During or right after a major life transition, like moving, experiencing changes at work, or having a baby, you might genuinely not have time to work out for a few weeks or months – and that is fine and necessary! But if you are swimming along in your regular life and you still wonder just how folks ever make time to work out, or if you used to work out but now all of your workouts are rescheduled to “next week” every week, here are all the tips I know for finding (or making) time to work out.

I did say all of the tips – don’t try to make use of every single one, just find one that clicks for you and give it a try!

First, some facts.

EVERYONE has a hard time finding time to work out. Even people who love to do it! Life is busy and it can be hard to prioritize when there is so much competition for our attention.

QUICK workouts are still effective – and way more effective than a long workout that you never do because it takes too long.  If you’re not sure how to make your workout take less time but still work for you, ask a trainer (like me!).

CONSISTENCY is the most important thing for improving fitness – a 20-minute walk every morning will do you much more good than a long run once a month.

THE SCALE is not a good judge of your workout’s effectiveness, unless it can also tell you your blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, mood, cardiovascular efficiency, strength, how you look in that shirt….

YOU will have to work out before work, after work, at lunch, or on the weekend…there are literally no other options, unless you don’t work, in which case you might also be able to work out during the day.

FLEXIBILITY will help you stay consistent – there will be weeks when your normal workout time is impossible, but these tips can help you find another time that works for you.

REMEMBER how you will feel when your workout is done!

Find time to work out in the morning.

There is a strong chance that you could set your alarm to go off 20-30 minutes earlier than it currently does without compromising your quality of life.  That would give you more than enough time to fit in a walk, a jog, a home workout (like one of these – no equipment needed!), some yoga or pilates (YouTube is a great resource), or anything else you could do from your home base.  It’s totally not enough time to get to and from a gym or do something complicated, but it’s enough.  Plus, if you’re home, no one cares if you’re still in your pajamas.

Working out in the morning will likely improve your blood sugar all day long.  It’s also a way to get your workout done and in the books so that whatever happens at or after work doesn’t derail you.

Can’t possibly wake up 20 or 30 minutes earlier?

If your morning schedule is already maxed out (or, common complaint, it’s the only time you get to see your significant other), just keep reading.

If you just feel like you’re a slow starter in the morning, make sure you’re not going to bed too late or drinking a lot of alcohol in the evening.

Find time to work out in the evening.

Evenings can be tough! There are work events, social events, couch events….

Having someone waiting for you, whether it’s a personal trainer or a whole group fitness class, can sometimes help you get your workout in despite other alluring options. Having a targeted, efficient workout can help, too – know some options that you can finish in 30 minutes or less while still working toward your goals.

Just like you wouldn’t miss the extra 20 minutes of morning sleep, I promise you won’t miss that one extra episode…if you’re glued to the couch all evening every evening, it’s probably more “numbing” than “relaxing” anyway. You can always bring your phone with you to the gym and watch/listen to your media of choice while also getting in your treadmill time.

If you’re too tired to work out when you get home from work…

You might just be hungry, so try a 4pm snack to see if you feel more alive when you get home.

You might genuinely be drained from a day at the office, so have all of your workout clothes and plans ready when you leave for work so that you don’t have to make any additional decisions.

Finally, a group class can really be energizing, and most studios offer free/discounted classes during your first month.

If your evenings are just chaotic…

Try taking a walk, with or without the whole fam, after dinner. You could theoretically find a way to fit in some squats while you’re stirring the sauce and unloading the dishwasher, but multi-tasking builds resentment.

If all else fails, consider a morning workout!

If you just “feel lazy”…

Leave yourself a positive reminder (or a dozen reminders) about how you will feel once your quick workout is done. A phone lock screen/background can work wonders, and it’s private.

Find time to work out on the weekend.

Having a planned workout before the weekend arrives is your best option to defeat the idea that it’s the weekend and time to chill (despite having “chilled” every night during the week). There are lots of great fitness classes on the weekend, and you could probably convince some friends to go with you and then to brunch or coffee afterward.

The weekend might also be the only time you can relax into a longer workout, like a 5k walk or jog, a longer run or bike ride if you’re training for an event (or just enjoy those sports), or something like swimming that requires more prep and cleanup time.

The gym is pretty much empty at 4pm on a Saturday, so if you’re still on the couch and not actually cleaning your place like you said you would, you could use that membership card that’s languishing on your keychain.

If weekends are your only social time and your crew isn’t interested in being active, you probably need to get moving during the week – or wake up and work out before the day “begins”.

Find time to work out at lunch.

If your office or building has a gym that’s easy to use and you can work out without breaking a sweat or get your workout AND a shower/hair/makeup fix-up in at lunch, you’ve got it made.  When I had this as an option, I kept shoes at work and brought 3-4 workout outfits with me on Monday to avoid missing a workout due to lack of preparation.

If you don’t have those things but you could go for a 20- or 30-minute walk, preferably inside if you’re a Houstonian like me, awesome.  You might not even break a “glow”, so it won’t matter that you’re in business casual gear. (Do wear shoes that make sense for walking, though!)

If you don’t and can’t do either of those things, working out at lunch can get weird! You could close and lock your office door, break out a mat, and get in some quick bodyweight strength, yoga, or pilates.  Keep the mat and any clothes or post-workout necessities at your office so that you don’t have to haul still more stuff to the office each day.

If you keep saying you’ll work out at lunch and it never happens…

You’re in good company. Try working out at your office gym right after work (that 4pm snack will help you get it done), or pick another workout time. Lunch workouts are tough to handle!

And if you don’t want to work out on a weekday or weekend…

…find 10 minutes somewhere to do something.  You’ll be glad you did.

If nothing in the list above seemed at all possible to you, re-examine the reasons you wanted to work out in the first place.

I know that working out “for your health”, whether requested by a medical professional or not, seems abstract and like something that relates to a far-off future, but it really is best to start today and stick with something small, rather than waiting for a health crisis to brew.

I know that trying to “lose weight” can seem like an endless process, especially if you undereat and judge all of your progress by the scale – but staying active will make the process faster and easier.

I know that other, more personal goals don’t always sound as good as the snooze button and a warm blanket.

But I also know…that the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll reach your goal!