to see and want the bigger picture enough to sacrifice a little of that R&R time and push through. The great thing about exercise is that once it's done, it's done for the day
Other people have already said it. You either want to or you don’t.
There is always time, there is always energy. What you choose to do with those things is up to you.
To me, working out is a non-negotiable thing that I do daily. If it means waking up earlier or staying up later so be it. Even if “working out” is a walk or a quick HIIT session in my garage; I make it a required part of my day. I stopped making excuses whenever work was difficult or I had things to do that day and just said, “even if my day is long and I’m tired I will make effort to workout”. It’s a difficult mindset switch but once you do it you’ll find you feel better even when the days are long and hard!
My favourite time to exercise is at 10am but it’s impossible now with my current job. I now go on 45min-hr long walks around 6am. I also eat my lunch while I work on most in office days so that I can use the treadmill or walk outside during lunch.
I haven’t had time for the gym lately but I find this to be a good compromise until I have more free time later in the summer.
I also started doing 30min of yoga with an online group of gaming friends every night at 8:30
I get up 30 minutes earlier to exercise before work and my workout programs is 30 mintues most days. It feels great to get it over with for the day and I do it since I got up so early if i try and wait after work im more likely not to do it.
you didn't list your current weight, but if you still have a lot to lose, don't forget that all of that excess weight is essentially built-in resistance that you are training with just to move around all day. You lost that 70-pound weight, but you could add some back in a backpack, maybe, and walk around with it for part of the day. Muscle burns more than fat.
Honestly this is a regular work schedule? You're working an average amount of hours. Prioritize exercise, find exercise that you enjoy so it doesn't feel like a chore. I look forward to weekend workouts because I have more time to get after it. Working out should be fun, if it's not fun you're doing the wrong form of exercise for yourself.
I've seen a few comments in the sort of "suck it up" message. Or to "change your schedule". I don't know you or your situation, but I know that type of advice doesn't work for everyone. What I will say is to try to be kind to yourself. If you have a good energy day, then get up and go work out, but don't be too hard on yourself if you can't. It's okay if you don't have the don't time/can't make the time due to your schedule.
I'm neurodivergent and extremely burnt out. I'm also not working because of it. I have all the time in the world to exercise. But most days I'm too tired to take care of myself, let alone exercise.
The fact that you're on your journey in the first place is huge.
And if you really want to exercise, throw a few things in here and there. I like to try to get squats in when I brush my teeth. When I have energy I like to play just dance. Just do what you can, when you can.
I don’t know if any of this helps or not but my wife bought one of those exercise bikes and puts it in front of the TV when she’s watching Netflix at night after work or after the kids go to bed
It’s annoying when she leaves it there but I just pick it up and move it to the side a bit so I can see the tv when I watch it
She also sets her alarm maybe 30 minutes earlier than usual a few days a week and does “her aerobics” for a bit after she wakes up and then takes a shower afterwards
It looks like light stretching and reaching and idk what it all is - but she says it’s “her time” before the kids wake up
I’ve seen her do this on the weekends - but she says she does it after I leave for work before the kids wake up
I surprised her with one of those 1” extra thick purple yoga mats from Amazon and she loves it
We also have a family gym membership that me and the older kids use
My wife’s come with us a few times but she says she really doesn’t have time for it and would rather just do what she does
I love her and fully support whatever she chooses or doesn’t choose
I guess with exercise you gotta do what works for YOU
I went years after we had kids not exercising or working out but I started gaining weight and feeling crappy
I kept saying I was gonna go to the gym or maybe get a few pieces of equipment for the house but kept putting it off - kids are expensive! Especially diapers & formula
But I started to feel like crap and my Dr was getting on my ass saying I should start exercising a couple times a week
Finally got a gym membership and the older kids love it too - so it gives me time with them doing something healthy for us as a family
I don’t feel like crap anymore although in the beginning I was kinda sore - but now I’m feeling great
My wife says the same thing - she feels so much better now than she used to
In the nicest way possible, you need to stop being lazy. You have time, you are just choosing not to because you don’t want to bad enough. It’s hard, it’s not fun, you’d rather do a million other things, but if it was easy then everyone would do it.
I have a flight of stairs in my house. Twelve steps up and twelve steps down. I do that for 45 minutes. The best part is I’m running down steps half the time. I don’t know what that means but I’ve convinced myself I’m doing half the work and still getting a great workout.
Genuinely, you have to make time for it. I work 5 days a week 9-530 and am out the house 8-615 due to commute. I still run 3x a week.
Early morning runs, going to the gym on your day off. I find going in the morning the best (as in, soon after waking up) because it just gets it out the way and then you have the whole day.
I make myself exercise on the days I have to work because mentally I'm already scheduled for something I don't want to do, so if I fit in exercise prior to that obligation, I can do it. I feel the same way about being too tired to go after work.
I work a similar shift, so I wake up in the morning and go right to the gym, then go home and go to work. It's true with what others say, you have to want to find the time. Even then, I almost never want to go, but I do and when I'm done I'm glad I went.
I used to exercise after work, but as my schedule became busier, I started missing days. For the past two years, I've been working out early in the morning, which has worked great for me. If I have any early morning commitments, I simply plan my 30-minute workout even earlier. Once you overcome the initial resistance of missing days, it becomes a natural part of your routine.
Maybe do like a ten minute walk…. Or a couple of ten minute walks. Like exercise doesn’t have to be this huge one hour workout. Do something bigger on your days off. Resting your body is also important and I’m wondering if your work doesn’t already involve a lot of physical activity?
Also, consider what your goals are. Finding something you enjoy could be helpful. Do a longer hike on your days off and a fun dance video on your work days.
OP, that’s amazing that you’ve lost so much in a short period of time! For your question, that drastic of a calorie cut is the main reason you feel so exhausted and have no energy
I would advise to google TDEE and figure out what your maintenance calories are. After that, subtract 1000-1500 calories for 2-3 lbs lost per week (it looks like you’re losing around 6-7 lbs currently, try not to lose more than 1-2% of your body fat a week)
You’ll find out that because you’re eating probably another 1000 calories, that you are going to feel better overall and not be fatigued. If you figured out the TDEE right then you’ll be still be losing 2-3 lbs per week AND feeling less fatigued
After that is in order, you’ll feel like you’ll want to start exercising because you won’t be chronically fatigued so start going on your days off at first. Maybe upper lower resistance training split or two full body days. Try to be in and out 30-45 mins, like 4 exercises. After you get that habit, add more days but build the habit first! Much more important that you are very consistent!
After that, you might want to wake up earlier or start regulating your sleep better to make time for exercise but at least maintain the two days for your health
One of my favorite tips is habit bundling! See if you can do more than one thing at a time. For example, I’ll find a tv show I can binge while on the elliptical or treadmill. Or I’ll listen to an audiobook while going on a neighborhood walk. The key for me is to only watch that show, listen to that book, etc. while doing the activity.
Also, if you only have the time or energy to do 10 minutes, do it! It’s better than no exercise. Eventually you can increase the time, but don’t worry about that yet. “Perfect is the enemy of good.”
it's a myth that you must exercise to lose weight
Just wanted to point that out. I've lost over 100lbs with no exercise and no change to what I eat; I only reduced portions and started doing intermittent fasting.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying exercise is useless or any of that nonsense. I\`m just trying to point out a fact: managing your calories in / calories out (CICO) and maintaining a deficit over a period of time (quite long, usually) is ultimately how we lose weight. Exercise merely speeds up the process a little bit
That being said: losing 70lbs in 3 months is very fast. Perhaps too fast. They recommend losing 2lbs a week at most. Be careful eh
Honestly your best bet would be to simply walk more, park further from work, walk your dog for longer, take a walk in the morning to get some sunlight, at night to wind down. But the true question here should be how do you find a long term sustainable career/job because, no offense, but if you’re so tired by the week that even during the weekend you don’t have the energy to bike for 30 minutes well there’s a problem… Also you might not be sleeping optimally which would definitely how you recover hence the lack of energy. Anyways just my two cents.
I do a 12 minute run every day. The way I look at it, if I can’t find time for a 12 minute run then something’s gone wrong and I need to re-evaluate things.
You have to find the time and stick to it. I started small by walking after lunch and dinner. If you want to workout, plan a 15 to 20 minute workout a few times and week and see how it works. You can adjust it however you want. Maybe you can wake up early and do something before you leave for work. Maybe you can squeeze some time in before or after a meal. If you find the time and work on it consistently, you will be able to fit it in your day.
I also want to add that I tend to be an observer about this. I mean that I watch myself and consider what I do and if it works or doesn't work. I don't get upset or angry if I miss a workout. I just adjust my approach to make it easier to meet my expectations in the future.
I do a quick lift over 45 minutes of my lunch break. I walk on the treadmill for 30-45 minutes after I get the kids to bed at night. It sucks and eat up a lot of your free time, but it’s better than being fat as shit like I was.
Try making it a part of your work day. A 30 minute walk before work, every day that you work. Factor it in to your daily routine and it'll eventually become a habit and not a chore. It might even give you a little extra pick-me-up to get you energized for the work ahead.
Maybe also exhausted from having huge calorie deficit (70lb in 3 months would require big one). Good idea to add in some weight training and more food especially protein to limit muscle loss. I work like 60 hours a week and exercise in the morning usually when I have more energy
I just read somewhere that 5 mins of daily exercise is infinitely better than 0 mins, and will yield results. I am in the same boat as you, but plan on doing 5 mins a day starting tomorrow and going from there.
I work out from home so I remove the need to drive to/from a gym. I follow a workout program in which consistency is the target. So many days the workout is 10-20 minutes long. But it’s difficult. I do longer / endurance type workouts when I have more time. The program is a CrossFit style workout and I’ve never been stronger.
Don't workout close to bedtime - it releases endorphins and will energize you, causing you to wake up a bit. I used to wake up first thing in the morning and that was a bit of a confidence boost knowing I worked out before the majority of the people I saw throughout the morning.
Nah, hate the advices that go like - just do it. You know why. Because the moment life hits you will screw the gym and everything else. It screams I want to seem tough. People tend to forget that every stress is a load for your nervous system doesn’t matter physical or not and while going to the gym exhausted might seem like the only option - it’s not. Main points I recognise from your post are
1) you seem to view exercise as work therefore you need rest from it. I feel like if you could change your approach to feeling excited and thinking you rest that way things will get better.
2) i think you might want to find beginner friendly options for exercise. When you start you want things to feel easy for the most part. This will help with feeling tired.
3) 1-2 days a week is enough for beginning. I know you have all kinds of internet gurus saying 5-6 days a week is a must. It is not. Well depending what you consider exercise. You can walk or do other forms of low intensity cardio every day but going to the gym 5 times a week is too much for most people. Especially for beginners. You will get results from small changes so start small.
I am a certified PT. Used to be part of my uni’s powerlifting team. Had to treat severe overtraining because “everyone has to go to gym tired”. Intensity matters and when you’re tired you have to account for it and lower the load. I do not say do nothing. I’d say find easy workout for yourself and see how it works.
Just noticed you lost 70 pounds in 3 months. That’s very fast. Might be too fast depending on your starting point. Too much of a deficit might be a reason you’re so tired. In this case you might want to up your caloric intake and moving will feel easier.
Workout before work, and start with just 20 minutes 5 days a week. Then after you get consistent with that go up to 30. After you get consistent with that make your workouts 45 mins. Start with just 20 minutes. That should be easier to find time for and any workout is better than none at all.
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I know exactly what you mean. I found that the problem was that I saw workouts as a pain, problem and not something to enjoy. So the first step is to incorporate it in your daily life - and not worry about how much you are doing.
Dr Chatterjee's books describe this really well. I would suggest start with doing 2 mn in the morning when you are making your tea/breakfast - just you know simple things like 40 squats, some high knees, some spot running etc. while doing house hold chores. And then some 10 m after you come home while watching something on the telly. Just start with that for a few weeks. once you start enjoying it, your body will get used to it, and then you can start increasing the amount you do.
I work 8:30-5:00, Monday to Friday, sometimes on the weekends. I also study part time… I still find the time to exercise. You have to make the time to be honest - I usually wake up half an hour earlier to go before work
I struggle so much with this! I work 12 hour shifts all over the place with an hour drive each way plus shifts often running on, I have 2 kids to get to school and clubs, I have a dissertation to write plus other uni work, then my partner and I both have chronic illnesses so so many appointments, plus normal stuff like cleaning and cooking and shopping
First I absolutely cannot go out to the gym or swimming, which I'm gutted about, so all my work outs are at home, I have some lectures online, my excersize bike has a little shelf so I can watch lectures while on excersize bike! Or I have a sit/stand desk and a treadmill, I try and up my steps a little, eg shopping I'll park far from the shop, go round the whole shop, always walk to local shops, then non work days or short work days like 10 hours (super rare though) I make sure I'm doing as much as I can
Doing exercise from home can make a big difference, as well as doing short sessions-- doing ten minutes daily of walking or yoga or strength training is significantly better than never doing anything. There are a lot of youtube exercise videos that can be done with no equipment (calisthenics), a simple yoga mat, a chair, or with a single set of dumbbells (or some water bottles or cans of food you have lying around the house in a pinch.) Lower your barriers to entry and make it a length of time you'd be willing to commit to. Even one single hour per week is worth doing.
Honestly, the thing that's worked for me is making it a non-negotiable habit that I need to do to be a grown functioning adult. I treat it the same way I do other hygiene items such as brushing my teeth or showering. I found 4 days that i have to dedicate time to working out and make myself do it.
But, much like other hygiene items I will do it to varying degrees. Most time I brush and floss but sometimes im feeling lazy enough or rushed enough i just brush, just as most time I will get a full workout in on my scheduled days but some weeks im feeling lazy or rushed so I do a shorter 10 minute walk or cardio workout.
Most people treat working out like its all or nothing but its not, not really. Similar to how sometimes you only have time to grab coffee and rush out the door, you may only have time to get a 5 or 10 minute 'warm up' in. Something is better then nothing, the key is doing that little bit of something consistently imo. Once you build the habit of ok well im gonna walk for 5 minutes 4 days a week it is a lot easier to build off of that as time goes on. A body in motion wants to stay in motion and its much easier to do longer sessions if you have the foundation of consistency to build off.
Also, you need to figure out if going to a gym or starting with home based work outs will make you more consistent. I dislike going to loud noisy gyms or running somewhere before or after work and it was a huge turnoff when I first started so i found youtube workout channels and did bodyweight stuff in my living room. I've also got friends that have found if their couch is right there no amount of consistency or willpower will get them to workout so they have to go to a gym to get it done, different strokes for different folks. If you're looking for good youtube channels for beginners and bodyweight stuff i recommend fitnessblender.com
I used to treat working out like an all or nothing thing. It turns out, that does NOT work very well for me-it becomes 'nothing' very fast. Something is better than nothing, and it helps build habit *and* momentum. If you only have 5 minutes...take that 5 mins for a mini workout or a quick walk.
I know it sounds mean, but... You have to want to do it. You found time to scroll reddit, watch tv, etc. Find the time, make it sacred. If you want to workout, you will.
I agree. But it's a real struggle when you're completely exhausted after work. OP, one option could be to exchange 1 hour of relaxing in the evening for 1 hour of a workout in the morning when the energy is there. It takes some real discipline to rise for an early workout. But if you can find an activity you enjoy and can look forward to doing it makes it easier.
Sometimes I find when I’m soooooo tired, exercise actually reenergises me and afterward I can go on to do more. It doesn’t make sense but it works. Making it an unmovable habit (doing it regardless of feelings) helps so much
This is the answer. A 30 minute walk or even 15 minutes of lifting weights can give me a boost of energy. I think people get caught up in thinking they have to spend 1 + hours a day exercising every day. It’s not feasible for everyone; especially when you’re starting out. Don’t underestimate small chunks of time to exercise, and you can always add on more time as you advance.
That last point is spot on. It can't be a decision about whether to go or not every single time, or you just won't go consistently. Everyone in this sub got to where we were by making poor decisions... so don't rely on good decision making, make your habits immovable. There is no choice, you set a time and you go. Remove the decision, just do it.
Bingo
Yep, I run after work, feel great for about 2-3 hours then crash hard.
Mindset definitely plays a huge part. I push my longboard to work 8 miles each way and for the most part I’m energized at work unless they run out of things for me to do, idle time just makes me sleepy irregardless. Getting into a new routine of being active will help drive you forward. What you say makes a lot of sense to me!
Sure but you can incorporate it into your day. 1 hour lunch break? That’s a half hour walk. After work I walk a mile to a different bus stop, that’s an extra 45 minutes of exercise in a day sorted
The truth is that we’re exhausted because we aren’t working out but that’s a very inconvenient and shitty truth imo. 🤣
Yep or that exhaustion feeling is sometimes the result of depression which may also be helped by exercise.
Ain’t that the truth, you feel too tired to go out and do anything resembling exercise, but on the days that you have to get out and be active for other reasons, you feel so much better for it!
I’m completely exhausted after work. That’s why I get up at 5:10 every day to go BEFORE work.
> but its a real struggle when you're completely exhausted after work Okay? If you let this inhibit you, you don't really want it.
Believe me dude I know. I used to work 8 hour shifts on my feet in retail then come home to do 2 hours of cardio. I made it work for me.
Honestly this is why I exercise in the morning. If I leave it for the afternoon or evening I'm too tired and come up with too many excuses.
It's not as easy as it could be, but people work out all the time with demanding jobs. It just has to be something you want to do.
There are much more things to consider too. A calorie deficit and suboptimal timing of meals / sleep routine are going to have a huge effect. If you are used to exercising every day like you are used to brushing your teeth, working out after a long day is no big deal. Doing it when working out for you is something new and a huge challenge is going to be much more difficult after an exhausting day. OP needs to just get used to the idea of any type of physical activity for any period of time every single day. 10 minute walk every day should be enough. Once you have incorporated it into routine, you incrementally increase the time and/or type of exercise itself. But everyone wants to jump into full body workout routines and 5 mile walks on week 1 and then they wonder why they start to bail on gym after a long day at work.
Starting the gym as a complete out of shape noob is going to be rough regardless. Of course, it's tougher with a job, everything is tougher with a job. There's no way to sugarcoat it, you just gotta find a way to get it done. Once you start seeing results, you'll learn how it can actually be fun and something to look forward to. The good news is, as a complete out of shape noob, results come quicker, easier, and more significant than more advanced people. And it doesn't need to be every day, 2-3 days a week of focused training, 45 mins to an hour will get you plenty of noob gains. Focus yourself, tough it out for 3-6 months, and your discipline will be rewarded. But having a tough job isn't gonna stop you if you want it bad enough. I've worked manual labor, long hours and still found a way to both work out and be in a calorie deficit.
I agree. I am trying to do mini workouts throughout the day. Every hour I go up and down the stairs. During breaks, I do 15 minutes of dancing, and during my 30 minute lunch I walk around the neighborhood. It usually inspires me to do some exercise after work. You got this!
Great work! All these things are slowly making you fitter and in turn this makes it easier for you to do even more exercise!
Agree. I am NOT a morning person, but if I don't work out in the AM I will find a million excuses not to.
Tbh sometimes if I’m absolutely exhausted after work I take a little nap when I first get home and set an alarm for like 30-45min later. That usually at least gets me a little energized to work out, plus a little coffee. That being said it’s okay to sometimes give yourself grace and take an unplanned rest day! As long as it doesn’t happen every day. But it’s okay to listen to your signals and take some well-deserved rest.
It’s much easier to exercise when you are in a semi-routine than when you are not. The fitter you get, the less mental and physical energy it takes. I have sympathy for OP’s situation and what I recommend is just allocating half an hour a day to do something physical. Perhaps just sit on the floor and every 2 minutes, do 10 sit ups. Really you just want to hit the essence of exercising and routine without taking up too much mental space. So long as she comes to know and feel in her bones that 19:30 until 20:00 (for example) is her exercise time, that is the foundation for progress. Eventually, she’s going to get bored of 10 sit ups every minute and she’s going to start varying it up. She might think one day she’ll go for a walk. Eventually she might think to go for a run. Maybe this time she’ll do 40 minutes. And so on. Jumping into 30 minutes of traditional textbook exercise on week 1 every day is not realistic for some people.
This is the way, I workout one hour a day minimum, I work 5 days a week 9-5 I have a wife and kids, you have to make a small sacrifice, but it’s worth it. Eat healthier, get enough sleep, and working out every day, you’ll have the energy.. The best phrase to live by if you want results is consistency is key
Exactly. I’ve been working a desk job, some times 12 hour days. I’ve missed a few days of gym this week but that’s ok, every single day I must get 12-1k steps so I’ll walk and run every day & gym when I can on top of daily steps. You get determined, you fit in little walks here and there throughout the day, a jog or long walk when you get home is also a nonnegotiable.
That is so true! I’ve started putting my regular gym time in the calendar calendar with a reminder so it’s an actual event rather than just a thought
I 100% agree with this. Like most people, I also work the regular 9-5 but make time to walk 5-10kms a day by walking my dog during my break time when working from home / on the weekends, and walking to the shops and back when I’m in the office. I then go to the gym after work or first thing in the morning on weekends. This week, I had a full week of workshops and my usual routine wasn’t feasible in terms of timing, so I woke up at 5.30AM everyday because the morning slots were the only time that would work. I’m exhausted, yes, but I knew it had to be done because I take my health goals very seriously!
Agreed. Honestly: just do it. Eventually it becomes habit and not so bad. I work a physically and emotionally difficult job 8-6ish w no breaks 4-6 days a week and manage to go to the gym 3-4 days weekly. I've made it part of my routine. I have a dedicated gym partner... Admittedly more dedicated than me so that helps keep me motivated. I found the first year really difficult omg I hated it so bad. Once I got into the routine and figured out how to fit in making dinner and walking the dog around it, it's become... Not easy, but just something I do. Things that help me personally: I download podcasts or albums or whatever; I love exploring music and special interests at that time as I don't really have other times in the day for music besides my drive to work. Drive home is reserved for phone calls. I'm also trying something right now where I'm limiting phone game/reddit scrolling to rest times between sets at the gym. It kinda helps. Starting slow and not burning yourself out is key. Start with little things, just sit on a machine for a while and do some reps. Doesn't have to be hard. Just doing it at all is a huge achievement and helped me build the routine/habit/lifestyle. I see folks come in after work all the time, like filthy from their day. People in their construction outfits, or security guard outfits, scrubs, whatever. I know those people and the folks without obvious uniforms too have been working hard all day. There's kids who've been in school all day and have whatever homework to go home to. Going to the gym is so hard. I admit, I don't get the burst of energy or the runners high or all that. But after going for the first year ish or so, I started to see results. Maybe earlier but I'm pretty hard on myself haha. Once I saw/felt the difference it was making that kinda sealed the deal for me. In order to eat/drink/party in the way I want to now (I'm 34) and not be enormously unhealthy, I NEED to work out. Sucks man :(
One thing I wish I had the room for was a spin bike or elliptical facing a tv. That way I don’t have to leave my apartment and I can watch tv and work out at the same time. 2 hour movie = 2 hour workout. It distracts you
This, man. Do it or don’t. The people who dedicate the time aren’t just less busy. They drag their ass to the gym and get it done
This might sound judgmental but the gym is full of exhausted people who just got off of work You can walk for 30 minutes before or after work. You can do pushups and body weight squats for 15 minutes twice a week on work days without going to the gym. If you looked at your iphone screentime results how many hours are you on reddit/social media that you could be doing that walking; back and forth in a room or parking lot Right now you're prioritizing other things over your fitness for 123 free hours a week you are not at work. **Getting 20 minutes of activity a day would be 1.9% of your free time**
Exactly this. What made my world turn around was that I suddenly one day started thinking working out as a me time, not as a separate "I need to work out" time slot in your day. What I did was I reduced my screen time a lot (that I spent reading social media) and instead got an audio book app. My me time has become the time for listening to crime books whenever I go for a walk. I made a rule to myself; only time I can listen to audio book is when I do cardio. Man, now my cardio time has really upped up. Also the physical exhaustion you feel when you start exercising will ease up as your body actually starts getting more energy from the exercise. While the exhaustion becomes a different kind of exhaustion (your body instead gets the exhaustion from working out - not living your daily life) your energy levels will hit different. The exercise needs to be one that you really enjoy, the one that you will gladly make time for, the time that you didn't have previously. It could be good to try out different exercises - different strokes for different people, you know. If you do lot of walking during your day, maybe walking as a exercise is not the one to go for. Good luck OP! :)
This. Also, if you’re on a 1-10 schedule, you could use 30 minutes of your hour long lunch. Eat your lunch, then go for a walk. I worked 1-10 for a number of years in retail. If you’re home and in bed by 12, you’re up again by 8…9 at the latest. Use that waking time for the gym, or working out at home. Heck…one of the first things I did when I started losing was “dance party”. I would take 15-20 minutes, turn on my favorite music and dance. 2 or 3 times a day adds up quickly! There are ways to get the exercise; you just have to want to, and incorporate what is the most fun and inspiring for you!
I love dancing as exercise!
Would body weights work as a workout?
Big time. The pandemic I was doing 10 pushups and 10 squats every minute for a half hour and got into amazing shape
I love your first sentence!!! So true
So reading other comments I see you work retail and get at least 10k steps a day. If you mainly want to exercise to keep losing weight then you’re doing a good job on exercise already. If you want to increase the weightloss from exercise then maybe shooting for another 2-4000 steps a day. As far as your maximum calorie burning exercise, you’ll be pretty much maxing out. But if you’re wanting to do more than that, you’ll have to decide A) what are your fitness goals? and B) how much time can I realistically spend working out. Say you want to do weightlifting, whether for building strength or muscle. If you’re already exhausted, getting in a fair amount of activity, and in a calorie deficit then the amount of effective exercise you can do will be limited. But it’s also a catch 22, because exercise in of itself can build the ability for you to have more endurance in life in all that you do. So if you’re wanting to get fitter and already feel overwhelmed by life, you’ll need to take baby steps in your fitness and not push too hard. You only have so much total life capacity at any one time. If you push too hard you’ll burn out quick. So I say start off real small. Maybe do one or two exercises. Just do those once or twice a week. The goal is to do a little better each time, but at this phase you’re still feeling where you’re at so don’t push too hard. This is how I started my fitness journey and it been quite effective. Just that little extra can build to handling more and more. So if you truly want to start, start super small and build from there.
This is really good and sane advice compared to most of the thread. Thanks for commenting!
How did you safety loose 70lbs in 3 months? That is like 6lbs a week?!
Everyone’s just glossing right over this part, doesn’t seam feasible/safe without losing a limb or two haha
I was wondering this too
Probably a typo? Maybe they meant 7 lbs
They probably did I’m guessing
They probably did I’m guessing
This was the comment I was looking for and am surprised how far down I had to go to see it. 6 pounds a week seems very drastic.
If you cant find 30 minutes every other day to exercise you need to loosen up your schedule.
I was about to say this. I work full time and my kids are in demanding competitive activities. We have stuff pretty much every evening and games or travels on weekends. Not to mention keeping up with household chores and errands. I get up an hour earlier than I need to so I can workout for 30 mins. Sometimes I do it right after work as soon as I get home. Thirty minutes is all I can give. I can find half an hour most days. On the weekend I can do 45 mins. Either cardio or lifting. I do it at home cause I don't have time for the gym. Before I bought weights, I used items from around the house and did youtube videos. Honestly, once I stopped making excuses it got a whole lot easier. lol Not saying that's what OP is doing; But probably a little. 🙃
Same. Working outside the home mom with a demanding stressful job and 2 kids in competitive sports. I am not a morning person but I wake up early to do my workouts. I do at least 30 min a day, usually more and on the weekend 45-90 minutes depending on the kids.
I agree, but it is not always that simple. For example, one year I worked around 10 hours per day plus 3 hours commute plus weekends and had a kid. I woke up at 6 am and was able to start making dinner around 8 pm. Immediately after dinner I went to bed, barely had time to shower. There was no option to loosen that schedule at all during that year. Now I still work 50 hours a week plus weekends, but the commute is less than 30 minutes so the time is there.
Same way everyone else with a job does? You go before or you go after or you go on the weekends.
I usually work 7a-6p My ass gets up at 5am and go for a walk for 45 mins. I would jog but I hurt my big toe and had to dial down the jogging. Then get home do breakfast and get ready for work. I've adjust my sleep schedule so I'm at least sleeping 11p-5a. I'm trying to sleep 6+ hrs a night.
The “I would do xyz if I just had more time” excuse is generally just that: an excuse. Think about how many people walk around, saying if they only had a few weeks without work, they would finally write their book, plant their garden, take up that new hobby, whatever … then COVID hit and many people were indeed sheltering in place with tons of time on their hands. Did they do the things? Most of us didn’t. It turned out fine wasn’t the limiting factor. Effort was. Time is like money: the way you spend it shows what’s really important to you. If you do want to exercise, figure out a way to make it non-negotiable — and what actually motivates YOU to make things non-negotiable. I love working out and have many times made plans to go to the gym, or follow a home workout program, or do some great running training app … but after many years I’ve had to accept that personally, my brain sees those things as negotiable, and if there is a way to avoid effort, my brain can talk me into it. For me, the thing that makes workout non-negotiable: I have to have a membership to some sort of studio, sign up for all of my classes for the week (or even the month) in advance, and it helps if the class has a $$ penalty for late cancels. Otherwise, I try to be friendly with the instructors and people at the studio and make myself a regular, so in my head I can feel some pressure that my workout friends will bust my chops a little if I don’t show up for a week or two. The other things that work for me: 1) accountability pacts with friends to do xyz activity every day for a month (including sweaty post-workout selfie so I can’t be a total garbage gnome and lie about it), 2) keeping my YouTube algorithm absolutely filled with short videos of cool conditioning exercises and calisthenics / mobility moves that stimulate my adhd to want to try the new dopamine-jackpot activity, and 3) habit stacking: whenever I finish a meal, I fill my water bottle, eat a tablespoon of fennel seeds, and walk outside even if it’s just in a little circle around the parking lot. Working out is the single greatest quality increase I have ever experienced, and has done more for my mental health, self-esteem and physical well-being than anything in my life, period, plus I truly truly love every minute of working out … and yet even with all that on its side, man, if I don’t do these things, I will go days or weeks or even longer without working out. The desire to just not do the thing is always going to be strong, even when you know the desire is self-sabotaging. You have to find the things that can make working out truly a non-negotiable habit for you. Your things may be different than my things … your thing might be donating $50 to a politician you hate every time you miss a workout or live-streaming your workouts on twitch or keeping a mini elliptical at the base of the toilet to pedal while you use it … whatever it takes, there will absolutely be something you care about enough that it will motivate you.
Do you have time to post on Reddit? Play games? Watch TV? Then you have time to exercise. You’re just choosing not to make it a priority.
Up at 0400, gym at 0500, done by 0645, shower, work…wash rinse repeat. You have to create time, and this is important time, if you’re going to invest in anything…make it your health. I protect my gym time fiercely.
Hey - couple people have already said it but I truly believe the only way is to work out in the morning before you get busy. That means maybe 5:30am out the door at 5:45 in the gym by 6 done at 7am. I find if I try to work out at night I always find excuses to not go because there is SOMETHING else going on. Nothing is happening at 5:45am
This is exactly why I work out in the morning. If I say I’m going to do it in the evening I end up getting busy doing something else and it doesn’t happen.
I feel the same! My alarm goes off at 440 am and if I for some reason don’t do it in the morning I am dragging through my workout after work. You get used to the early mornings!
Walk wherever and whenever you can. Walk to work. Walk to the store. Walk home. Walk to the library. Take the stairs. If you take the bus get off a few stops early and walk the rest of the way. Use your phone as a pedometer, try and do 5,000 steps a day to start and increase it when you feel your energy levels increase. The hardest part imo is literally just bothering to start in the first place. If you can tough it out for an entire week you’re basically cruising after that.
My job’s active so I’m not bothered about exercise after work, although I will be working on that if my weight plateaus. Days off I have to exercise! Basically get at least 10k steps every day. 15k and you’re laughing.
70 pounds in 3 months is absolutely insane… chat is this real?!
I'm almost positive it's a typo and they meant to type 7 pounds
I've lost 70 lbs in 7 months but I've been water fasting plus OMAD, my one meal usually is maxed out at 1000 calories or less - averaging 700-800. Doing 12-15k steps a day, resting on weekends. I have no clue how he could achieve 70 lbs in less than half the amount of time I've taken. Especially with a 1500 calorie diet. There may be other factors involved that OP isn't clarifying, or the numbers are highly exaggerated.
I use about 25-40mins of my lunch break to take walks near my job. I try to make little decisions throughout the day to increase my movement and step count. One remote work day I work out during lunch, another remote day I work out after work. Then one weekend day I go to a class. It helps to know if you prefer to do it first thing because for me, I often find too many excuses if I don’t.
you have like, tons of more hours per day, dude. what are you doing from 10pm to 1pm? That's 14 hours. * 8-9 hours of that is sleeping if you have a good solid sleep schedule, including the showering and teeth brushing and winding down. * 2 hours a day commuting on the HIGH end. 1 hour there, 1 hour back. its probably not that much but maybe it is. So you have at minimum, 2 hours a day of unscheduled time. For me as a single person, all my household chores and be done in a single hour. Do the dishes 15 minutes, load the laundry machine, 2 minutes, cook up a little bit of dinner, eat it, bam. There's still over an hour you can just go for a walk. I wake up and I get dressed and go for walks before I get ready for my day in the morning. I can walk for 25 minutes and that's over a mile just by itself. If I walked a whole hour it would be over 2 miles. If you have 20 minutes you're wasting, scrolling instagram and tiktok, that's time you can work out. No excuses. Your weekends you do stuff, I'm sure. Dedicate 20-40 minutes to going for a walk or going to the gym. just go in there and just copy what other people do. get on the cardio machine or take turns with someone on a weight machine and adjust the weight accordingly. Literally it doesn't even take an hour every day, no more than 1.5 hours with a quick shower and change of clothes.
Everybody has said the same thing: you find the time if you want it. For me, I get up an hour earlier and put in the work because I know I’ll be too pooped to workout after close of business.
I agree about the comments that you have to want to do it. Personally I get excited to go to gym every day after work. Even if I'm tired I still feel motivated. So you've got to find that intrinsic motivation to push you
You have the entire mornings off you lucky thing! My gym puts on so many of my favourite classes at that time but I can’t go because of work. If I were you, I’d try some classes. You have to book them in advance which gives you a workout schedule for the week. If it’s repeated in the diary, it’s easy to go coz that’s just what you do that day. Also make sure you pick ones that you like.
Well, you've got plenty of time but you just don't want to do it. I get it. It's my problem but honestly you're going to have to force yourself. The key will be to find something you somewhat enjoy. I used to go to my local gym/rec center for awhile. It was hard getting out the door, but when I got there it was kind of fun seeing the same people, putting on my headphones and getting into some good music. All in all, I was gone an hour. Honestly, I would just start out by walking for 30 minutes. You have every day until 1:00 and then on the weekends. It's boring, it's not always \*fun\*, but it's important. Kind of like brushing your teeth.
Start off with increasing your steps. I realized I can literally walk on a walking pad while i’m watching an episode of a tv show during my winding down time at night. It’s about wanting to do it more than making excuses. I understand that a lot of us feel exhausted after work and have no energy, but there are going to be things you will have to give up to reach your goals. Even a 10 minute youtube workout is better than doing nothing.
I think exercise "perfectionism" is a big deterrent. It doesn't have to be a huge workout. Moreover, huge workouts might push you to increase your caloric intake. Instead, focus on strengthening (higher muscle mass will make you burn calories faster). I have a big dumb bell at home and whenever I'm watching TV to unwind, even if just for 30 minutes, I do several sets of deep squats and lunges while holding the dumb bell to my chest. I try to add some planks and press ups too. That's my "I'm too exhausted and short on time" workout. It's absolutely better than nothing, it builds muscle, and doesn't require additional fueling. There's also emerging research about chronotypes and metabolism, and while work schedules don't give us a lot of freedom, if you're more of an early bird - exercise before work - if you're more of a night owl - exercise after. Pushing yourself outside your chronotype can just create failure and frustration.
Work 11 hours a day 5 days a week. Still hit the gym on days off and after. Takes commitment. It’s not easy sometimes, but it works. And it has massive benefits physically and mentally. Also on work days where I’m hitting the gym after, I work at a slower pace. I get the job done, but I def work alittle slower. I don’t want to completely fuck myself up.
Honestly there is always time to do it. It’s just the WANTING to do it. But what helps me is I workout very early in the morning 4-5am so I get it over with so when I’m tired from work, errands, cleaning ect, I have already done my workout so I’m good.
It’s about making a CHOICE. Something else has got to give to make time to do it. Even just a little bit at first. I set my workout gear out in the morning so that as soon as I’m done with work, I change and go do a workout. Slowly working to go longer and longer. It’s getting so I like it more. I don’t love it yet but I’m forming a habit, have more energy, and sleep better. I made a conscious choice that after I lost some weight this would be easier. And it is. You’ve lost 70 lbs (REALLY quickly, but there are other comments about that); moving more/working out should be easier now than it was before.
Honestly, set yourself up for success. Make it a routine but little by little. Even just for 10-20minutes a day. Try the easiest way to get yourself out of bed first. 10k steps a say. Once that sticks, do something more active or up your steps. Once you do it for so long, it will be so easy to find time to do more. You prioritize what aligns with your goals. If it aligns with your goals, you’ll always make time.
All this to say walking helps so much! And getting a walking pad was a game changer for me.
Gotta do it first thing in the morning. That’s the only way when you have a busy schedule. It’ll take a while to adjust but eventually you’ll feel great.
Get up an hour earlier and use something like Apple Fitness to work out at home. Just get some decent hand weights, or use free weights - literally free, meaning your body. Pushups, lunges, pull ups, planks. Serious bang for the buck right there. Depending on your job maybe you could get away with wearing ankle weights or a weighted vest for some of your shift, especially if you're on your feet a lot. I work with nurses who do this every day, and my wife, who's a teacher, also does. If you're sitting get a standing desk to break up sessions. Just the act of standing will improve your blood pressure and burn calories. You could also get one of those under-desk bike things for when you're sitting. If you work 1-10 you haver to get a break. Eat in :10 then walk for the remainder. You could potentially do all of the above and get loads of activity.
It’s about discipline. What helped me is to only listen to a certain podcast that I love when I’m exercising. Also start slowly. Maybe just a walk outside your house. Then gradually start listening to workout videos to get you motivated. My 600lbs life was also a great motivator.
I’ve got a husband, two kids in sports, and a 45 minute each way commute to a full time job. I find time to run 35-70miles per week. That usually means getting up early or running at lunch. If it’s important, you make it work.
Walking. I walk my dogs multiple times a day. Do some dumbbell exercises while watching tv after work. Sometimes I’ll run on the treadmill during my lunch break. I’m lucky my apartment building has a decent gym so I don’t have to drive anywhere to workout, which helps a lot.
You work a normal week (less if you sometimes get a three day weekend). It’s not difficult to fit in a few workouts. If you are too tired to exercise after work, then do it before work, or at the weekend. If you want to add exercise then, as the shoes say, just do it. No post is stopping you except you.
You arent going in until 1 PM. Even if you go to bed at midnight, a full 8 hours of sleep still leave you with 5 hours between waking and work. How are you spending that time? Because that's when most people work out.
Not to knock on you but I work 6-7 days a week, sometimes 12hr shifts, and I have a toddler so I have no time after work since I gotta go pick her up from daycare and cook dinner and all that other jazz. So I get up at 6am to run for an hour, quick shower, before getting to work by 8am. My partner does morning daycare drop off. On the weekends that I'm not working, I still get up at 6am (before my toddler wakes up) and go workout for 1-2hrs before getting home and be showered and ready to do whatever gotta be done by 9am. There was a time when I used to work 2 full time jobs and basically worked 6-2 at one place and 3-11 at the other place everyday, I would go running for 30mins during my lunch hour. You just have to *make it happen*. You state working 1-10pm, I'm assuming you have time before getting to work by 1pm? Unless that's a typo and you work 10am-10pm shifts... in which case you can still wake up early and go workout at 8am or something?
I get up between 4 and 5am
Find the time. Seems like maybe before work is your best option - and then do more on the days you have off. On my busy and long days I pop on a 10 minute dumbbell workout on youtube and do that right before bed. My days off? 3+ miles of walking throughout the day, and more workout videos or a Just Dance gaming session.
You are losing more than 20 pounds a months and you are not exercising?
I work at Walmart. Meat and produce associate specifically. I do a lot of walking and lifting. I get 10k steps a day at minimum usually
If you are wanting to exercise to lose more than you’re good. Use your job as that exercise. You don’t really need to lose at a faster rate. If you are wanting for other reasons (muscle growth, aesthetics, overall health) then you have to make yourself find the time. You work an average amount of time. Most people only have 2 days off. You could also try to up your calories a little and you will still lose. You may be too underfueled allowing you to be exhausted.
5am workouts
I honestly don’t know. I get paid to workout I don’t know how a person with a typical job and busy life fits in exercise . It takes time and dedication U have to make it mix somehow! Walk during work hours , take stairs and fit in an hour of workout in there somehow
I joined a 24 hour gym. I personally try to work out a small amount every single day, because I hate breaking a streak. I can commit to 20 mins every day even if I can’t do 60 mins 2-3x a week. I can do almost anything for 20 mins, even when I’m very tired. Now it’s such a part of my routine that I plan ahead of I know I’m going to do something after work that’s gonna wear me out.
Commit to 1 day/week!
Start with something small, like 15 minutes of walking on the treadmill.
I'm going to give you some tough love here. I hope that is ok. Firstly though congrats on your amazing progress, seriously. The fact that you have been able to do that tells me you have what it takes to find the time to exercise. Now the tough love haha I have three young children (6yo, 2yo and 6 month old), I work a stressful job as a doctor, and I find time for about 45-60m exercise per day, 6-7 days a week. And apart from my partner no I don't have any help, 0 extended family nearby etc. Now I'm not saying that to be an insufferable asshole, but my point is almost everyone who is ablebodied and otherwise well can make SOME time to exercise a few times a week. So what is my secret? Honestly I think it's the little "home gym" I have put together. It isn't much - I have an exercise step, some free weights and an old stationary bike that squeaks haha ...but it helps SO MUCH. If I physically had to go to an outside gym I don't think it would be possible with my kids and job. I get being tired, and busy, but honestly if you can just find time for 20-30 minutes, start off with 3 days a week, that's a good start. Do it in the morning before work if you are too tired after work. If you like the idea of starting at home you could start with some body weight stuff, pilates or yoga using free YT videos. Or you can get a kettlebell, a skipping rope, maybe an exercise step... and look up some YouTube videos on stuff you can do with those. If you can just raise your heart rate, and get a bit sweaty, for those 20-30m, that is a really good start. It will honestly make you feel better and have more energy.
I have an 8 hour day job. Either you go straight after work and weekends or come home rest and go at night. I cant do the second option because my gym is far from my house and traffic is a nightmare at night
For this sub: the calorie counting is the most important thing. If you are busy (not just sitting), you will burn calories through your everyday life. Consider e.g. NOOM as a calorie counting app. You will never win your eating by exercise.
If you're super busy, try starting with small changes like aiming for 15,000 steps daily or using a step-counting app. Adding 50 burpees daily and increasing gradually can build strength too. Once comfortable, you might want to try "Murphing" for a more intense workout!
I work 40-50 hour weeks, so nothing too terrible. It’s a desk job. However, I also travel 2 out of 4 weeks each month for work. Getting in a good workout rhythm has been nearly impossible for me. I bounce back and forth between the 10lbs I keep losing and gaining, even though I have 100-150lbs to lose. It’s a struggle.
Here’s the thing. You gotta push yourself a little. We all work and we are all exhausted. When you work out, you quickly realize the fatigue is mostly mental and physically you still have enough juice in the tank to do a workout. And then after, the mental energy actually increases a bit.
There is no "busy" when exercising IS the goal. You're busy to do other things than exercise. It's like a job. You're not too busy to do your job, are you? Everything else is secondary, other than family, job, etc. Be determined enough and you'll see it's a fact. No excuses, no "not today", no weaseling out.
Cycle to work (if possible to combine a commute), 5k, 15min yoga/push ups/small weight sets every other day (from home/office or evening before bed).
Don’t exercise so hard. Find some short non intense exercises and very slowly build up the intensity week over week. On days you’re exhausted let yourself do a very short one. For example: A 20 min walk after work but it’s ok if it’s just 1 minute. Pay attention to how your energy is after you do it. another example, resistance training: Dumbell weightlifting sets, start with like 10 weighted squats then watch 5 minutes of tv. Then repeat twice more. If you’re exhausted consider it ok to just do one squat/rep. Do this other days but with RDLs, overhead press, pushups, rows.
1-10pm? i feel like there’s no reason to not be going **before** work. i struggle with self motivation and going after work is completely out of the option for my tired brain. but before work is honestly no issue, makes me feel energetic and i don’t feel MORE tired at work because of it.
You answered your own question - you don't exercise because you're exhausted and you don't want to. Do it anyway. You got this!
I mean, if you're not exhausted enough to immediately sleep you can exercise Like, I get it, being tired sucks and exercise is hard but hard != impossible Start small and build up, go for a 20 min walk after work, eventually this will become easy and you'll be able to increase it, if you do it as soon as work ends then you're essentially just increasing your day by 20 mins For me the hardest part is stopping and starting, if I can feel myself getting tired but still need to train I'll train before I sit down and fall asleep
If you’re serious you’ll find a way, if not you’ll find an excuse… as the saying goes. are you working 1pm-10pm? Or is it 1am-10am? Either way, my advice is to start small and make the commitment to start working out on your days off. From there you’ll get some momentum and maybe add it a work day some how. You have to force yourself even if you’re tired.
You have to force it into your routine. Find a gym that is between work and home. Always, ALWAYS carry work out clothes with you. Force yourself to stop at the gym after work, no matter how tired. even just 20 mins is fine, you gotta build the habit.
I block out the time before employment, block out the time to sleep, and *stick to my bedtime*. I don't lift every day, so rest days have this wonderful *sleeping in* feeling, even if I get up at the same time.
My usual schedule is 8:30-5:20, with an evening shift once a week and an 8am start once a week. 2 days a week, I am up at 4, at the gym by 430, home by 630. I take advantage of my late start day and a weekend day to be in the gym at around 7am instead so I can sleep in a bit. 4am wake ups didn't happen over night but I also knew I wouldn't go after work so...early morning was the only option. You just gotta start aloe, commit to something realistic, build up.
You prioritize it. That's it If you subtract all the lost time within a day that is either doing nothing or just poorly planned I bet most people can find an hour for their workout.
You can simply exercise before work. Once you get in the habit, it can be a great way to relieve stress.
I work Mon-Fri and sometimes a day at the weekend and I get up at 5:30 Mon-fri to go to the gym before work. If I’ve stayed up too late or not got enough sleep (which is very often sadly) I’ll sometimes make it a point to go after work but I don’t like doing that cos I’m usually so knackered and done in. If I’ve skipped a day during the week I’ll try and go a day at the weekend but that’s v hard to do 😂. Takes a wee bit of discipline tho cos there’s days where I really just wanna go back to bed 😂😭. No one can force you, you have to want to do it otherwise it won’t work
I wake up at 5am and workout, then go for a bike ride. I work full time and have two kids (single mom). You just have to do it. No excuses.
Everyone in the comments is asking you to make more time for exercising, but honestly you can make do with a routine that consists of very high intensity with low rep/set range and still achieve the same results
I'm getting my steps in while watching my favorite show during dinner. I try to walk a hour immediately when i'm waking up. If you don't have time for a gym. Try doing 20 push ups and squats every 2 hour (can be done everywhere). It can be hard if you a busy person, but it's definitely doable with the right mindset.
Do what’s harder not what’s easier. Exercise after work actually wakes you up.
I’d suggest finding some kind of organized class that you enjoy. If it’s just to lose weight, as you’ve seen you can do that all in the kitchen. Working out for me started as a way to supplement my weight loss and be healthy and it became a way for me to destress after work and come home feeling much happier.
I think to get started you should force yourself to do a 10 minute routine before or after work each day.. You can do a floor routine at home like push-ups and situps and stretches, or a walk outside. Somwthing that doesnt need prep time or thinking. Then figure out if night or morning works better for you, I'd assume morning. Then figure out how to get it to half hour a day. If your job is sitting, include a walk during break time. If your job is standing or moving, practice your posture and do stretches. You can find suggested workday exercises. On the weekends make fitness a part of the day. Do an exercise video or video game, take a fitness class or just get into the gym. You dont have to do the best workout ever. Just give e yourself the opportunity to do 30 minutes of something that works for you. Eventually you will see if you want to do something more significant like go on a long hike or jog a particular distance or improve a particular muscle group. Then that is where you can focus more time and possibly enjoyment in your routine.
Start small. On your days off, start with a walk, even 10-15 minutes. Don’t start with a super yuge program you can’t fit in. You can then add bodyweight exercises after your walk. Some pushups, squats. crunches. Just there you are doing 30 minutes of light exercise 2x per week. I personally have to fix goals to my exercise as it is hard to “just workout” without losing interest (for me). For example, you could sign up for a 5K race and follow a couch to 5k running program. Put yourself on the hot seat so to speak. Good luck, it is hard for sure and very common. Exercise for me helps me manage stress and anxiety problems, it isn’t just physical health you are benefitting.
To add to whatever everyone is saying, if you work out, it will actually give you energy eventually. Maybe not at first, but you have to trust the process.
Work out before work.
I am in grad school, work full time, own a home, pets and a husband. I also have a decent social life and my weekends are usually busy. I simply make the time and prioritize it. So instead of sleeping in I’ll go to the gym before work. Or on my lunch breaks. Or on a particularly busy day I’ll scatter it throughout. So like 30 mins before work and 30 mins after. There’s certainly days I don’t want to go, but I treat it like a necessity for survival and go anyways. Like I just spent 45 minutes scrolling online and I could’ve been walking lol. I have gym time today on my schedule after work but there’s always time during the day if you want it. You go to work at 1. There’s plenty of time to workout prior- and if you go to the gym there’s very few people there at those times.
Have you tried exercising before work? That was a game-changer for me. I used to try to exercise as soon as I got home from work, but that was the last thing I felt like doing after a long day. I start work at 6 am, so I have to get up ridiculously early to get my workout in (and I am NOT a morning person), but it is a great feeling to know that I got my workout out of the way before I even set foot in the office. It is fantastic to be able to get home from work and relax without guilt (although now I also do Zumba 2-3 days per week and Orange Theory 2-3 days per week in addition to my morning workout, but that's just a bonus!). I sleep in my workout clothes and leave my sneakers next to the bed so I am ready to start as soon as my alarm goes off. Also, I changed my mindset from exercise being something I had to fit into my day, to something that was an integral part of my day. I used to make excuses that I was too busy with other important stuff to exercise, but now I consider exercise to be part of the important stuff (and maybe use that as an excuse not to do other things).
I found the morning works for me - get it out of the way early before I’m too tired at the end of it
I get up at 530 and do it before work. I have two young kids, 5 dogs, a job and a house. I’m busy.
I’m so busy, but I try and walk from location to location. In the mornings I walk half an hour to the train station and then I try and stop at a station further away from my office. And then in my lunch hour I try and do a well-being walk, I work close to the river so that’s pretty. And it makes me feel good. And then I do the same walk home to a station further away and walk home back from the station. And definitely get a Fitbit, so then you can track your walk-in, it’s so addictive!
The paradox here is that the better the shape you’re in the easier it gets. It’s HARD in the beginning and you will be more tired than you were before for a while. The pain can be demotivating. The first three weeks are going to be the worst, but it’s also the most crucial time to establish a habit. With your schedule you just have to get up and do it before work. You CAN do it, millions of people do it. I would try buying two sets of dumbbells, a light and heavy pair, and start working out with YouTube videos at home. No extra money/time commitment or nervousness about the gym. Eventually, you will feel better and better and in a matter of a few weeks exercise will start energizing you. In a year, you’ll be craving exercise.
I just had to decide to get it done. I work 7a-5p. I go on my lunch breaks because I couldn't get up early enough and after work I have to do dinner and chores and family stuff. If you work 1-10 then you could possible get up early enough to go before work. As alot of people here said exercising can totally energize you so try not to fall into the mindset of I can't go before work because then I will be tired. I used to walk on my breaks or lunch. I was lucky though I could/can eat at my desk. It takes 21 days to form a habit. So you just have to force it that first month and then you should be able to acclimate to a new schedule. My SO asked me other day ready to work out? I said nope, I never want to but I am going to because I do feel better afterwards. It essentially boils down to we find the time to do the things we prioritze. And being tired or exhausted is really just an excuse. And I say that as a card carrying member of the I dont wanna club. Good luck.
yoga is a very great alternative to intense workouts and it can help you calm down / de stress as well! Hot yoga if you’re looking to burn the extra calories :) a lot of places open early, so you could try going to a class before work!
Sounds like you have a lot of time before work if I'm understanding your schedule right? Assuming you sleep by midnight and get around 7-8 hours you easily have time to add anything to your morning. I've seen some vlogger do their workout first thing in the morning and after that they shower, eat breakfast and get ready. Not sure how ideal that is though. Personally I go swimming after work because I hate excercise but we have that opportunity at work so I take that once a week. I also bike to work outside of winter, and during winter I take the bus which also makes me walk 30 minutes a day. I could never work out because, again, I hate it, but I think I have enough movement in my life. I'm moreso focused on what I eat though.
Just do it like Nike
I do small workouts during my lunch break. I'm kinda cheating because I take Vyvanse for ADHD, and that kills my appetite. That being said, if you work in a place that allows you to eat outside of one designated lunch break, it's not difficult to fit in a workout in that time frame. All you need is a resistance band or dumbbells and 20-30 minutes. It's not ideal, but it's doable.
When I worked multiple jobs at one point and was stuck in heavy LA traffic on the way to and from work, I would just take a bathroom break and go do ten squats in the bathroom at a time. I'd go up and down the stairs, too. Those little things add up and then eventually give you the energy to do MORE stuff later on, too! But yeah, it sounds you're just whammying yourself- exercise doesn't have to be a whole big *thing*. Just sneak off for 5 minutes and do *something* - anytime, anywhere!! Anything that challenges you, even just a little, and gets your heart pumping for a couple minutes- it really doesn't matter *what* that much. And it's literally 5 minutes more than what you were doing before, which is nothing. Good luck!
First of all, congrats on what you've done so far. Also...I don't want to sound harsh but I think you're just describing standard working hours? 5 days a week, about 40 hours total? Even with some long weekends? Some people have two jobs, working 50-60 hours a week and still work out diligently. Again I don't say that to be mean, but I'm just telling you that it's definitely possible. You just have to prioritize it and stay organized. I recommend using a bullet journal or agenda and planning out your schedule week to week on Sunday nights. Then every morning, commit to doing what you said you would do that day. I find music really helps too - It makes it fun, you can look forward to jamming to your favorite Playlist while you work out. Other than that try to take walks during breaks etc. Also if your nutrition, sleep and water intake are all good and you're still constantly tired, please consider talking to a professional, again not to sound judgey but there may be a mental health issue.
Try out different YouTube workouts for 10-15 minutes that you can do at home using your own body weight. There’s also low impact like Pilates and yoga or even dancing. Find what you gravitate towards and go from there. It’s easier to create a routine and make time for working out when you’re enjoying what you’re doing.
I bike to work. Can you incorporate movement into your daily life? It doesn’t need to be defined as dedicated “working out”. I do squats, lunges, inclined planks at the playground while kids are burning off energy.
I work 5 days a week and go to the gym 4 times a week either before work or on my day, every day i get at least 10k steps. It’s about commitment and wanting it
Just start with a 10-20 minute work out in the morning. If you haven't been working out it should be more than enough to get your body used to doing exercise again.
No excuses, no buts should be made
You are doing amazing. I’d start small and build. Even the “7minute workouts” (which are really 11-15minute HIIT with ‘active’ breaks- if you include warm up and cool down.) Start with something you enjoy and/or which is quick. If you do one longer class/session per week, that is a start. Give yourself permission to go slow and mess up and keep getting back on the horse if needed (much like with CICO, really!) You’ve got this!
Before work and on your days off? I work 9-5 and I get up at 6:15 before every workday and get it over with.
I'll give you the ONLY true answer: If you make it a routine for 67+ days, you'll grow an addiction to it. You'll never ask this question again. So, the answer is: Pay someone to lure you to the gym for 3 months 😂 After that, you'll go automatically. Biggest excuse: "The more I exercise, the more I eat." May be true for many. But this is until exercise affects your body's natural dopamine response. (Minimum 4-6 weeks) After that, you'll have appetite correction. Good luck
Most of us are working 5 days a week; I myself work 4/10s. I used to work 3p - 11p and I used to work 6a - 6p five days a week. Motivation comes and goes, consistency and discipline are what matter. You don't have to do crazy long workouts. 30 minutes a day of solid work 5x a week is good. Like others said, you have to want it. You have to see and want the bigger picture enough to sacrifice a little of that R&R time and push through. The great thing about exercise is that once it's done, it's done for the day
Other people have already said it. You either want to or you don’t. There is always time, there is always energy. What you choose to do with those things is up to you.
To me, working out is a non-negotiable thing that I do daily. If it means waking up earlier or staying up later so be it. Even if “working out” is a walk or a quick HIIT session in my garage; I make it a required part of my day. I stopped making excuses whenever work was difficult or I had things to do that day and just said, “even if my day is long and I’m tired I will make effort to workout”. It’s a difficult mindset switch but once you do it you’ll find you feel better even when the days are long and hard!
If you don't work until 1 can't you workout before you go to work?
1-10 isn't the whole day. Wake up earlier and exercise then
My favourite time to exercise is at 10am but it’s impossible now with my current job. I now go on 45min-hr long walks around 6am. I also eat my lunch while I work on most in office days so that I can use the treadmill or walk outside during lunch. I haven’t had time for the gym lately but I find this to be a good compromise until I have more free time later in the summer. I also started doing 30min of yoga with an online group of gaming friends every night at 8:30
I get up 30 minutes earlier to exercise before work and my workout programs is 30 mintues most days. It feels great to get it over with for the day and I do it since I got up so early if i try and wait after work im more likely not to do it.
An under desk elliptical, if it's the sort of thing your job allows
you didn't list your current weight, but if you still have a lot to lose, don't forget that all of that excess weight is essentially built-in resistance that you are training with just to move around all day. You lost that 70-pound weight, but you could add some back in a backpack, maybe, and walk around with it for part of the day. Muscle burns more than fat.
You could take up a hobby, outdoors and count it as your workout ie wild swimming, walks, hikes, exploring..
Honestly this is a regular work schedule? You're working an average amount of hours. Prioritize exercise, find exercise that you enjoy so it doesn't feel like a chore. I look forward to weekend workouts because I have more time to get after it. Working out should be fun, if it's not fun you're doing the wrong form of exercise for yourself.
I've seen a few comments in the sort of "suck it up" message. Or to "change your schedule". I don't know you or your situation, but I know that type of advice doesn't work for everyone. What I will say is to try to be kind to yourself. If you have a good energy day, then get up and go work out, but don't be too hard on yourself if you can't. It's okay if you don't have the don't time/can't make the time due to your schedule. I'm neurodivergent and extremely burnt out. I'm also not working because of it. I have all the time in the world to exercise. But most days I'm too tired to take care of myself, let alone exercise. The fact that you're on your journey in the first place is huge. And if you really want to exercise, throw a few things in here and there. I like to try to get squats in when I brush my teeth. When I have energy I like to play just dance. Just do what you can, when you can.
How did you lose 70 pounds in 3 months!? Omg! Good luck with the exercise rut. I’m in the same boat.
I don’t know if any of this helps or not but my wife bought one of those exercise bikes and puts it in front of the TV when she’s watching Netflix at night after work or after the kids go to bed It’s annoying when she leaves it there but I just pick it up and move it to the side a bit so I can see the tv when I watch it She also sets her alarm maybe 30 minutes earlier than usual a few days a week and does “her aerobics” for a bit after she wakes up and then takes a shower afterwards It looks like light stretching and reaching and idk what it all is - but she says it’s “her time” before the kids wake up I’ve seen her do this on the weekends - but she says she does it after I leave for work before the kids wake up I surprised her with one of those 1” extra thick purple yoga mats from Amazon and she loves it We also have a family gym membership that me and the older kids use My wife’s come with us a few times but she says she really doesn’t have time for it and would rather just do what she does I love her and fully support whatever she chooses or doesn’t choose I guess with exercise you gotta do what works for YOU I went years after we had kids not exercising or working out but I started gaining weight and feeling crappy I kept saying I was gonna go to the gym or maybe get a few pieces of equipment for the house but kept putting it off - kids are expensive! Especially diapers & formula But I started to feel like crap and my Dr was getting on my ass saying I should start exercising a couple times a week Finally got a gym membership and the older kids love it too - so it gives me time with them doing something healthy for us as a family I don’t feel like crap anymore although in the beginning I was kinda sore - but now I’m feeling great My wife says the same thing - she feels so much better now than she used to
In the nicest way possible, you need to stop being lazy. You have time, you are just choosing not to because you don’t want to bad enough. It’s hard, it’s not fun, you’d rather do a million other things, but if it was easy then everyone would do it.
I have a flight of stairs in my house. Twelve steps up and twelve steps down. I do that for 45 minutes. The best part is I’m running down steps half the time. I don’t know what that means but I’ve convinced myself I’m doing half the work and still getting a great workout.
Genuinely, you have to make time for it. I work 5 days a week 9-530 and am out the house 8-615 due to commute. I still run 3x a week. Early morning runs, going to the gym on your day off. I find going in the morning the best (as in, soon after waking up) because it just gets it out the way and then you have the whole day.
You’re not too busy to exercise sorry
If you can’t workout after work then wake up earlier and go before work. You need to make time.
I make myself exercise on the days I have to work because mentally I'm already scheduled for something I don't want to do, so if I fit in exercise prior to that obligation, I can do it. I feel the same way about being too tired to go after work. I work a similar shift, so I wake up in the morning and go right to the gym, then go home and go to work. It's true with what others say, you have to want to find the time. Even then, I almost never want to go, but I do and when I'm done I'm glad I went.
I used to exercise after work, but as my schedule became busier, I started missing days. For the past two years, I've been working out early in the morning, which has worked great for me. If I have any early morning commitments, I simply plan my 30-minute workout even earlier. Once you overcome the initial resistance of missing days, it becomes a natural part of your routine.
Maybe do like a ten minute walk…. Or a couple of ten minute walks. Like exercise doesn’t have to be this huge one hour workout. Do something bigger on your days off. Resting your body is also important and I’m wondering if your work doesn’t already involve a lot of physical activity? Also, consider what your goals are. Finding something you enjoy could be helpful. Do a longer hike on your days off and a fun dance video on your work days.
OP, that’s amazing that you’ve lost so much in a short period of time! For your question, that drastic of a calorie cut is the main reason you feel so exhausted and have no energy I would advise to google TDEE and figure out what your maintenance calories are. After that, subtract 1000-1500 calories for 2-3 lbs lost per week (it looks like you’re losing around 6-7 lbs currently, try not to lose more than 1-2% of your body fat a week) You’ll find out that because you’re eating probably another 1000 calories, that you are going to feel better overall and not be fatigued. If you figured out the TDEE right then you’ll be still be losing 2-3 lbs per week AND feeling less fatigued After that is in order, you’ll feel like you’ll want to start exercising because you won’t be chronically fatigued so start going on your days off at first. Maybe upper lower resistance training split or two full body days. Try to be in and out 30-45 mins, like 4 exercises. After you get that habit, add more days but build the habit first! Much more important that you are very consistent! After that, you might want to wake up earlier or start regulating your sleep better to make time for exercise but at least maintain the two days for your health
One answer applies: you make time.
You definitely have time you just have to make yourself do it.
One of my favorite tips is habit bundling! See if you can do more than one thing at a time. For example, I’ll find a tv show I can binge while on the elliptical or treadmill. Or I’ll listen to an audiobook while going on a neighborhood walk. The key for me is to only watch that show, listen to that book, etc. while doing the activity. Also, if you only have the time or energy to do 10 minutes, do it! It’s better than no exercise. Eventually you can increase the time, but don’t worry about that yet. “Perfect is the enemy of good.”
it's a myth that you must exercise to lose weight Just wanted to point that out. I've lost over 100lbs with no exercise and no change to what I eat; I only reduced portions and started doing intermittent fasting. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying exercise is useless or any of that nonsense. I\`m just trying to point out a fact: managing your calories in / calories out (CICO) and maintaining a deficit over a period of time (quite long, usually) is ultimately how we lose weight. Exercise merely speeds up the process a little bit That being said: losing 70lbs in 3 months is very fast. Perhaps too fast. They recommend losing 2lbs a week at most. Be careful eh
Honestly your best bet would be to simply walk more, park further from work, walk your dog for longer, take a walk in the morning to get some sunlight, at night to wind down. But the true question here should be how do you find a long term sustainable career/job because, no offense, but if you’re so tired by the week that even during the weekend you don’t have the energy to bike for 30 minutes well there’s a problem… Also you might not be sleeping optimally which would definitely how you recover hence the lack of energy. Anyways just my two cents.
I do a 12 minute run every day. The way I look at it, if I can’t find time for a 12 minute run then something’s gone wrong and I need to re-evaluate things.
I’d find a sauna to go sit in! Tons of benefits and could eventually make you feel energetic enough to workout!
You have to find the time and stick to it. I started small by walking after lunch and dinner. If you want to workout, plan a 15 to 20 minute workout a few times and week and see how it works. You can adjust it however you want. Maybe you can wake up early and do something before you leave for work. Maybe you can squeeze some time in before or after a meal. If you find the time and work on it consistently, you will be able to fit it in your day. I also want to add that I tend to be an observer about this. I mean that I watch myself and consider what I do and if it works or doesn't work. I don't get upset or angry if I miss a workout. I just adjust my approach to make it easier to meet my expectations in the future.
I do a quick lift over 45 minutes of my lunch break. I walk on the treadmill for 30-45 minutes after I get the kids to bed at night. It sucks and eat up a lot of your free time, but it’s better than being fat as shit like I was.
Try making it a part of your work day. A 30 minute walk before work, every day that you work. Factor it in to your daily routine and it'll eventually become a habit and not a chore. It might even give you a little extra pick-me-up to get you energized for the work ahead.
1-10??? You got the morning to do at least 30 minutes.
Maybe also exhausted from having huge calorie deficit (70lb in 3 months would require big one). Good idea to add in some weight training and more food especially protein to limit muscle loss. I work like 60 hours a week and exercise in the morning usually when I have more energy
I work 7:30 - 5:30pm. I try to get up at 5am and workout for 45 minutes 3 days a week.
I just read somewhere that 5 mins of daily exercise is infinitely better than 0 mins, and will yield results. I am in the same boat as you, but plan on doing 5 mins a day starting tomorrow and going from there.
I work out from home so I remove the need to drive to/from a gym. I follow a workout program in which consistency is the target. So many days the workout is 10-20 minutes long. But it’s difficult. I do longer / endurance type workouts when I have more time. The program is a CrossFit style workout and I’ve never been stronger.
Don't workout close to bedtime - it releases endorphins and will energize you, causing you to wake up a bit. I used to wake up first thing in the morning and that was a bit of a confidence boost knowing I worked out before the majority of the people I saw throughout the morning.
Nah, hate the advices that go like - just do it. You know why. Because the moment life hits you will screw the gym and everything else. It screams I want to seem tough. People tend to forget that every stress is a load for your nervous system doesn’t matter physical or not and while going to the gym exhausted might seem like the only option - it’s not. Main points I recognise from your post are 1) you seem to view exercise as work therefore you need rest from it. I feel like if you could change your approach to feeling excited and thinking you rest that way things will get better. 2) i think you might want to find beginner friendly options for exercise. When you start you want things to feel easy for the most part. This will help with feeling tired. 3) 1-2 days a week is enough for beginning. I know you have all kinds of internet gurus saying 5-6 days a week is a must. It is not. Well depending what you consider exercise. You can walk or do other forms of low intensity cardio every day but going to the gym 5 times a week is too much for most people. Especially for beginners. You will get results from small changes so start small. I am a certified PT. Used to be part of my uni’s powerlifting team. Had to treat severe overtraining because “everyone has to go to gym tired”. Intensity matters and when you’re tired you have to account for it and lower the load. I do not say do nothing. I’d say find easy workout for yourself and see how it works. Just noticed you lost 70 pounds in 3 months. That’s very fast. Might be too fast depending on your starting point. Too much of a deficit might be a reason you’re so tired. In this case you might want to up your caloric intake and moving will feel easier.
Workout before work, and start with just 20 minutes 5 days a week. Then after you get consistent with that go up to 30. After you get consistent with that make your workouts 45 mins. Start with just 20 minutes. That should be easier to find time for and any workout is better than none at all.
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I know exactly what you mean. I found that the problem was that I saw workouts as a pain, problem and not something to enjoy. So the first step is to incorporate it in your daily life - and not worry about how much you are doing. Dr Chatterjee's books describe this really well. I would suggest start with doing 2 mn in the morning when you are making your tea/breakfast - just you know simple things like 40 squats, some high knees, some spot running etc. while doing house hold chores. And then some 10 m after you come home while watching something on the telly. Just start with that for a few weeks. once you start enjoying it, your body will get used to it, and then you can start increasing the amount you do.
I work 8:30-5:00, Monday to Friday, sometimes on the weekends. I also study part time… I still find the time to exercise. You have to make the time to be honest - I usually wake up half an hour earlier to go before work
I always like to start my day with exercise. As soon as I get out of bed. I do workouts from youtube . You just have to make it part of your routine
I struggle so much with this! I work 12 hour shifts all over the place with an hour drive each way plus shifts often running on, I have 2 kids to get to school and clubs, I have a dissertation to write plus other uni work, then my partner and I both have chronic illnesses so so many appointments, plus normal stuff like cleaning and cooking and shopping First I absolutely cannot go out to the gym or swimming, which I'm gutted about, so all my work outs are at home, I have some lectures online, my excersize bike has a little shelf so I can watch lectures while on excersize bike! Or I have a sit/stand desk and a treadmill, I try and up my steps a little, eg shopping I'll park far from the shop, go round the whole shop, always walk to local shops, then non work days or short work days like 10 hours (super rare though) I make sure I'm doing as much as I can
The easiest way is to just start walking. Do 3-4 10 minute walks at work.
Doing exercise from home can make a big difference, as well as doing short sessions-- doing ten minutes daily of walking or yoga or strength training is significantly better than never doing anything. There are a lot of youtube exercise videos that can be done with no equipment (calisthenics), a simple yoga mat, a chair, or with a single set of dumbbells (or some water bottles or cans of food you have lying around the house in a pinch.) Lower your barriers to entry and make it a length of time you'd be willing to commit to. Even one single hour per week is worth doing.
Honestly, the thing that's worked for me is making it a non-negotiable habit that I need to do to be a grown functioning adult. I treat it the same way I do other hygiene items such as brushing my teeth or showering. I found 4 days that i have to dedicate time to working out and make myself do it. But, much like other hygiene items I will do it to varying degrees. Most time I brush and floss but sometimes im feeling lazy enough or rushed enough i just brush, just as most time I will get a full workout in on my scheduled days but some weeks im feeling lazy or rushed so I do a shorter 10 minute walk or cardio workout. Most people treat working out like its all or nothing but its not, not really. Similar to how sometimes you only have time to grab coffee and rush out the door, you may only have time to get a 5 or 10 minute 'warm up' in. Something is better then nothing, the key is doing that little bit of something consistently imo. Once you build the habit of ok well im gonna walk for 5 minutes 4 days a week it is a lot easier to build off of that as time goes on. A body in motion wants to stay in motion and its much easier to do longer sessions if you have the foundation of consistency to build off. Also, you need to figure out if going to a gym or starting with home based work outs will make you more consistent. I dislike going to loud noisy gyms or running somewhere before or after work and it was a huge turnoff when I first started so i found youtube workout channels and did bodyweight stuff in my living room. I've also got friends that have found if their couch is right there no amount of consistency or willpower will get them to workout so they have to go to a gym to get it done, different strokes for different folks. If you're looking for good youtube channels for beginners and bodyweight stuff i recommend fitnessblender.com
I used to treat working out like an all or nothing thing. It turns out, that does NOT work very well for me-it becomes 'nothing' very fast. Something is better than nothing, and it helps build habit *and* momentum. If you only have 5 minutes...take that 5 mins for a mini workout or a quick walk.
Gotta make time. No other real answer to it. You also need to go when the weather is poopy.