When it Relates to Fitness, Time is a Construct

Time. 

We never have enough of it and it goes by too fast. 

Time is also the number one reason people give for not working out. 

It makes sense, we live in a society that prioritizes being busy, specifically in the pursuit of career goals. Add in family responsibilities, a social life and just the run of the mill things we all have to do to maintain a household. It doesn’t leave much time left to get in a workout. 

Right?

Maybe for some, for the most part however I believe the obstacle of time is one of the biggest excuses we use when it comes to fitness. 

We use it for one of two reasons. 

The first reason is that we have others fears around fitness but don’t want to admit or confront them.

Will people judge me?
Am I going to look stupid?
What if its so hard that I can’t do any of it?
How sore am I going to be and am I going to throw up? (I remember being very concerned with this one).

For many it is much easier to simply say they are too busy then admit they are afraid. 

The second reason is it is just isn’t a priority for you. 

That’s ok, you can be honest. A lot of people just don’t want to workout. They do not even consider the fact they haven’t walked further than to their car in years an issue. 

I too was a member of that club for a long time. I was happy with how I was. I’ll even admit that in some ways my life was a little easier.

I didn’t worry about what I was eating and didn’t spend time planning or cooking as I do now. I technically had more time to relax and I didn’t have to deal with the soreness that comes with training. 

But that time came to an end. 

One day I very blatantly realized that my laissez faire attitude towards my health was becoming an obstacle to living the life I wanted. 

I wanted to travel the world and I wanted to do it by hiking and kayaking, and without the worry of it if I would fit in the plane seat. Hell I was already worrying about the amount of space I took up on the city bus. 

I was having trouble getting through everyday tasks without becoming out of breathe or feeling like my body was to cumbersome and immobile to complete them. 

How the hell was I supposed to get in a kayak for a few hours a day?
How was I going to chase after my nephew?

Then I started factoring in the chronic health conditions I was at an exceedingly higher likelihood of getting as my weight ballooned. 

All of my reasons, or now as I see them, excuses, like being afraid or not having the time became blatantly invalid. 

I started asking myself questions like what am I more afraid of? 

Someone judging me in the gym or diabetes? 
Where am I actually spending all this time I “didn’t” have to workout?

The most profound question I asked myself though to remove the “time” as an excuse from my repertoire of gym avoidance strategies, was do I value my future time?

Maybe my health is good now, maybe my career is my focus now, but if I didn’t make changes what would my future time be comprised of?

More doctors appointments?
Dealing with the side effects of medications?
Being limited in what I could do because of my weight?

Like a ton of bricks it hit me that I was actively cutting my own life short. 

My generation is the first that will not outlive their parents.

I got lots of shit I want to do and I need lots of quality healthy time to do it all. 

I think we could all benefit from learning that by not prioritizing time for ourselves to do not only things like workout, but cook, meditate, journal, really anything that helps us take care or our physical and mental health, we are actually sacrificing everything else we have deemed more important.

I said before my life was a little easier pre health journey, but it definitely was not as full, as rewarding and as free as it is now.

Prioritizing time to workout has been the greatest gift I have ever given myself.

I do not regret one minute in the gym or in front of the cutting board chopping up what feels like half of the produce aisle.

We invest in ourselves when we pursue a fit life.
We all deserve that investment.

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Thank you so so much for reading!

Click here for my 4 practical tips to help you fit the gym into your schedule!

Have a fabulously fit day!