Fitting Sport Around Your Work

You want to exercise more this year but you are still coming up with the usual excuses: you’re too busy, life is too stressful at the moment and other things are more important. In reality, regular exercise can often help get you through stressful times and even though doing exercise won’t solve all your problems, it will have positive short term effects and help to energise you, so you are ready for whatever the day might throw at you.

 'Exercise' by Sebastian Fritzon

If you want to have a successful career and a social life that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice sport. Kids and various other distractions can sometimes prevent you from getting out the house and doing some exercise, but if you have a weekly routine in place which allows time for doing some sport, you should be able to stick to it. You might miss one or two training sessions occasionally but the overall amount of exercise you do will increase.

All you need to do is be organised and use some helpful tricks to enable you to fit things in. When you sit down and think about your weekly routine, you will probably see lots of opportunities to fit an exercise session in, so if you really want to make a change, and start feeling fit, healthy and active then try some of these tips to help you fit sport into your working week.

Don’t Waste Your Lunch Break

Your lunch break is the perfect time to take a much needed break from work and do some exercise, and is likely to increase your productivity when you go back to work in the afternoon. We all need a break from work, so make good use of your time and go for a run, squeeze in a quick gym session or go for a gentle walk.

Take Your Dog For A Run

If you have a dog, then swap one or two of your weekly dog walks for a run. Your pooch will love doing slightly more intense exercise and you can kill two birds with one stone. It’s also quite fun going running with a dog because you can take on challenging country routes and they can help distract you from the pain.

Sign Up to A Gym Near Work

When most people think of joining a gym they usually search for gyms close to their home, however it’s sometimes easier to go to the gym straight from work. You save time and you don’t have to go home and try and drag yourself out the house again.

This also gives you the option of going to the gym on your lunch break, which might not be possible if your gym is too far away from work.

Flexible Working Hours

If you have flexible working hours then there is no excuse for not doing sport. Go to the gym in the morning if you prefer an early workout and finish work a bit later. Or if you perform best in the evenings then go into work early, so you can leave early and get in a good training session, leaving you the rest of the evening to relax.

Don’t Drive, Walk

If you have a busy lifestyle and don’t have time to do a long training session, then make sure you use other opportunities to exercise. If you are doing short journeys in the car or bus, could you walk instead? This will get you outside in the fresh air more often and improve your health.

Start A Team Sport

Some companies arrange for their employees to take part in a sport, either on their lunch break or after work one day. This can be anything from badminton or tennis to an exercise or fitness class. If your company doesn’t does this then suggest it to your boss and create your own company team. Participating in a team sport will mean you are less likely to miss a session and it will be great for team building.

Cycle To Work Scheme

A lot of companies offer a cycle to work scheme where you can get a bike at a reduced price. So take this opportunity to cycle to work and do some exercise instead of spending money on petrol.

Doing exercise is possible even if you have a busy lifestyle. Start making changes and try some of these suggestions to help get you back on track: it will be worth the effort because you will feel much more energised and lead a much healthier lifestyle.