You will always have an excuse to skip the gym. The way you’re feeling, an injury, not enough sleep, problems at work. One of the most-used reasons for skipping the gym is: “lack of time.”
There’s no doubt that your life is busy. Work, family obligations, and commuting take hours upon hours out of your day. If you’re already trying to squeeze every second you have out of your day, it can seem daunting to add a workout routine on top of that.
Sometimes it might seem like exercise is more trouble than it’s worth until you step back and look at the bigger picture.
Exercise will make you better at your job. No matter what job you’re doing, your work performance will increase. Sitting at a desk all day isn’t good for your brain or body. You might not notice, but mental performance takes a nosedive after you’ve been working on something for too long.
Getting up to take a walk can make things better, but doing a workout is proven to help with your ability to focus and solve problems. Perhaps that’s why so many companies are either paying for part of their employee’s gym memberships or building gyms in their offices.
Exercise boosts your immune system, which means you’ll take fewer sick days and are less likely to be injured. If you spend three hours per week exercising, that’s 12 hours per month. One day of illness takes you out of work and your other responsibilities.
You can lose much more than 12 hours of your time from being injured or ill. Once again, looking at things from a big picture perspective shows you that exercise can actually save time.
If you’re still not convinced, start logging the amount of time you watch TV each week, or doing other activities that you don’t need to do. In other words, count your leisure time. It’s nice to come home and relax while watching your favorite show, but consider that exercise is proven to reduce stress and anxiety.
It might not seem like you’re unwinding, but a quick workout when you get home can actually help you cope with your problems better than some of your favorite forms of relaxation.
When you start to count the seconds in your day, consider that exercise can actually earn you some time back. Whether that’s by making you more productive at work, relieving stress, or making you more pleasant around family and loved ones, exercise tends to do more good than harm.
