Should You Make Time for Fitness?

Did you come here expecting me to say yes? I’m not going to.

A lot of people will tell you making time for fitness is “easy” if it’s important to you.  I call bullshit – sort of.  Allow me to elaborate:

A lot of people will tell you making time for fitness is “easy” if it’s important to you.  I call bullshit – sort of.  Allow me to elaborate:

“Making time” for anything is exactly that: MAKING TIME.  It would be nice if we all had unlimited time, but alas, that is not the case.  If you want to find time for one activity, that means borrowing it from another activity.

I should mention that I’m not here to debate whether or not exercise is good for you, I think we can all agree that it is. But should you bend over backwards making time to fit it into your life?  Only you can answer that.

If you want to find time for one activity, that means borrowing it from another activity.

Let’s get started with what YOU do.  Maybe you work, maybe you take care of kids, maybe you do both.  These duties are non-negotiable.  Work has deadlines, and I assume you want to keep your kids alive.

So, what else do you do?  Maybe you are responsible for the cleaning in your house, making meals for yourself and others, doing laundry, or picking up after your family.  Then there are “luxuries” we all want to enjoy such as showering, eating full meals, (can you tell I’m a mom?) and having a moment to unwind by watching tv or reading a book.

Then there are “luxuries” we all want to enjoy such as showering and eating full meals (can you tell I’m a mom?)

Now let me jump to why I make time for fitness.  When I work out, especially when I do cardio, it makes me a better mom.  I have more patience to deal with my kids, I have less anxiety, and my body feels better. 

However, making time for fitness comes at a cost.  Some days I don’t have time to make dinner, or I might have to skip washing the sheets and towels one week. Maybe I skip vacuuming and that means I’m wading through Cheerios to get across my apartment – kidding, sort of…

Making time for fitness comes at a cost.

Are these the types of things you want to give up?  I can’t answer that for you.  Maybe sleeping on dirty sheets gives you insomnia because you’re so grossed out. Maybe not picking up the kid’s toys every day gives you panic attacks because there’s too much clutter.  Does this sound healthy to you?

You are the only person who can evaluate how different activities positively or negatively impact your life.

You are the only person who can evaluate how different activities positively or negatively impact your life.

Maybe you are able to move some things around in your schedule and start a new fitness regimen right now, maybe you’ll do it when the kids are older, or maybe when you retire.  Whatever the case, don’t beat yourself up too much if you are in a fitness slump. 

Be your own advocate 

While I do sincerely hope each of you eventually finds a fitness regimen you love that fits in your schedule perfectly, I’m not going to preach to those of you who haven’t yet.  And I definitely won’t say it’s “easy.”  Be your own advocate and choose a path that makes you your best self.  There is no one-size-fits-all for the perfect life.