How To Find The Time To Exercise Even When You’re Busy
We all know that exercise is important, vital in fact, for our health and well being. Yet despite its benefits, many Lawyers find it difficult to justify spending time away from their desk, to go to the gym and workout. Subsequently, the sedentary nature of a career in Law is putting many Lawyers at risk of developing obesity and the health conditions associated with it such as CHD, diabetes and high blood pressure. A good example of this is James a hardworking father of 3 who’s is the co-chair of his firm’s International Arbitration Practice Group.
Now a client for over three years, James initially approached me about Personal Training citing the following problem; “A major part of my job involves building relationships with clients, which often requires me to attend business lunches and dinners throughout the week. I also spend long hours at my computer both in my office and most evenings. Given the constraints placed on me by my work, I find it extremely difficult to find the time to work out and stay physically active.” Jame’s case is by no means unique and in an industry where performance is measured on billable hours, and 50-60 hour work weeks are the norm, finding the time to workout can be incredibly difficult.
So, how do you find the time to workout even when you’re struggling to meet your existing work, family and social commitments?
Well, the good news is that you need to exercise less than you probably think and the NHS’ guidelines for physical activity are very clear. It recommends that adults over the age of 18 perform two whole body strength training workouts per week, alongside either 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or, 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity. Now at first glance, that may sound like a lot of exercise but with the right approach, it can be accommodated into even the busiest of schedules.
In James’ case, he was able to commit to performing two weight training sessions each week. These were scheduled for before work to decrease the likelihood of him canceling due to meetings over-running or last-minute changes to his schedule. During the workouts, we performed a training protocol known as metabolic resistance training, which involves performing multi-joint barbell exercises (such as Squats, Deadlifts, Presses, and Rows), for high reps with little to no rest between exercises. Working out this way is extremely efficient as you’re performing more work in less time. This dramatically cuts down the amount of time you need to spend in the gym without compromising on your results.
With a busy schedule at work, three children to look after and now two gym session in the diary, finding the additional time for the aerobic activity was going to prove difficult. There simply wasn’t room in his schedule for long runs or even H.I.I.T sessions on the treadmill. After much consideration, we eventually settled on the solution of breaking the 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity in ten, fifteen-minute walks. James then integrated this into his daily routine by getting off the tube a stop early and walking the fifteen minutes it takes him to get from the tube station to his offices. He did this before and after work every day ensuring that he met the NHS recommended weekly guidelines for moderate aerobic activity, without even breaking a sweat.
Summary;
- To maintain good physical and psychological health, the NHS recommends performing either 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, alongside two whole body strength training workouts per week.
- Scheduling your workouts for before work can help reduce the likelihood of your sessions being canceled as a result of meetings overrunning or changes to your calendar.
- If you’re struggling to find the time to workout then breaking your workouts up into smaller 45, 30 or even 15-minute sessions can make it easier to find time for them in your calendar.
- Using time-efficient training protocols such as Metabolic Resistance Training can help you to perform more work in less time, decreasing the amount of time you spend in the gym.
- Reclaiming ‘dead-time’ throughout your day can provide you with an opportunity to incorporate low-intensity aerobic activity into your schedule.
By increasing James’ levels of physical activity we were able to achieve some important outcomes which had a positive effect on his health and appearance. Notably, we reduced his Resting Heart Rate (RHR) from 81 beats per minute to 69. An RHR of between 80 – 100 bpm, doubles your risk of developing CHD so reducing his RHR was a high priority at the start of the program. In addition to the changes in RHR, all the physical activity increased his daily calorie expenditure, which combined with a high nutrient reduced calorie diet, resulted in a 10% reduction of body fat. This roughly equates to one stone and half of weight loss, which made a significant difference to James appearance, making him look both slimmer and younger.
Prioritising a healthy lifestyle can be difficult when you’re already struggling to meet your existing work, family and social commitments. However, with the right approach, it can be easier than you think to incorporate exercise into your daily schedule. The key is to start small, aim for consistency and gradually increase your physical activity over time. Using the strategies I’ve outlined above is a great place to start and will help you get the ball rolling and overcome the inertia that often accompanies a sedentary lifestyle.
If you feel need more help balancing a healthy lifestyle with a career in Law, why not contact me to arrange a free 30-minute consultation and find out how I can help you improve your health and performance? All you need to do is fill out this form, click send I’ll come back to you with a time and date when we can meet.