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How to Fitness with an Unpredictable Schedule
As Ronan Keating famously said
“life is a rollercoaster, just gotta ride it”
And yeah I’m sure you (like me) find life an unpredictable rollercoaster
One minute you’re cruising along, the next minute you’re doing flips and turns, and all you can do is hold on for dear life?
Well, the same can often be said for our schedules. And it can be a real pain when it comes to sticking to a fitness routine. But don’t’ worry…it IS do able
You CAN achieve fitness success even with an unpredictable schedule. Here’s how to make it happen.
1) Planning Is the Key: While not everyone is a morning person, if you have a wildly erratic schedule with lots of last minute changes, mornings will be your friend. Since most schedule “emergencies” don’t happen till the workday starts, consider scheduling your workouts in the morning.
And then, no matter when you schedule your workouts, do your best to treat it like you would any appointment. Follow through! (Tip #4 can help.)
2) Create “If-Then’s”: In some ways, this is an follow on to the last point. Not only do you want to plan the most realistic schedule, but you also want to plan for what happens when you inevitably get thrown a curve-ball.
If you already know 2-3 things that are likely to throw you off your plan, create an “If-Then” plan in advance: for example, IF I have to work late, THEN I will eat the emergency protein bar I keep in my desk. IF I have to get into work early, i’ll take my gym kit in my car and get a workout in when I can later in the day.
3) Don’t Make the Perfect the Enemy of the Good: With an unpredictable schedule, you’ve got to let go of “optimal” and find a way to get in some movement.
Can’t make it to the gym? No problem. Look for a short at-home option. Make sure you get 7-10k steps in.
4) Get Social Support: This is a pro move, no matter your schedule.
Most people do way better adopting behavior change in the context of a community. This could be a gym where people are friendly, working with a coach to hold you accountable, or finding an appointment-based solution (like set sessions or training times). This extra hit of accountability can do wonders to keep you on track.
I KNOW OF A PLACE WITH ALL THREE OF THESE SOLUTIONS *hint, hint*
haha
An unpredictable schedule can be a real challenge when it comes to fitness success. But it’s not impossible. By planning your day and week in advance, creating if-thens, committing to imperfect action, and getting social support, you’ll be well on your way to riding the roller coaster of life to fitness greatness.
You CAN be a time master, you just gotta work at it/ride it
It won’t happen if you don’t want to make it work
The pay off and feeling from doing what you said you would will make you feel good
Dan
PS:
Want to learn more about how we help people just like you achieve their fitness goals?
If you’ve never been to DM Elite, we run a 28 Day Challenge to give you a a kick start to achieving what you want longer term
We also have HUGE flexibility in our schedule so we can work around busy lives. As much as we can help, You will still have to plan and do the work though
Want in?