How to Make Time for Exercise (Even When Life Gets Busy)

I struggled to make it to classes and exercise as much as I wanted.

In my head, I wanted to attend 3 or 4 classes a week. I set the intention, but when it got to the day of the class there was always a reason not to attend, and I’d cancel.

This is something we hear a lot, and I totally understand.

Being in Australia with no extended family support and a husband who often works long hours, I get the challenges. We have kids’ activities, a house to run, and I’m a small business owner. I understand the challenges, and the guilt is real.

It gets to the afternoon and you’ve booked into a class, but there’s still so much work to do in the office. You feel like you need to stay and get it finished. You see other people leaving around you. You feel tired and a bit stressed. Maybe it would be easier to go home, have a glass of wine and relax.

Sound familiar?

You’re not alone.

How to Stay Consistent With Exercise

All of our clients have these struggles.

I don’t want to add extra pressure or make you feel like you need to do more. Instead, I want to share some of the simple things our current clients do that help them make it to classes more consistently and hopefully it helps you.

1. Don’t Overplan

Plan to attend 2 sessions a week.

This gives you flexibility to move your classes around when life happens.

When you attend two classes each week and it becomes part of your routine, it feels great. You feel proud of yourself, and more importantly, it feels manageable long term.

Once that routine feels easy, you might naturally increase to 3 or 4 classes a week.

But start small.

When you plan four sessions every week from the beginning, it can quickly feel overwhelming. You miss one or two classes, then look back at everything you didn’t do instead of what you did do. Before you know it, you’re feeling disappointed in yourself and you stop. You say to yourself ” What is the point”

2. Be Prepared

Set your clothes out the night before if you’re coming to a morning class. If you’re attending after work, take your workout clothes with you.

It sounds simple, but it removes one more reason to cancel.

I also encourage clients to sit down on a Sunday and look at their week ahead. Book your sessions into your calendar. Many of our clients say that once they’ve booked their classes, they’re much less likely to cancel because they’ve already committed to themselves.

3. Hold Yourself Accountable

Tell your partner or a friend that you’re going to class. Better still, find someone to come with you. You’ll both encourage each other to show up.

At the end of every class, I often ask, “When will I see you next?” It gives clients the chance to think about their next session before they leave, I also say see you then.  I also hear clients asking each other the same question, which I love.

If I notice someone hasn’t booked into a class for the week, I’ll often send them a quick message to check in. Not because I want to put pressure on them. Just to make sure they’re okay.

Remember, You Don’t Have to Be Perfect

Life is busy.

There will always be work to finish, washing to fold, kids to run around, and a hundred other things competing for your time. The goal isn’t to exercise every single day. The goal is to create a routine that fits your life and is something you can actually stick to.

Because showing up twice a week, consistently, will always have a bigger impact than planning four sessions and never quite making it.

Start where you are. Keep it realistic.

If you’re looking for supportive outdoor women fitness classes, we’d love to help. We understand that life is busy. Our classes are designed to help you build a routine that feels achievable, with supportive trainers, welcoming women, and no pressure, just one session at a time. Why not try our Busy Women 4- Week Reset to give you a chance to try our classes and get into a routine.