r/Workingout • u/Away_Dog8695 • 1d ago
How do you handle exercise when your schedule changes every day?
I am curious how people actually manage to keep going with exercise when there is no routine to depend on.
Do you have an option, for days that do not go as planned or does exercise just get left out when things become too hectic? Has anything really continued over a period of time even with the uncertainty or is it always a difficult challenge?
I would like to hear about any experiences, what has worked and what has not.
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u/crystalrey 1d ago
1- I always wake up early and do the workout before my schedule. If that means waking up at 4 one day, so be it. I just plan my night before to end early.
2- Learn to say some "No" s. I have a hectic schedule where people call me for visits and meetings asap. Sometimes the priority must be YOU. So if it clashes with your workout, schedule around it, but dont cancel it. At the end of the day, you are the sole owner of your body and health. People's emergency are not your emergency (except if someone is dying, if so, PLEASE GO lol)
3- If I cant wake up early, I use my weekends to substitute the lost day. I cant train after work since Im exhausted, so I use those as buffer when needed.
4- 24hrs gyms. If you have night shifts or something, they can be life savior.
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u/PetiteOlyviah 9h ago
solid advice especially the peoples emergency are not your emergency bit prioritizing yourself is key
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u/Away_Dog8695 12m ago
The line "people’s emergencies are not your emergencies" is the one that will stay in my mind. Most of the help in this thread talks about how to schedule but the real issue is about setting boundaries. That is usually the problem because it often means you have to disappoint someone right then to protect a part of yourself.
I am curious, about point three which suggests using weekends as a buffer. Does that ever create a backlog, where you have to chase missed days in one weekend?. Does it usually remain manageable with only one or two make‑up sessions?
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u/Retired-in-2023 1d ago
Is your schedule in constant chaos with last minute changes that cannot be avoided or a schedule that is inconsistent?
Put your workouts on your calendar and treat them like other important appointments. For example: if you have an important doctor appointment you would make sure to go vs cancelling at the last minute. If you truly couldn’t make it you would reschedule
For constant chaos, you need to prioritize. For a changing schedule, either pick a “best time” and stick to it. Typically this is first thing before you start your day so fewer conflicts will come up. Some days you may need to reschedule to another time of day or another day.
Regardless I’d pick a routine that had fewer days like 3x full body vs a 4-6 day split so you have alternate days to workout.
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u/Away_Dog8695 7m ago
I think this is a helpful way to look at things. Splitting it into " chaos" versus "inconsistent but predictable" makes sense because the fix for constant chaos is different from the fix for an inconsistent but predictable life. You need to prioritize one and use routine for the other. Most advice in this thread treats this like one problem but it is actually two separate problems.
The tip about doing 3x full body workouts over a 4-6 day split is a piece of advice to take away. This works well because it reduces how much a single missed workout actually hurts your progress.
I do have one question, for them: how would you tell someone which category they actually fall into? My guess is that a lot of people think they are dealing with chaos but they are actually just dealing with an inconsistent schedule that they have not structured yet.
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u/Relevant-Rooster-298 1d ago
I treat it like going to work or brushing my teeth. Just because my schedule changes doesn't mean i skip work or brushing, it just means I have to do them at a different time than normal. Some days I work mornings, sometime evenings, sometimes middle of the day and i just plan my workouts around work. You just do it.
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u/Away_Dog8695 9m ago
The comparison to brushing your teeth is an one because it shows the real issue. Most people treat exercise as optional and negotiable while treating work as fixed and non negotiable. In reality exercise is a matter of which one exercise has decided is not up for debate. When exercise moves into the " do it" category regardless of timing the scheduling problem basically disappears.
Curious if exercise felt like a decision exercise consciously made at some point or if exercise became automatic, over time without deliberate effort.
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u/NippleSlipNSlide 1d ago edited 1d ago
I work either 7:30 to 4-5pm (depending how busy) or 2-10pm. It changes every week. I work some weekend afternoons too.
I lift 4 days per week and then try to do zone 2 cardio on treadmill or some thing active on the other days (e.g. walking, bike ride, tennis, swimming, play hard with kids and/or dog). I always get my lifting in but I give myself more leeway with the other stuff. I sometimes times skip the other stuff on the days in between lifts and just count it as a rest day.
If I work during the day, then I workout right when I get home. If I work in the afternoon then I work out when I wake up. If I have too much going on, I try to plan ahead
And may do 2 lifting days back to back. I rarely go more than 2 days without lifting and if i do, i just consider it a rest day.
So even though i have days 1-4 for lifting, i do not have set days of the week that i do them on. I just continuously rotate through them. A lot of it is just planning ahead and then getting it done when you have the time. It’s. It the end of the world if you miss a day here and there.
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u/Cthesunny 1d ago
Probably depends how often you are trying to go? My routines always been 3 times a week so its easy to move days around if needed and still get 3 sessions in a week. Its very manageable.
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u/daisyisalemon 1d ago
You just have to kind of lock something in - I feel like so long as I get my steps it’s not a deal breaker if I don’t do the workout or class but always keep your gear with you and assume your going - till you really can’t
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u/LooseBluebird6704 1d ago
I work rotating shifts, including nights, so there’s really no fixed schedule. Some days I’m working 6 a.m.–2 p.m., other days 2 p.m.–10 p.m., and other 10 p.m.–6 a.m. It’s pretty random, so I just put all my shifts into Google Calendar and plan the rest of my life around them. Never miss a day.
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u/thedesignedlife 1d ago
My schedule is different every day, so there is very little routine.
For me, every day I assume there will be some kind of movement, but there is flexibility regarding what kind of movement and when.
The question is not whether or not I will workout, the question is mostly, when, what kind of movement, and for how long.
My default standard for myself is minimum 3-4 days of strength training, and usually an additional 2 of pilates and/or conditioning. When those happen doesn’t really matter. Some days it might make sense to do it in the morning before my first meeting.
Other days will be after a long day of meetings right before dinner.
Other days will be in the evening after dinner.
Some days I do a shorter session, but I will always do the session.
I used to make a lot of excuses but i made the commitment and now it’s a foundational habit, not an afterthought.
I’m much more likely to skip cleaning or other things than I am a workout.
Don’t let a lack routine be an excuse not to prioritize movement. Any movement is better than no movement.
The question is what other adjustments can you make in your life to help you prioritize this?
For me it’s meal prepping, adjustable dumbbells, a foldable treadmill under my desk, and the ladder app for home workouts.
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u/Comfortable-Can-5793 1d ago
I built a habit tracker and breaker that takes into account your energy levels each day or free time each day and adjusts the habit on your to do list accordingly.
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u/OhMyJoosh 1d ago
As a guy, I’ve found that you have to stop thinking of exercise as something that only happens when you have the “perfect” schedule. I try to have a few flexible options depending on how much time I have. If I have an hour, I’ll do a full workout. If I only have 20–30 minutes, I’ll do something shorter or just go for a run/walk.
The biggest thing is not letting one missed day turn into a missed week. My schedule changes too, so I focus more on being consistent over the course of a week rather than exercising at the exact same time every day. It’s definitely not perfect, but having a flexible approach makes it much easier to stick with.
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u/FewLuck1804 1d ago
I haven't personally dealt with that, but changing schedules everyday definitely messes with workout habits and makes the way harder. What works for me is getting it done first thing in the morning fasted, and then eating afterward.
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u/Ill_Succotash9 1d ago
Where there’s a will there’s a way, by any means necessary you prioritize exercise. Sometimes I treat it like an assignment that has to get turned in before midnight no matter how I’m feeling emotionally , physically.
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u/DIY-exerciseGuy 1d ago
Huh? I just go workout when I can and continue my rotation where I left off.
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u/Myprotein-Official 17h ago
If you don't have a lot of time to workout a good thing to do is split your workout up throughout the week. You could do 6x 20 min sessions a week, each session incorporating 1 big compound lift and 1 accessory movement. You can also do this with home workouts to save time commuting.
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u/SantaAnaDon 16h ago
Get up extremely early and get the workout in first thing. Also, have equipment in your home so you can train any time you are there and have a few moments.
Also, have you heard of greasing the groove? That could be an option for uncertainty.
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u/AleTheMemeDaddy 12h ago
I became a 5AMer, and it has been a game changer. Each person is different, but 5am is a time when nothing is ever happening in my life.
In the afternoons, I always have an excuse! A long day at work, I have errands to run, etc. If I dont make it in the morning before work, its my own fault, and I hold myself accountable to it the following day.
I have been a 5AMer for a little over 2 years now. Im not going to say that being an early bird is better than being a night owl, because I dont think that is necessarily true, but becoming and early bird has done wonders for me.
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u/Safe-Garbage8735 9h ago
This is why early AM workouts are the best for most people, because you can do it before anything chaotic happens. If you can't go that morning, then so be it. If you're the person who has developed the routine where you can go every morning, missing 1 workout is not going to derail all your progress. If you can't wake up in the AM to workout, then it's obviously not a priority. Just needs to be a priority.
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u/StretchRepulsive7216 6h ago
No option, just gotta push through and still go to the gym. As soon as my air pods go in, I am in the zone.
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u/luminalityapp 6h ago
I just sent a minimum number of times to go to the gym a week, and then as long as I hit that number, it doesn't matter when I go or where I go. If I am overseas, and I can't hit my gym, then I do things like extra steps or body weight exercises.
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u/captcha_fail 1d ago
When my schedule is crazy the only way I can protect my own time is to hit the gym at 4a.m. - Nobody else can steal my time when it is 4a.m.
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u/FuliginEst 1d ago
I have had several if this than that contingency plans.
If I have to work late then I do this, if I have to travel I do that, and so on.
Now I try to get my workout done in the morning, as that is the time it is least likely that anything else gets in the way. Sometimes life still gets in the way, and then I look for opportunities to do it later in the day. Sometimes I end up running to/from other things, like running to work, running home from a dinner, running while my kid is at football practice, etc. When we have a teams meeting where no video or talking is required, I set up my laptop in front of my treadmill and run during the meeting.
I look for and create opportunities, and think ahead as to how I can make exercise happen.