When looking at your schedule for the day, it can be overwhelming figuring out how to fit in a workout regimen between meetings, business travel, family obligations, and another day to day activities. However, making time to get in shape and focus on your fitness will help improve your health in the long run. Here, Larry Greenfield, a New York-based fitness trainer, shares some steps on how to manage your time to ensure you fit in fitness to your daily plan.

Set a Goal

In today's hectic world, it can be easy to forget the reason behind why you are trying to get fit. If you don't know what you are working towards, it makes it that much easier to ignore the goal or forget about it altogether. Regardless of whether you aim to lose weight, gain muscle, or develop a healthy lifestyle, start by defining clear and concise goals for what you want to achieve. Write it down and place it somewhere where you are constantly reminded. Having that constant reminder can help you stay on track and make your fitness goal a priority.

Set a Timeline

Once you have determined your clear and concise fitness goal, set a realistic timeline on when you would like to achieve your goal. Whether you are hoping to lose weight for a wedding or upcoming event or want to run at a specific pace by race, setting that timeline will help you determine if you are on track or need to switch it up. A timeline also reinforces the amount of time you need to dedicate to your goal each day or week.

Create a Plan

Once the goal and timeline are in motion, it is time to determine exactly what steps need to be taken to reach your fitness goal in time. Does your plan require establishing healthy eating habits and needs time for meal prep? Does your plan require working out every day, or a few days a week? Establish what types of changes need to be made to your schedule to accomplish your goal.

Add Your Workouts to Your Schedule

It can be easy to use your calendar as a way out or excuse that you don't have enough time to accomplish your fitness goals. Taking the time to place your workouts on your calendar shows that you have that time blocked out and nothing should interfere with it.

Plan Your Meals Ahead of Time

Eating healthy is a task that requires adequate preparation. There is a reason fast-food restaurants have their name because they are fast and require little thought or time. If you schedule time in the week to plan your grocery list, you will set yourself up for success by controlling what items are available to eat in your household. If you know the work week gets hectic, consider carving out time on Sundays to meal prep for the week. Spending that time preparing meals for the week can help avoid picking up unhealthy options during the week because you are short on time.

Use Your Free Time

You may have more downtime in your days than you actually think. If you have a break in meetings at work or the family is napping, take that extra time and use it for something productive. Even a quick fifteen-minute walk is a great start towards your fitness journey. Using free time instead of watching a television show helps reinforce where your priorities lay and can provide you with the time you need to accomplish your fitness goals.

About Larry Greenfield

Larry Greenfield is a certified fitness coach with almost 20 years of experience working with 40+ year-olds. Through his work, Mr. Greenfield has recognized the problems that people over 40 encounter when trying to achieve their fitness goals. When working with a client, coach Larry takes into account their body composition, energy levels, availability of equipment, preferences, and lifestyle.