Written by: Ryan Robertson

Move it or lose it! A term heard used to refer to several aspects of life including your life and its quite true. In general the more you move or exercise the healthier that person tends to be. Often times we are met with  a plethora of reasons as to why a person does not exercise and most often I hear is the time issue. So here are few tips and tricks to get you through the summer haze and get you back on track in the fall.

1. K.I.S.S.  Keep it simple stu…just keep it simple.
   
   For some reason people tend to think in order for a workout program to be effective  if needs to be painfully long and strenuous when that is simply not true. Just getting up periodically throughout your days in the office can provide a benefit to your health. The golden rule of workouts has been 2-3 days a week for 30 minutes of exercise at a moderate intensity. If that is still too much time to dedicate to a workout, studies are showing moderate to higher intensity bouts of exercise for even 15-20 minutes can greatly aid in improving your health.  The key for the shorter workouts  is the intensity has to be fairly high meaning you shouldn’t be able to have a full blown conversation while doing your workout.  To put that time in perspective a typical 30 minute sitcom will have nearly half (~15 minutes) of the block dedicated to commercials of that thing you’ve seen hundreds of times.  Surely you could work some body squats or squat pulses while hearing how incredible flex tape is for the fourth time that hour. Remember you don’t have to be crazy with your workouts but you need to be consistent.
   
   
2. Use compound moves to optimize your time
   
   Squats are great. Military presses are too. However the joyful union of the two is the best option especially if you are on a time crunch.  Isolated movements are great to build and strengthen target areas but if you are looking to get the best bang for your buck, compound moves like the squat and press or the lunge and curl will help you get a higher calorie burn by working larger muscle groups.
   
   
3. Find a PIC (Partner in Crime)
   
   Having an accountability partner in some shape or form is always better than going at it alone. Having someone waiting on you whether it’s a trainer or a workout buddy will help you stick to your routines. Skipping out on yourself is way easier than conjuring up a legitimate reason to ghost your trainer or workout buddy. If you are more of an introvert simply writing down and planning out your workout days and times can serve as an alternative option. Studies have shown just by writing tasks down can increase the likelihood of the being completed up to 42%!

Time is one of the most important factors in life. It’s the one thing we are guaranteed not to get back. Make sure to make the best of your time by including your well-being in your schedule. Even if no one else takes notice your health most definitely will!