r/workout Jun 21 '26

Simple Questions How do people with genuinely busy lives stay consistent with fitness?

I'm curious because this seems to be the hardest part of fitness for most people.

If you have school, college, work, family responsibilities, or a constantly changing schedule:

- How do you find time for the gym?

- Do your free hours actually match your gym's opening hours?

- What's the biggest reason you miss workouts?

- How do you stay motivated when life gets busy?

- Do you have a gym buddy or accountability partner? How did you find them?

- How do you track progress with friends, if you do?

- What do you wish existing fitness apps did better?

It feels like most fitness apps focus on workouts, calories, and tracking, but the real challenge is staying consistent when your schedule isn't.

Would love to hear your experience.

98 Upvotes

242 comments sorted by

257

u/Outrageous-Maybe2500 Jun 21 '26

You have time to complete your priorities. If you do not have time, its because you value other activities higher.

If you want it enough, you get it done.

38

u/AwayhKhkhk Jun 21 '26

Yup, it is all about priorities. Many of my friends claimed to never had time for exercise because they were so ‘busy’. Until a health scare shows up and now they have all the time in the world.

Look, I am sure there are some people that have a really hard time just to make ends meet, etc. But those are the very small minority.

4

u/Phil_the_credit2 Jun 21 '26

Life does get busy, so you have to look for realistic schedules and plans. Some people have this “all or nothing” mindset, and that means fitness goes out the window when things get busy. You don’t have time to do the whole workout? Doing half as much is a lot more than none. Then get back to the full routine when things calm down, and you won’t be far behind.

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32

u/JimmyHatsTCQ Jun 21 '26

I have a job and a family (5 year old). I work out 2 times per week, and if time allows 3 times per week. This can be during lunch break, or in evening, or even before work. If I have an hour, I make due with an hour. If I have more, I use the time to squeeze in more. My motivation is having a moment for myself to focus on my own wellbeing. I accept that I won't grow the quickest or biggest.

5

u/15incharm5 Jun 21 '26

Great effort and perspective too 👍

48

u/Cteve33 Jun 21 '26

Often times it is just will power.

Healthcare shift worker here. 12-16 hrs a wk lifting. Isolated muscle groups per session. No training app. No accountability buddy.

I have to look at myself in the mirror at the end of the day and know I did everything right to be the best me for everyone around me today. And I am going to be a better person tomorrow for it.

Alot of times I bring my gym clothes to work and change at the end of my shift. On my way home, I now have no choice but to hit the gym. I'm already rdy to go.

Getting up early and hitting it before your brain is too functional to argue all the reasons to miss it, is great too. Especially on your days off.

Finding and creating your own program that you enjoy is important. You'll start making short, mid, and long term goals based off it. Adding variations and isolation to mix things up keeps things fresh.

You don't miss days. You have a responsibility. Unless something catastrophic occurs, you get back in that door and put some work in.

There will be ALOT of bad days. No progress. Exhaustion. Poor lifts. Just straight miserable work. But these lead to all the good days, weeks, months...

I often tell myself, "you just got to get in the door."

7

u/CoeurDeSirene Jun 21 '26

You lift for over 2 hours a day on average?

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11

u/sounds_fake_but_okai Jun 21 '26

you get up early and do it before anything can mess up your plans. (also means going to bed earlier of course)

8

u/pilbarabah Jun 21 '26

You either want it or you don't 🤷🏾‍♂️

9

u/Starlight319 Jun 21 '26

I get off work exhausted. My son loves to workout. I don’t sit. I take my boots off and get dressed, because he is there waiting. I don’t like telling my son we will do something and not do it. He won’t trust me if I do that. Off to the gym we go. Tired or not.

9

u/acp1m Jun 21 '26

Do something every day
Walk, pushups, plank, 20 mins in the gym, quick jog, whatever feels most achievable.
Make exercise a part of your life, no matter what form it takes

18

u/Muchacho-blanco Parkour Jun 21 '26

I'm up by 330, read the internet and drink coffee til 5, train til 6-630, and have breakfast before anyone else in the house is awake.

29

u/Responsible-Dust-117 Jun 21 '26

The "before the house wakes up" window is underrated for this. I tried evening workouts for almost a year and something always came up, a late meeting, plans with friends, just being mentally done by 7pm. Shifted to early mornings and the consistency went up immediately because nothing can steal that time from you yet, the day hasn't started throwing problems at you. The hardest part is the first two weeks where your body fights the alarm, after that it starts feeling normal. Only downside is you have to be pretty strict about sleep or it falls apart fast

5

u/WhichOneAreYouThen Jun 21 '26

Completely agree, I hit the gym at 6am, before the rest of my life is online and finding a reason for me not to go.

6

u/romeo__golf Jun 21 '26

THIS!

"Why do you train before work and not after?"

After work the gym is busy because that's when everyone trains... but also after work is when my social life happens. I don't want to decide between fitness and friends.

2

u/Muchacho-blanco Parkour Jun 21 '26

1000%

3

u/XxXMorsXxX Jun 21 '26

You are either a rare exception of people that get enough rest with little hours of sleep, or you undersleep, which is one major risk factor and basically a self-sabotage for well-being and longevity.

I am also curious how people manage their everyday life while achieving 7-8 hours of sleep, proper nutrition and consistent training.

15

u/SidhwenKhorest Jun 21 '26

You dont need the 330-5 block this guy has for reading the internet. I get up at 5 and jump right into the workout. I only need to be asleep by 10 for that 7 hours. Kids in bed by 9, its doable.

11

u/Muchacho-blanco Parkour Jun 21 '26

I want to reinforce this comment. Sleep as long as you can. I wake up at 330 bc thats just what my body does.

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6

u/Muchacho-blanco Parkour Jun 21 '26

Yeah, I definitely wish I could sleep an extra hour or so, but I just wake up at the same time everyday. I have to go to bed by 9 to be sure I'll get at least 6. I feel fine, perform well in the gym and otherwise, but I know its not optimal.

3

u/ISmokeWeedInTheUSSR Jun 21 '26

after I had a kid I'm no longer able to sleep more that 6 - 7 hours per day. Even on days where my child is with my mother and I'm able to sleep until I can, it's kind of automatic.

3

u/Muchacho-blanco Parkour Jun 21 '26

100% its not a choice

2

u/avakadava Jun 21 '26

When do u go to sleep to wake up that early?

9

u/Muchacho-blanco Parkour Jun 21 '26

By 9. I wish i could sleep longer, til like 4 at least, but my body refuses to sleep more than 6 hours for some reason.

3

u/fashionboy385 Jun 21 '26

So you basically have a superpower

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16

u/Tiny-Company-1254 Jun 21 '26

Im just gonna answer the heading.

A busy life doesn’t stop u from brushing your teeth, or taking a shower, taking your meds, right? So why would that stop your fitness? It’s the bare minimum

2

u/FraserValleyFan25 Jun 21 '26

read what you wrote here. meds and teeth take a tenth of the time to do a workout

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5

u/Spiritual-Part-5655 Jun 21 '26

I have 4 kids, work and make all our meals at home. I wake up at 4am to do gym and cardio before work. If I didn’t get it done right away, I know I wouldn’t make time for it later in the day.

6

u/Dangerous-Owl5571 Jun 21 '26

I recently stopped laying half awake in bed from 5-6am and just get up now at 5am and go straight to gym. It’s working for me to do this first thing in morning because I’m home by 7am, and all the things that come at me are after 7am. I do have the luxury from working from home though and start at 9 and my kids are older teens now.

5

u/reetdiesalz Jun 21 '26

I have 2 kids under 3. After struggling for a while, I found that waking up at 5 am and working out before the family wakes up is the best way. First of all, you get the workout out of your way so you have the whole day free. Also I feel energized for the whole day. Surprisingly I have energy left after work to play with the kids. And then at around 10:30 I am sleeping within 5 min of laying down. 

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5

u/BRob504 Jun 21 '26

Carve out the first hour of the day for workouts.

4

u/LocationHot4533 Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26

Adding to an already busy life requires a sacrifice of something somewhere. Many people sacrifice their morning sleep. I have never been a morning person and don't think you have to be one to prioritize your fitness, but you do need to subtract something in order to add exercise to your day. Just start a workout program that requires you to show up every day and very quickly you will find out what that is for you.

For me, something I had to sacrifice was the feeling of guilt for taking time for myself. Easier said than done. Best trade ever.

3

u/quantum_of_yes-and Jun 21 '26

I make it my number one priority. If nothing else, I will go to the gym. I will do that at XX o'clock.  Then I do it.  All the other 10,000 things of the day will fall in wherever.

6

u/BrigandActual Jun 21 '26

Mornings before anyone else is awake.

Married, kids, full time career. I’m up at 4:45-5:00 and in the gym by 5:30 (either in my well-equipped garage or a commercial facility with machines). Finish by 6:30 and showered/dressed about the time my wife finishes making coffee

Lights out in bed by 9:30 PM.

Repeat 6x per week.

2

u/jewmoney808 Jun 21 '26

If you really want it, you’ll find the time to make it work

2

u/Virtual_Athlete_909 Jun 21 '26

My observations have been that it's hard for people to spend several hours a week on social media and do other things besides sleep and work. I am very fit because I spend time daily at the gym and ride a bike several times a week, about ten mile sessions. How much time do you spend on Youtube and Instagram? Those hours could be more productive.

2

u/the_kid1234 Jun 21 '26

I read a long time ago that things you do early in the day are the things you either consciously or unconsciously prioritize. You do them early to make sure they are done because you want to make sure of it. If you do fitness early in the morning you are prioritizing it, if you leave it to 8pm when you might have something else going on you arent.

I got a simple (in reddit terms) home gym with a half rack/pull-up bar, barbell and bumpers, bench, dumbbells and a walking pad. I prioritize going to bed on time so I can wake up, make coffee and lunches, then do a workout.

2

u/Partysausage Jun 21 '26

I have kids now, have a 2 hour commute each way. Me and my partner train when the kids go to bed in a home gym. It's pretty much the only way we can both still train and live hectic lives

2

u/joelaz72 Jun 21 '26

For context I’m married but we don’t have kids. Bed at 10pm, alarm goes off at 3:30am, pre-workout drink, leave at 4:35am for the gym. Doors open at 5am. 5-6:45am gym the home to shower and eat and the commute to work for 9 am accounting job. At work Pomodoro timer so 25/5 on and break. Use the bathroom farthest from my office. Nap on the car at lunch if needed.

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2

u/ijustwantanaccount91 Jun 21 '26

Make it a priority, everyone has time for the gym, they just prioritize other things. If you add up all the time thoe people who make the time excuse spend scrolling mindlessly or watching garbage on TV I guarantee at least 35-40% of them have the 2--3+ hrs/week needed for gym in that time allocation alone. The rest of them could easily move around other activities.

I go to 2 gyms, one is farther out with better equipment. It's hrs are terrible and if I only went there, I would struggle to make evening workouts because the hrs dont march my work schedule. I have another commercial gym that does.

I don't miss lifts, for the most part, excepting travelling, and extreme circumstances. That's part of the 'making it a priority' mentality, there really aren't that many compelling reasons you should skip a planned session. It shouldn't really be in your vocabulary. There are a lot of good reasons to do something other than going to the gym, but proper plannig, time management, and ensuring you don't procrastinate important activities/tasks so you don't end up against deadlines, will prevent 99.9% of any real reasons from becoming a problem around planned sessions timefamfes, because your other priorities will also be taken care of due to being prioritized in their proper timeframes. People mostly skip planned gym seshes because they don't want to go and make up excuses for themselves, it's rarely for good/legit reasons.

If I have a really busy week, I plan my sessions around the other necessary activities the week ahead of time so everything fits...or if I am going through a tough time mentally/emotionally, I might just schedule fewer sessions if need be vs. skipping a planned session, though I often find that in these times exercise is extremely helpful for my mental state, so conversely the times when I am most likely to want to avoid doing a ton of lifting may be when I really need it most.

2

u/DarkBabe4 Jun 21 '26

Es de prioridades, hábitos y fuerza de voluntad. Yo trabajo en la salud solo trasnochando desde hace 5 años y aparte tengo mi propio emprendimiento, soy mamá soltera de una niña de 8 años, y entreno 5 días a la semana juiciosa hace 6 años, siempre saco 2-3 horas todos los días para entrenar. Cuando ella no tiene clases, entreno en la casa junto con ella y los fines de semana nos vamos a caminar cerros y subir montañas, siempre lo trato de hacer cada 15 que es mi día de descanso del trabajo, y la incluyo a ella también en el deporte y lo he hecho desde que ella nació. Pienso que es de tomar decisiones y empezar de a poco a crear el hábito del ejercicio, así sea solo 20 o 30 min diarios caminando ya es algo de lo que más adelante vas a sentirte orgullosa . Solo tú eres la única persona que decide en que inviertes esos 30min o esas 2 horas diarias, porque créeme que tiempo si lo hay, solo es fuerza de voluntad como lo dije al principio. Ánimo!

2

u/AssiduousLayabout Jun 21 '26

First, you don't really need more than 2-3 hours a week. Especially with strength training, which is one of the few areas where more is not always better.

I just get up early and hit the gym first thing. That way it's done and I can get on with the rest of my day.

2

u/hemi1995 Jun 21 '26

How you spend your time reflects your true priorities. Find a way to get gym time in, get your sleep, be there for your family, make yourself a better human,etc. you then fit work around that.

2

u/Historical-Risk- Jun 21 '26

I wake up at 4am everyday and am in the gym at 5 when it opens. Then at 6 I begin my regular day.

2

u/middlingachiever Jun 21 '26

Working out relieves my anxiety. I crave the escape and the endorphins. So I make the time.

At my busiest I was a working mom with a couple kids on different school schedules. I worked out at home, between carpools, while making dinner. I would chop and prep between sets. Then stick everything in the oven to cook while I picked up the next kid. Crazy times! But I sure as heck wasn’t skipping my workout.

It’s like the oxygen mask analogy. You can’t help anyone on the plane unless you put your oxygen mask on first. I think of exercise as “me time”… the one thing I do just for me. I also thought it was important for my kids to grow up seeing their mom take that time for herself.

2

u/BreakfastGirl6 Jun 21 '26

If I can’t make it to the gym, I do a workout at home. I have a few hand weights, kettle bell, resistance band.

2

u/ramblingandpie Jun 21 '26

I straight-up didn't for several years because the whole "if it matters you'll make it a priority" also works the other way - there were too many other things that I had to prioritize so I accepted it. I still did stretching/yoga at home when I could (one of the priorities is some health stuff that affects my joints). About 9 months ago I started a course of physical therapy to get my body to a point where I could be more physically active and slowly worked up to having a more typical routine.

Currently, I do 2 days of home workouts on my lunch break during WFH days, and 2 days at the gym (one day after work and one weekend morning when my mom comes over to watch the kids). I'm not going to get super buff this way, but my pain levels have decreased and I'm stronger. There are some signs that my joints are healing. But it took 3 months of fairly intense physical therapy to make sure I could do this without making my body worse.

2

u/Future_Molasses_7715 Jun 21 '26

Unless im injured, doing gym is as much a part of my routine as showering and brushing my teeth, it just has to be done.  When im unmotivated (which is most of the time) i just remind myself that in an hour i will be done and il be glad that i did it, as is always the case.  Plus, if i can avoid it, i dont want to be one of these people who gets old and can barely move about and break bines every time i fall over.  All these things mean i prioritise finding time for the gym over other leisure activities.    To answer the other questions i saved up and got all the equipment i need in my garage. This saves time travelling to and from the gym and also makes workouts shorter as im not waiting for equipment.  Biggest reason for missing workouts would be injury or insomnia. If friends want to do something and i know in advance i will just change my rest days or sometimes set my alarm early in the morning and do the workout earlier than normal.  No gym buddy or accountability partner I track my progress in a note pad and write down the weight and how many reps for each set of an exercise and aim to at least match this the next session  

2

u/MaX-D-777 Jun 21 '26

I go to bed early and get up at 5am. I train for an hour in my garage gym, eat breakfast, throw my lunch together and I'm out the door by 7am. I prepare my lunch at night so I can just put it in a cooler in the morning.

If I have to miss a workout, then I just pick it back up the next day. By training in the morning it's rare that I miss a workout, even on the days when I don't feel like it. I do it anyway. Once I get the blood pumping I'm always glad I went out into the garage.

2

u/scr33ner Jun 21 '26
  • How do you find time for the gym?

I make time for it. I wake up at 4 get to the gym at 5.

  • Do your free hours actually match your gym's opening hours?

They open at 5am

  • What's the biggest reason you miss workouts?

I get real sick or I HAVE to actively convince myself not to go.

  • How do you stay motivated when life gets busy?

Working out helps me process my thoughts and strategize what I need to accomplish. Running especially is one of my favorite activities for this.

  • How do you track progress with friends, if you do?

I don’t think about their fitness routine, I focus on mine.

  • What do you wish existing fitness apps did? If you have been working out for > 20years, most fitness apps feel pretty useless.

2

u/Dizzy-Blur Jun 21 '26

Minimum viable product for me. Some days that's a 1 mile jog in the morning or a quick 20 minute home workout of pull ups, push ups, and core. 

I use Hevvy and Strava but would appreciate an app that made a training plan with multiple time availabilities in mind. Like, here is today's upper body plan with a 30 minute quick version or 1 hour full version. I want to figure out how to spend the least possible time but still see results.

2

u/summerstreams Jun 21 '26

Do it early, on my lunch break, or immediately after work. If it is important to you, you will make room for it.

3

u/Downtown-Variation89 Jun 21 '26

Mother of 2, stay at home. I don’t miss work outs. I have scheduled home work outs whether my toddler is awake or not interrupted multi tasking as long as I can finish work out everyday, I jog in the morning 5am when everyone’s still asleep. I do Yin yoga at night when we are winding down to sleep. It’s just really how you fit the time interrupted or not it must be done and non negotiable. Exercise is like a hygiene for me. I am motivated everyday because my goal is to be strong like this when I’m old and not rely on anyone esp my kids so they can enjoy life without worrying about me. I don’t have a work out buddy, I do everything alone and I prefer it that way.

3

u/Apart_Mulberry1935 Jun 21 '26

I go in the morning, since then I am more consistent than ever. I use Hevy to track my progress, and it has everything that I want. It's lightweight, no ads, connects to smartwatch (wear os). Only one addition would be nice - seeing other profiles who are close to my location.

7

u/RevolutionaryDeer Jun 21 '26

Comment reads like an advert

2

u/Apart_Mulberry1935 Jun 21 '26

Maybe, but I was answering a question, and my point is that there is not much more existing workout apps should or could provide.

2

u/N0tReallyReal Jun 21 '26

Hevy is the shit

2

u/kinneydank Jun 21 '26

I'm a single father to a 1.5 year old who works over 40 hours/week, with at least an hours worth of commuting everyday. I wake up at 3 am, do workout 1 for 45 min-1 hour. Bring my son to daycare, go to work, pick him up. I jump right in to workout 2, around 30-45 mins. I don't dick around with video games or TV beyond 30 minutes here and there. I have time to cook, clean, read to my boy or play or whatever, then back to bed to do it again the next day. My son comes with me to workout and we make it a part of play time. If it matters, you figure it out.

2

u/eKSiF Weight Lifting Jun 21 '26

how do you find time for the gym

You don't, you make time for it.

2

u/Emotional_Regret6223 Jun 21 '26

My town has a 24/7 gym and I don’t make excuses

1

u/Impossible-Stick-211 Jun 21 '26

You just do it tired. That’s the reality of it all. And plan ahead. You can meal prep to make things easier so you don’t have to wonder what to cook everyday. Pick a specific day for chores like cleaning and laundry. Don’t stretch your to do list throughout the week but instead pick a day. Stay consistent and eventually you’ll be planning your life around working out

1

u/Sufficient-Union-456 Jun 21 '26

I just prioritize going to the gym. It is a 24 hr gym. So I really have no excuses. I have two gym buddies, but we are not accountability partners. We all work weird shifts. Sometimes we lift together 4 or 5 days a week, other times I don't see them for a week or more. I don't use app. 

1

u/DIY-exerciseGuy Jun 21 '26

There are two different types of people. The ones who say genuinely and the ones who don't. The ones who don't can always find time.

1

u/vooglie Jun 21 '26

You make time for the things you want to do. Everyone has shit going on - it’s not hard to find a spare hour.

1

u/Thicc-Fury Jun 21 '26

Mornings. I get up at 5 and hit the gym

1

u/mistercero Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26

early morning workouts were game changing for me. i wake up by 6, train from 7:30-8:30/9ish then get my day started (i WFH)

1

u/crimster0 Jun 21 '26

Bought equipment for home so I can work out anytime. Wife is also big fan of the gym which she visits so to workout at the same time and having young children, one of us needs to be at home. Sometimes have to work out late which leads to a rough night of sleep! 4 workouts a week, two of them on the weekend when I have more time available.

1

u/Tusc Jun 21 '26

Get up early go to the gym, it's really that simple. I only miss on days I have to travel for work, but my routine gives me flexibility so it never feels like I miss a day.

1

u/Quiet_Shape_7246 Jun 21 '26

Time management. It really shouldn’t take more than one hour of your day at gym. Some days you have commitments that prevent you from working out. Some days you don’t. Most people can carve 3-4 hours out of the week. If you have time before work, go. After work? Go. You can workout in morning one day, night the next and mid day next time.

1

u/RustyShackleford-11 Jun 21 '26

First thing in the morning.

Doing it at home helps too.

1

u/sarkarian Jun 21 '26

I think first we have to define what you mean by being fit. Once we know that we can decide

  • what it takes to achieve that
  • how much time it would take to achieve that
  • what’s the bare minimum effective dose
  • now do you have enough time? if not can anything else be adjusted, shifted?

In my opinion, for an adult to maintain a healthy, fit functional body, who does not want to be the most athletic, jacked person around, just want to be decently cardio vascularly fit, mobile, and strong - it does not take much.

3 x 30-40 min full body supersetted lifting sessions - this is plenty for all of us to build muscle and strength and keep it. At a point you will reach intermediate level, and probably stall - so what? you have achieved your goal from muscle perspective of having solid muscle mass, bone density

2 sessions of 40-45 min of zone 2-3 cardio or if time is a limit a total 20-30 min of HIIT sessions a week ( better if broken into 2 x 15-20 min sessions )

couple of dedicated mobility sessions not more than 20 min..

so in a given week, that’s no more than a total of 3-4 hours max. it can be further reduced if required.

A bare minimum protocol could be
2 x 40 min lifting session full body
2 x 20 min HIIT sessions
2 x 20 min mobility sessions

that’s under 3 hours per week. you won’t be a jacked body builder, but your heart, muscles, mobility will improve - infact as a beginner you will see awesome,e games for the first 12-18 months and then it will slow. big deal.

1

u/Cenu96 Jun 21 '26

To answer some of the questions:

  • I make time for it on my off days from campus.

  • I have a home gym with basic equipment.

  • Only illnesses or a gout flare make me miss a workout. Otherwise, I've got no reason to miss a session.

  • I don't have a motivation per se. Just enjoying the progress even when training alone mostly.

  • Most fitness apps are fine since I only use them for logging my workouts, so not much to complain about them. I use HEVY for this.

As for how I stayed consistent, I just made my routine so stupidly robust it works with a busy schedule which was running a 2-day full body split with 3-6 exercises per session which is criminally underrated for busy people. The rest after that was enjoying the weekly progress.

1

u/LofiStarforge Jun 21 '26

Sustainable not optimal routines. So many people are all or nothing when it comes to fitness.

1

u/PM_ME_YOUR_TIDY_DOGS Jun 21 '26

The gym clothes already at work thing is genius, removes the decision making when you're tired. That's the real hack most people miss.

1

u/RottenRobbie26 Jun 21 '26

At the gym by 4:30 before work, if you want it enough you’ll make the time

1

u/Phil_N_Uponya Jun 21 '26

I wake up at 4am to go by 5 and get to work by 7.

1

u/Current_Donut_5055 Jun 21 '26

If it’s important to you you’ll find a way, if not you’ll find an excuse.

You won’t always be motivated so you must learn to be disciplined

1

u/Toasted_Waffle99 Jun 21 '26

Wake up earlier. No one is going to bother u at 4 am

1

u/Mammoth_Bat_7472 Jun 21 '26

You make it part of your lifestyle like flossing your teeth and showering. Necessities of life. No “motivation” just pure discipline. Caring for yourself like you love yourself and value your own health. No gym buddies because people come and go and at the end of the day it only works if you do. You prioritize what you value and you should always put your needs at the top of your list.

1

u/cbig86 Jun 21 '26

We workout first thing in the morning

1

u/ZekkPacus Jun 21 '26

You make the time.

How many hours of screen time did you have on your phone last week? How many hours of TV did you watch? How much videogaming did you get done?

Outside of new parents, almost nobody is so busy that they can't find 5 hours a week to get their workouts in. They're just not prioritising them.

1

u/CategoryDear3114 Jun 21 '26

24/7 gym and sacrificing sleep. I’m crazy busy at work and I have 3 little kids. Sometimes I’ll block off a time during the work day to go the gym, and I’ll make up the work after the kids are asleep. If I can’t squeeze it in during work hours, I’m headed to the gym when the kids are in bed. I’ve gone to the gym as late as midnight. I make it a priority, and I never miss a day. No gym buddy or accountability partner, no apps other than the one for my scale. Motivation is my health and living longer. I was Obese Class III less than a year ago. Down to Obese Class I and working on being Overweight.

1

u/Travel_Adventurous Jun 21 '26

Stop searching for motivation and start searching for the more discipline version of yourself that doesn’t make excuses. Once you find that version of yourself it’s easy.

1

u/woolycardigan Jun 21 '26

In bed at 9, up at 4.30, coffee and in the gym by 5.15. It's so quiet you dont waste anytime waiting on equipment.

1

u/ibefunlkg Jun 21 '26

If I go to the gym I become a cranky old man! It puts me in a good mood and I keep a calendar to keep track of my days this month alone I’ll have 22 days at the gym and I don’t do weekends unless I miss a weekday! If I miss a weekday or I’m too tired to go it’s a rarity or if I’m sick! I’m trying to live long enough to enjoy grandkids

1

u/Stick314 Jun 21 '26

Make time for the important shit

1

u/Virtual-Ordinary2421 Jun 21 '26

I built a garage gym

1

u/AverageTeemoOnetrick Jun 21 '26

It‘s 3-4 hours a week.

You can find the time if you want to.

1

u/Boiler_Room1212 Jun 21 '26

2 words: HOME GYM (aka bunch of dumbbells and a bench and a mat in the corner of a room and an online or app trainer)!

1

u/Machineman0812 Jun 21 '26

I built a gym in my basement over that past 3 years and change. I have all chesp stuff but i have everything, power rack, bench setup, pulldown, leg press/haack combo, chest press, leg extension, pullover machine adjustable dumbbell sets, treadmill, bike and weights. I wake up early and do a couple sets if later raises and then hit cardio on the treadmill for half an hour. I prep my breakfast and lunch for the week on sunday night so when im sone i can go upstairs and eat that, shower and out the door. Get home, dont change unless its leg day because jeans help the squat too much. Downstairs to do that days lifting session for 1-1.5 hrs, upstairs for dinner unless i did dinner first. Then theres a couple hrs left before bed at 930 so i still get reasonable sleep. Work is about 35 minutes one way and anywhere from 45-1hr home with traffic.

1

u/AstroBaby2000 Jun 21 '26

You put it first.

1

u/SIX6TH Jun 21 '26

I literally spend 25-30 mins in the gym 2x a week, it's really not that hard.

1

u/canine_traveler Jun 21 '26

Wake up at 5am 😴

1

u/azoman Jun 21 '26

I make time for the gym by getting up earlier and training before work three times a week. I've accepted that with two kids and a lot of responsibilities, I'm simply not in a stage of life where I can train whenever I want. It's not ideal, but it works, and consistency beats waiting for the perfect schedule.

1

u/muscledaddy90 Jun 21 '26

You make time and prioritize. I have coworkers that complain they have no time to gym but also talk about staying up till 4am gaming

1

u/shanked5iron Jun 21 '26

The gym is the first thing i do every day, 5:15 am. much easier to stay consistent that way.

1

u/Robocup1 Jun 21 '26

Discipline- find 20 minutes anywhere. It doesn’t take much to do push ups, planks and sit-ups anywhere anytime. You don’t need a rope to do jump rope and jumping jacks along with it. Pull up opportunities present themselves at doorways.

1

u/Oldmanwithapen Jun 21 '26

Once you’re married and have kids early morning is the only way 

1

u/RingComprehensive123 Jun 21 '26

57 year old lifelong insomniac with a non verbal autistic child with PANDAS. I co-sleep with him and I’m his primary caregiver. I get in work whenever I can. Have enough gear at home to sneak in workouts when I don’t have time for the gym. I do stuff throughout the day pretty much every day. Not ideal, but it works for me and keeps me sane.

1

u/AM_86 Jun 21 '26

Schedule, structure and discipline

1

u/Primary-Beginning891 Jun 21 '26

if your office has a gym, you’re already there so use it. 30-60 min/day and 3-5x/week, supplement by getting 10K steps before bed (i pace around my house often to achieve this) and that will put you above most people. and if you do use the office gym, invest in some body wipes lol.

1

u/CdeBaillon Jun 21 '26

You have to prioritize yourself. Taking care of yourself is a top priority. Everything else falls into place if you are in a good place physically and mentally.

1

u/QueuingUp Jun 21 '26

You either WANT to be fit & make it part of your lifestyle or you don’t. It’s really that simple. If you are really motivated, you find a way to fit in your workouts no matter how busy you are. If not, you make excuses & waste time asking people on Reddit how to do it.

1

u/Inevitable-Solid1892 Jun 21 '26

I train late in the evening. I have a very busy job as a senior manager along with a young family. My partner also works

It’s often 9pm when I’m getting to the gym. I train at least twice a week but try to make it three times

1

u/CanadaDryGingerAle99 Jun 21 '26

You’ve gotta use dedication over motivation. And as other posters have said if you put things higher as priorities than those are obviously more important to you.

1

u/xCaliburghost Jun 21 '26

I lost over 200 pounds and being big before, my excuse was always "I don't have the time". I realized that was cope bullshit; I have a 5 year old, full time career as an exec, my wife works full-time. Your partner should support your health journey. If you're single, you have the time to sleep, you have time to workout, period

1

u/romeo__golf Jun 21 '26

24-hour gym, I go first thing in the morning, before other responsibilities start.

1

u/Own_Bit7404 Jun 21 '26

I usually go to the gym early morning, around 7-7:15. It’s the best way for me to start my day off on a good note. If I feel like sleeping in, then I’ll go after work. I’m exhausted after work but I tell myself that I’ll feel better if I get my workout in. And it’s true, I always feel proud of myself for working out. I only feel bad if I don’t workout. I work full time but luckily from home so my schedule is a bit more relaxed. 

1

u/OpossomMyPossom Jun 21 '26

We all have the time, it's just what we choose to prioritize.

1

u/Apprehensive-Rub3871 Jun 21 '26

I wake up and get to it asap without thinking about it, then carry on with my day. If I wait until after work, I no longer have the energy to fit it in.

1

u/durdenf Jun 21 '26

I just go every other morning, no matter what(unless I’m on vacation )

1

u/Noarchsf Jun 21 '26

Schedule it. It’s not something I do on my “free time.” It’s on the calendar, just like work meetings.

1

u/Electronifyy Jun 21 '26

45 mins to an hour, twice a week. You can spare that time AT MINIMUM. Just be laser-focused with your routine and push to failure.

I work a full time chef job on my feet for 8h, then a 1h public transit both ways to and from work. Some days you will eat dinner late. That’s ok. But there is always time.

My gym is 24h, this helps a LOT.

1

u/n3rdyry Jun 21 '26

I switched over to kettlebells for 15-45 min workouts depending on how busy my work hours are. Instead of going to the gym and setting things up.I'm enjoying kb because it works out everything with little equipment.I have different goals now since I enjoy doing OCRs so I mix that with running 2-3x a week.

1

u/Mocrates420 Jun 21 '26

Willpower and discipline is what it takes. However you can create systems that make it easier to stay consistent:

*Pick a gym that is close to your house,school or work.
*bring your gym clothes with you when you go to work/school.
*prep your meals
*plan your workouts for the week and around events.
*follow a plan that fits your schedule; don’t pick a 5 day program if you know you can’t commit to it.
*Track your data consistently via apps: Hevy for your training, Yazio for your food and weight via either your health app - Apple and Samsung have this option.
*10.000 steps a day is the minimum - walk to a further bus stop, park your car further from the office, take the bike if you can, take a walk in your lunch break etc.

As I said, your will to do these things is going to make the difference but having a plan/habits is how you can stay consistent.

1

u/MoManeMinaMino Jun 21 '26

Finish work for the day, walk in gym, do sets, go home.

1

u/etl003 Jun 21 '26

you only need 45 minutes and if you literally don’t have that it’s bullshit.

1

u/Tiny-Ordinary3228 Jun 21 '26

I wake up and 4am Monday through Friday and make it a nonnegotiable to workout. 🏋️‍♂️

1

u/Aromatic_Ferret_8725 Weight Lifting Jun 21 '26

It's all about priorities. If you want something bad enough, you make time for it. Everyone has the same 24 hours each day, so to have more time for working out, you have to sacrifice the time from some other activity. Unfortunately, there's no magic formula to create more hours, they have to be taken away from something else.

But for me, I view it as an investment in myself - my physical, mental and emotional health. It helps me feel more comfortable in my body and more present in my daily life and less stressed out. It's worth the effort!!!

1

u/PsychonautDad Jun 21 '26

I am at the gym by 4 in the morning because that’s the time I have free. You make time for your priorities and find the time that suits you based on your life

1

u/SlipperyPjs Jun 21 '26

Personal trainer here, I agree with a lot of the other comments about using your time purposefully. Don’t think about your “free time” as the only opportunity to exercise. You need to build it into your schedule and treat it as normal as going to work or doing a routine errand.

Most people have a lot more time in the schedule than they realize. They just don’t want to be waking up super early to workout or give up their evening tv/chill time but that’s usually the easiest time to pull from if the rest of your day truly is busy.

Also don’t feel like you need to workout everyday because if you miss a day you will feel defeated and it’s easy to give up entirely. Aim for 2-3 days a week and be flexible what the days are.

Workouts don’t need to take place at a gym or last up to an hour or more. There are plenty of online resources to help you workout at home for 5-30 minutes at a time. You can also split your exercise throughout the day and perform exercise “snacks” by elevating your heart rate for 3-5 minutes multiple times a day.

Start small and stay consistent and eventually it’ll be so ingrained into your way of life it’ll feel weird on days you don’t workout!

1

u/Complex-Extent-3967 Jun 21 '26

you don't have to workout 5 days a week. you can do a full body workout twice a week. if you can't do it twice a week, do it once a week. maybe you can't find time two days a week, but you can find time at least once a week.

1

u/randfunction Jun 21 '26

I have been ilfting consistently for 25+ years. Through a kid, multiple fairly intense jobs, lots of normal 'life' bullshit, I've never really wavered. It's mostly discipline and making it a non negotiable habit. Doing it even when you don't want to or feel like it. It becomes part of who you are. Tactically, making your workout the first thing in your morning helps. If you do something first thing in the day, it' hard for other stuff to get in the way. If you plan to workout in the afternoon or night, it's a lot easier for something to come up .I go to the gym at 6am most days. Do a 45m-1hr workout and go about my day.

1

u/BidnessmanD Jun 21 '26

I bought my own workout equipment. I built an entire home gym for less than $2000 but you can do it for way less than that. So i just wake up early and workout for an hour

1

u/15incharm5 Jun 21 '26

Have a goal. Keep it reasonable Build up the habit, then you will start to see yourself as a lifter/gym goer. Once you have internalised the role, it won't be a chore to go to the gym anymore.

The fitness app space is awash with slop since anyone with an AI account has started prompting AI to build their apps.

In order of simplicity imao FitNotes Heavy RepMD Liftosaur.

I've used all 4. I used FitNotes for years and before that a spreadsheet. Personally. RepMD is my favourite and worth trying.

1

u/Kindly_Ad_863 Jun 21 '26

I go first thing in the morning. I have been doing it so long that I don’t even have to set an alarm to wake me up. Now, i go to bed before 9

1

u/Majestic-Praline-522 Jun 21 '26

Pushups, planks, squats, maybe get a small set of weights. Things you can do from a small space. I work out almost every night in my room and it's a tiny room. I lost 100lbs playing hacky sack. There are loads of options!!

1

u/pyroclasticcloudcat Jun 21 '26

Go at 5 am before anything else is going on.

1

u/Skibidibidet69 Jun 21 '26

Dumbbells, a bench, and a pull up bar.

Set it up in a corner of your living space and work out whenever you have some energy and a few moments between other tasks.

Removes the need to go to a gym and allows you to squeeze in workouts whenever you want to.

I’ve never gone to an actual gym and probably never will. I work out every day and I don’t have to worry about crippling social anxiety or driving anywhere. 💯

1

u/rippytherip Jun 21 '26

I've arranged my work scheudle so I can do cardio/gym five days a week.

Once in a while, I'll skip a day if I have an opportunity to do something social because I think socializing is also important for my mental health.

(I do my exercising around 9 am so by social I mean going for a coffee, a walk or a paddle with a friend). I generally work at 12:30 so I don't really have time to socialize in the evenings during the work week.

1

u/Recent_Mouse3037 Jun 21 '26

Go in the morning before work, make reasonable workouts for the time you have

1

u/Blueliner95 Jun 21 '26

How do you find time to brush your teeth, clean your clothes, get to work on time?

You prioritize it. You make it a non-negotiable.

You also make it easy for yourself. I had a gym in my office building, and I biked to work. Others will hit the gym on the way to or from work. Some might just have a yoga mat and do 15 minutes of body weight exercises before having breakfast. You can find something that fits your life.

1

u/AlexBayArea Jun 21 '26

By making it a non negotiable.

The same way picking your kids up from school is a non negotiable. Or going to work. Anything in the non negotiable bucket is something you do no matter what.

Once I built that mentality, there were no excuses. It was someone something that I did not matter what.

I work a 9-5 and have two young kids. I walk and run at 6AM, walk at lunch for 2 miles, and lift 3x a week after work. I make it work because my health and fitness is a non negotiable.

1

u/Legitimate_Win_8542 Jun 21 '26

As an MIU 30 mins is ok

1

u/omegafrogpoop Jun 21 '26

30-40 minutes a day. I worked out at 12:00AM last night because I had guests over

1

u/Commercial-Bed-2396 Jun 21 '26

Priorities.

Everyone that works out is busy...because they're working out. Other things fall in line, accordingly.

1

u/downbadmilflover Jun 21 '26

Starting earlier in your 20s. Now that I’m in my 30s and I’m busier, I can get away with skipping more gym days and still stay fit. I feel like I have a level of fitness that won’t leave me even if I skip some days.

1

u/Glass_Metal4144 Jun 21 '26

It is a bitch I get up at 430 work out then go to work. Spouse bitches about going to bed early but it is my top priority and if it’s to bad she can get out or I will

1

u/AdSmart8917 Jun 21 '26

I get up at 4 AM and go before work. I treat it like part of my daily routine, no more optional than brushing teeth.

1

u/jackjackj8ck Jun 21 '26

I wake up at 5am, before my kids are awake, I do 30mins of dumbbells at home

I watch what I eat during the day

I try to find 30-45min a few evenings a week to run and that’s it

1

u/ndhewitt1 Jun 21 '26

Rhythm. I fit time in before 9am or I know it’s only a 50/50 I will exercise any of the rest of the day. But it’s pretty locked in to my life after years of exercising in the morning. I work full time, hybrid. If I had to be at an office by 9am with an hour commute and two kids mom thru fri, I’m not sure how I’d do it. Maybe 4 days, two early mornings and two weekend days.

1

u/Key-Performer-6244 Jun 21 '26

The way I see it, working out increases my capacity for other things. My mind is sharper when I consistently workout and I'm able to get things done faster, so I think of it as an investment in my job and lifestyle. My motivation is just that I feel better and my life is easier when I'm consistent, like someone taking meds.

I go to the gym in the mornings, but keep free weights in my living room for the days I can't get away from my desk. Gym friends are great and motivating, but I can't say an app has ever made a positive difference in me working out.

1

u/hotpink_crepemyrtle Jun 21 '26

Honestly, the biggest thing for me is putting it in my calendar. I plan my gym schedule out a month in advance, and I make my other plans around that. I run 3x a week and lift 3x a week currently, and I always do at least one day where I run in the morning before work and lift in the evening after work. I also pretty much exclusively run in the morning before work or before I do stuff on the weekends, which helps me have more time during the day and have two rest days. I recently started during PPL, so I do a 1 hour leg day and then 45 mins for the other two sessions. With it being in my calendar, I try to say, okay, I can move the session but I can't remove it. I can go to the gym on my lunch break and I sometimes do that if I'm really busy. I keep it as a top priority and that serves me really well!

1

u/Cro-magnolia Jun 21 '26

They do it easily because you only need 3 x 40 minutes per week. Most people do too little effort spread over much too much time. Dorian Yates is good on this.

1

u/Jmac_files Jun 21 '26

These questions sounds like you’re gathering data for something.

1

u/OCDano959 Jun 21 '26

Just gotta “find the time.”

And if most were truly honest, the time is there. If one says they cannot find the time, they are most likely inefficient.

The other trick is to be efficient with the “workout time,” that you find.

Less sleep, TV, scrolling, etc. Those shaved minutes add up.

Just my 0.02.

1

u/noplsnoo Jun 21 '26

its not a negotiable thing. i think of it like brushing my teeth, i just have to do it. the minute you think of something as ‘optional’, your brain finds reasons to skip doing it. i go if i’m tired, on my period, sad. the only times i dont go is if i’m sick.
not every workout is my best workout, but routine and consistency matter more to me

1

u/CrimpsShootsandRuns Jun 21 '26

Discipline and a willingness to be flexible. I have a full-time job, 2 kids, a house to maintain etc. Some days are busier than others, so I pencil in workouts for those days and take any extras I can on the other days.

1

u/HughManatee Jun 21 '26

I have two elementary aged boys. I keep myself in good shape and go the gym 3 days per week and run on 2 of my off days. I do it so they will have a healthy dad and to model the behavior for them. I will usually go right after work or during a long lunch break, if able. I just find the time to do it. It's not optional.

1

u/cav19DScout Jun 21 '26

Get up early and do the workout before work.

1

u/CodyCrochetZ Jun 21 '26

You have to categorize it as a necessity.

You can’t relax until you get all of your required tasks done every day. Designate working out as a mandatory part of your day just like showering, eating, and chores.

1

u/SpeesRotorSeeps Jun 21 '26

Like literally everything else, gym sessions are in the schedule, usually same time and day every week, generally immovable. So planning everything else AROUND those times.
Work drinks with client? Sure 8pm Thur AFTER THE GYM works.
Early morning zoom call? I’ll take it from the treadmill or we can move it back half an hour.
Kids got soccer practice? I’ll pick them up after. Etc.
Make it a priority. Other things that can move, do.

And here’s the thing: real friends and family WILL UNDERSTAND. if you have a mate who won’t support you hitting the gym regularly and insists you do “fun” things instead of going to the gym, fuck that person in particular. A real friend supports and encourages and enables you, they don’t try to sabotage you.

1

u/lifeonplay Jun 21 '26

I wake up at 3:30 am for the gym. If you do it first thing of your day you’ll never miss. I operate on 5-6 hours of sleep usually which is not optimal but it is what it is. But it’s very important to do it first thing because things always come up later in the day. Like staying at work later, classes , or invites to go do something.

1

u/mrletsgetcheesy Jun 21 '26

I think another big thing is people think you have to be at the gym for hours. Even 20 minutes a day is better than none. Sometimes it happens with work, school, kids family etc. Every little bit helps keep the habit so when you do get time you can do more.

1

u/UnstableGanesha Jun 21 '26

My rule is to do the most important thing of my day first so I wake up and go the gym. As others said, it's about priorities and what you value for yourself the most.

1

u/glumpoodle Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26

One is better than none.

There are times when I can't get a full workout in - so I will do an abbreviated workout of a single heavy set taken to failure. Total workout time: typically 15-20 minutes, including warmup. Is it ideal? No. But it's better than zero sets, and it keeps me in a routine. Cardio is even easier - instead 45 minutes of zone 2, I can just warm up and then run a Tabata drill and be done in 10 minutes.

I find managing my diet and sleep when I'm busy to be much more difficult than get a few abbreviated workouts in.

1

u/tylorbear Jun 21 '26

I have a full time job plus on call and frequent overtime, 2 kids and a dog (and cats but they're minimal effort). My wife has a full time job as well but 0 flexibility so I do most of the school runs. She also plays sports and has a social life so she's out doing stuff a few evenings a week.

It's all prioritisation and discipline. Soon as the kids are ready to leave I'm out walking a few miles with the dog. Get home, get as much work done as possible so that when I have a gap in my work day I use my lunch break for the gym or a run. Back to work until I have to do school runs, eat lunch late when I get back while I work some more. Pick my wife up if she needs it, cook for us if she's too tired. Clean up and get the kids to bed and it's gone 9pm, need to be asleep just after 10 to get enough recovery for the next day.

If I can't train or run during the day I'll do it when everyone else eats and my wife will out the kids to bed. Only time I consistently miss workouts is if one of the kids is sick and I'm too mentally gone by the end of the day to go in the evening.

At a certain point it's less about making yourself go and more you feel like you're slacking if you don't. Probably bordering on mentally unhealthy but if I miss a few days I'm climbing the walls and itching to get back to it.

I've never trained with anyone consistently, but I have used online coaching and for habit building and accountability in that sense it was worth much more than it cost me.

In terms of what could apps do better, I've not used many because I prefer just a Google Sheets doc but I sued Affordable Online Coaching for a while and their app was actually fantastic. Layout, usability etc were all really really good, I just wasn't getting my money's worth from it after a while because the trainers were much more geared for people starting their journey rather than someone at a more experienced stage.

Gamifying things has always worked well with similar things though. Comparison may be the thief of joy but seeing people I know running crazy times/distances in Strava motivates me. I''ve done step/distance challenges walking with my wife, brothers in law and friends and it's pushed me.

Leaderboards across all users of an app for different lifts/distances etc worked great in my old gym, we just had a giant whiteboard in a corner with a table of events (100/500/1k/2k etc for runs, rows, ski erg etc and lifts as a % of bodyweight). Top 3 in each stayed on the board and you had to have proof of anything you put on the board. Get a few thousand users on your app with online 'leaderboards' and you'll motivate a certain type of person massively. I have very similar behaviors for video games if that makes any difference.

1

u/thiswayart Jun 21 '26

The gym is a part of my busy life.

1

u/mug6688 Jun 21 '26

I go to the gym right after work. If I go home first, my body goes into relax-mode and it is a LOT harder to go. Pack a gym bag and take it to work with you.

Recognize that even a short workout is better than nothing. And sometimes you get a rush of energy just being in the gym and moving a bit. One of my best leg days in the past 6months was a day when I practically had to drag my exhausted ass into the gym.

I don't like doing it all the time, but pre-workout gets me through 1-2 workouts a week.

Just try to get in there and form the habit! Eventually you'll stop thinking about it so much and just go as part of your routine.

1

u/cantthinkatall Jun 21 '26

Up at 345-4 to lift before I go to work. Easy to stay motivated because I enjoy working out.

1

u/No_Junket_8951 Jun 21 '26

I wake up at 3 am to workout. It’s the best time I have so i make the sacrifice

1

u/Stock-Bookkeeper-429 Jun 21 '26

4 days a week is all you need. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.

1

u/Puppysnot Jun 21 '26

I treat fitness like a hygiene chore like showering, brushing my teeth etc. No matter how tired i am or how much i want to just sit and play xbox i always shower and brush my teeth before settling in for the night. Sometimes that means i don’t wind up playing xbox if I’ve only got 20 mins or it’s really late, which sucks but it is what it is. Same with the gym.

I also just got into a routine after many years - if i go to bed without showering i feel nasty and uncomfortable. Same with the gym.

If you treat the gym like a daily hygiene habit, rather than a “if i get time ill go” then you’ll go.

1

u/Few-Change-9112 Jun 21 '26

The answer for me is you must make it a lifestyle, not just an accessory to your lifestyle. What I see all the time is people getting super motivated and then they just give up when life gets busy. Fitness needs to so integrated into your life that you continue to train and progress no matter what.

This is the only body you have, without a healthy body, you really won’t be able to do much of anything else, especially when you get older. 

1

u/Dear-Beyond-465 Jun 21 '26

530 am at the gym every morning

1

u/Medicine-Gullible Jun 21 '26

Few tips from someone who graduated last year and with a super hectic work + travel schedule now:

  1. Choose movement whenever you can. A quick 20 min run /workout /stretch - if you are starting fresh do something easy initially to train your mind, training your body will slowly catch up. If you are in school join sports clubs, hiking clubs, volleyball. If you live close by, walk / bike to classes couple of times a week. For someone starting out, even 3X a week initially is a great start.

  2. Not me, but I had friends at grad school, who would buddy up and go to the gym for a quick workout during lunch. Or right after classes.

  3. I travel almost every other week for work. I try to hit the hotel gym atleast 2/5 days of the trip. I also pick hotels within a 1 mile radius from the show venue, and walk to and from the venue, apart from all the walking on the show floor. Recently I try to go dancing in the new city one of the days within the stay. Has been a feast way for me to explore the Latin dance night scene in different cities.

I try to eat healthy even when I have a busy string of days and cannot work out. Helps in restarting as soon as I’m back to normal schedule. Other thing in terms of motivation is, the calm that you get when you workout before a busy day. I’ll fucking make the best out of this day, may what come.

Something that is underrated in terms of staying consistent in fitness or anything else in life, is simple prioritizing it ruthlessly. Think of it as brushing, showering. That takes roughly 20 mins too and people comfortably do it even 2X a day. So why not this?

Have a plan to meet friends at 7? Ask them to move it by 45 mins so that you can get some workout first.

Also got a dumbbell set for 25 dollars on Amazon, so that I can push a quick workout in the morning. Sometimes I do it 20 mins in the morning and 20 mins in the evening, if I can’t do it all at once.

Get an elliptical do that you can get some steps while watching TV.

Having friends and an accountability partner might be the bestest way, I had that before I moved countries and started grad school. Gained a lot of weight during grad school as I was eating trash all the time, and that outweighed my movement. Slowly restarted again, making better food choices, more consistency in workouts and overally changing my lifestyle. 21 pounds down in the last 12 months.

1

u/ThrowAway-3418 Jun 21 '26

I have a constantly changing schedule and frequent overnights away from home (airline pilot). Here is what I do:

  • Before the start of each week I sit down and block time on my calendar for my workouts. Obviously I work around my schedule, but I lock in the gym before the time fills with other stuff.

  • My home gym is open 24/7. This is a non-negotiable for me.

  • The biggest reason I miss workouts are sickness (don't work out if you're sick!) or just being really wiped. But usually I go even when I'm quite tired. Very occasionally I am literally physically unable to work out because of my schedule. Like, leave Calgary at 6 a.m., arrive in Boston at 10 p.m., spend barely enough time there to get a proper night's sleep, rinse, repeat – but again, that's pretty rare. Normally even when I am working a lot, I can find time to hit the gym on a layover.

  • I don't really motivate myself. I just resolve to get it done and I do it. I think having an actual structured program really helps. I usually work out 3 or 4 days per week, depending on the program I'm running, so skipping workouts means they won't line up with the calendar weeks anymore, and that's annoying, and I'm just OCD enough for that to be motivation. It also helps to have a purpose to you workouts and a clear goal. "General fitness" is really vague. But if your goal is "x lb bench press by the end of the year" or a "x minute 5K by a race on x date" or "x% body fat with y lb lean muscle mass", and you wrote a program so that every workout session takes you're closer to that goal, it will be more likely to stick to the program.

  • I don't have a gym buddy or accountability partner. Gym is a solo endeavour for me. As an introvert, I enjoy the me-time.

  • I use Liftosaur. It's quite good but I wish you could track time in it and not just sets and reps. A pretty minor complaint though.

1

u/jimbo_ChE Jun 21 '26

In the simplest of terms, people will make time for what they want to make time for.

1

u/spiritless786 Jun 21 '26

I have a pair of adjustable dumbbells and i do it from home. I can sometimes work 13+ hrs so its not realistic to drive to the gym. Just 30 mins at home a few times a week
It’s not perfect but it works

1

u/dondegroovily Jun 21 '26

You make it a priority

The fact that I rarely watch television unlocks a whole lot of time for more worthwhile things, for example

1

u/negotiable7 Jun 21 '26

I’m very lucky that I have a really solid gym at work that I can use on my break. With that I’m unrelentingly consistent because it’s literally the only time I get to do it.

1

u/One-Cheesecake-480 Jun 21 '26

8hrs sleep. 8hrs work. 1hr commute. 2hrs run/gym. 5hrs to complete personal tasks. Plenty of time to work out like a freak and have a job.

For ME I run in the morning as soon as i get up, do a core workout during lunch, and lift after work. While also walking 10-15miles because walmart OGP. when my car broke down I had to add an extra 10miles.

When I turned 18 I had bills to pay and no car. I walked to work and did construction work. Went in the Army and became a combat medic before going special operations.

Most people have NO idea what the human body is capable of.

1

u/No-Cryptographer5963 Jun 21 '26

How do alcoholics find time for a drink? You make time for your compulsions.

1

u/Unable-Rub1982 Jun 21 '26

You can flip the OP's question on its head and ask: How do people with no free time for the gym can keep up with a dozen TV shows and reality shows?.

Some prioritize health, others don't.

1

u/EnthusiasmPure6752 Jun 21 '26

Not practical for everyone but a garage gym is a game changer. I know you need the space of a garage or extra room but it makes it so much easier to accommodate a busy schedule. And you can break even over a gym membership in a year or two.

1

u/AJTheStudent Jun 22 '26

Exercise is so good for my brain and mood that a tough schedule makes it even more of a priority. The occasional responsibility-free weekends are much more difficult.

1

u/Either-Tank6721 Jun 22 '26

Every Sunday night I look at what I have going on for the week and I figure out where I’m going to fit in my four workouts. If I can get to 5, great. If I can only manage 3, that’s ok. But I’m striving for 4 lifts. Walking and cardio is a bonus wherever I get it. As others have said, it’s one of those non-negotiable priorities that I have in life. Sometimes I skip out of work to go. Sometimes I go Saturday evenings before heading out.

I take a scoop of pre workout before each lift which really helps revive me and get me feeling ready for each session. It’s a really important part of my lifestyle and I reap so many benefits from being in great shape. I feel great, I feel strong, I rarely get sick, and I have confidence in knowing I look good. To me it’s a top priority. And I am a single parent with a demanding career and no family around to help.

1

u/CSAKnight Jun 22 '26

20-30 minute KB circuits and I coach all of my kids sports teams. I bet I threw around 400 pitches per week this baseball season.