Exercising When Busy

Dashain, the grand festival of joy, family gatherings and feasts, has bid us adieu for 2080 BS. And now that it is over, many of us might be finding ourselves a little sluggish and perhaps a few pounds heavier. After all, it was almost a week of near-constant consumption of meat, veggies, fruits, sweets and more. Some of us may now be considering working out to shed those extra kilos gained but might be held back by our schedules that are sure to get busy after the holidays. But where there is a will, there is a way and proper time management may allow us to squeeze in a few hours of exercise between our family and work commitments.

Creating a weekly schedule might help. It would be great if you could plan for more than a week but such a schedule would have to be flexible enough to account for unforeseen variables. Life is dynamic and we have to make space for changes. That is why let us only create a chart for seven days.

Even within that week-long plan, it would be smarter to fix the amount of exercise you want to get done rather than a time you want to do it in. For example, instead of saying that you will exercise every morning from 7 am to 8 am, it would be better to say that you will exercise for an hour every day. 

That way, even if something occupies your 7-to-8 slot, you can carve out an hour from something else to burn the calories. This may require you to wake up early or sacrifice your lunchtime on some days though.

But, in these weekly schedules, it is important to set realistic goals. Do not stretch your body beyond its limits and plan around your obligations. For instance, if you have children, it might be difficult to set aside an hour for exercise in the morning when you have to send the kids to school. If you are a student, you might not be able to exercise every single day due to classes and assignments. 

It is important to consider these when designing the schedule. This will ensure that you create a plan you can actually follow and are not overwhelmed and burnt out.

Extremely busy people may opt for High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). These exercises are short but intense, making them an efficient way to lose weight and build muscle in as little as 20 minutes. But their intensity may not be for everyone so it may be good to consult professionals and understand one’s own body before deciding on this regimen.

Meanwhile, some exercises need not be “exercises” at all. They can be part of your life. Consider riding a bicycle to work, having a temple or a park to walk to every morning and making Saturdays football or futsal days with your friends or kids. Make your life active and turn your daily chores into things that help you work up a sweat. That way, you will be able to meet your fitness goals without having to allocate extra time and resources. 

Yoga or Pilates routines are great at boosting your physical and mental health too. You can involve your spouse and children in them too. It will help them get some exercise and also boost your bond with your family. 

Those who have the space and financial resources may choose to set up a home gym with basic workout equipment like resistance bands, dumbbells and exercise balls. Having a designated workout space in your home serves as a constant reminder that you need to work out and prevents us from making excuses like “It is raining”, “It is too late”, “Gyms cost too much money” etc. to ourselves. Actually, you need not even have exercise items. Just separating a space beyond our comfortable rooms is enough to pressure us psychologically to put in a few minutes of sweat every day.

Having said all this, it is important to prioritise self-care when working out. Diet is one of the most important things we have to watch. It is not advisable to work out on an empty stomach (unless the specific regimen demands it). At the same time, it is also not good to consume excessive calories. Planned and balanced meals with portion control are the way to go. There are tonnes of materials online on preparing healthy meals that are tasty too.

Also, do not hesitate to communicate. Tell your family that you wish to maintain a healthy lifestyle and that you desire some free time. Your loved ones will be more than willing to help you have that.

Balancing family, work and health can be challenging, but it is not impossible. So, if we are looking to start exercising, there is no better time than now, after Dashain and before Tihar, to begin.