OBSTACLES TO STARTING TO EXERCISE, PART 2: LACK OF TIME

"I don't have time," "There's so much else going on," "The kids need to get to their hobbies," "I have so much going on at work," and so on. It's certainly true that there are only 24 hours in a day. Of those, 8 hours go to sleep, 8 hours to work, and roughly another 5 hours to morning routines, commuting, cooking, cleaning, and various small chores. That adds up to 21 hours, leaving 3 hours - which comes to 21 hours a week. So where on earth do those hours disappear to?

If you have the will to exercise but simply can't find the time, one tip is to keep a log of everything you do and how long it takes. Track everything for, say, two weeks. Write it down in enough detail. This will help you see what you could cut out, move, swap, change, shorten, or shrink. Time doesn't appear on its own - you have to actually take it. We easily get stuck in our own habits and go through our daily routines the same way every day.

A good workout doesn't need to take longer than 30 minutes. A brisk walk, a run, stair training, or a home circuit routine - and just as important, relaxation and stretching. It doesn't have to be a grueling 30-minute session just because the time is short. If your schedule is tight, it pays to plan your workouts directly into your weekly program. For example, if you're driving your child to a hobby, invest that time in yourself - go for a walk while you wait, and save the errands for after the hobby is done. Ask yourself: is it really that important that I work late every single day? Does the house really need to look perfect every day? Could I cook meals that come together a bit faster? How much time do I spend on TV and social media? If you have children, remember they're growing and are quite capable of handling a good deal of things themselves.

Another way to look at it: if you never have 30 minutes for yourself, that's worth stopping to think about - and maybe even worth a little concern. A lot of this comes down to values, to what actually matters in your life. You matter. That might sound like nagging, but yes - maybe it actually is. If your daily life is this hectic, there's a good chance you'll hit a wall before too long. And when that happens, you might find yourself unable to go watch your child play football or dance ballet, and at work someone else ends up doing your tasks because you simply can't keep up.

Allow yourself to experience the joy of exercise. It gives you energy and a good feeling. Challenge yourself and your schedule - because you'll find that you're worth it, and that it really only takes fairly small changes to make it possible.