It's About TIME

It's About Time
by Andy Nelson for www.getfitnyc.com
andy@getfitnyc.com

Did you make time this morning to brew a cup of coffee? Did you make time to eat breakfast? Walk the dog? Get the kids to school? Plan dinner? Connect with your loved one? Here is the tricky question: Did you plan your exercise for the day? Did you plan your healthy eating? Did you schedule an overdue doctor’s appointment?

Scheduling is an important way to fit exercise into your day. I know many people who will not exercise at all unless they have an appointment with their trainer. Many will not even do the prescribed exercises from the physical therapist after surgery or injury. I volunteered several hundred hours of my time in a physical therapist office and I witnessed the therapists’ expectations of their patients and the reality of what patients were actually willing to commit to. The therapist recommends specific exercises (3 sets, 15 reps, twice a day). The therapist knows from experience that most people will only do 2 sets of (maybe) 10 reps of an exercise, two days. If your physician tells you (or your child) to take an antibiotic 3 times a day, you will. Why not do the exercises that are recommended (even prescribed) to you by your trainer or physical therapist?

Try to make exercise part of your day, every day. Begin with some light stretching when you get out of bed, or some push ups on the side of the bed. If you don't like to workout in the morning then schedule your workout for the afternoon and stick to it.

Here are some ways to make exercise part of your day:

1. Lay out your workout clothes at night before you go to bed.

2. Set an appointment for yourself to exercise. If you need motivation and guidance, and if you live in NYC, set up an appointment with me: andy@getfitnyc.com If you don't live in the NYC area then find someone local.

3. Enlist the help of your Significant Other. If you have children, find someone to help watch them so you can exercise. Taking time to work out is not selfish. Everyone who loves and depends on you benefits from your health and well-being.

4. Set up a reward system. If you exercised 4 days this week, you get a cookie!

5. Make exercise time, family time. Physical activity time, like meal time, is a great way to bond as a family.

Please ask questions and share your thoughts.