Hello,
We’ve all heard the phrase “If it’s important, you’ll make time.”
Cool. But tell that to the laundry pile that’s now eligible for a zip code.
If you’re juggling work, family, and the 19 tabs open in your brain, the idea of squeezing in a workout can feel laughable. But here’s the thing—you don’t need to live in the gym to see results. You just need a plan that actually fits your life.
So let’s break this down with four simple questions that’ll help you stop playing calendar Tetris and start moving more—without losing your mind.
1. How much time do you want to work out per week?
OK Be honest. Do you want to work out five days a week? Or does that sound too unfathomable at the moment.
There’s no wrong answer here.
The goal is to figure out what your ideal looks like—not what social media influencers are pretending to enjoy.
Maybe you’d love 3 full workouts a week with weights and two short cardio sessions equaling 5 workouts a week. Maybe just 20 minutes a day sounds manageable and not soul-crushing. Great. Start there.
So, let’s say with the example above, you want to do three weight training workouts that are 40 minutes long and two cardio sessions that are 15 minutes long. This will give you 2.5 hours of total time exercising for the week.
Figuring out how much time you want to allot is the easy part. Next comes trying to figure out if you can take that much time from your weekly schedule.
2. How much time do you actually have available?
Now that we’ve covered the dream, let’s talk reality.
Between work, commutes, kids, Netflix, doomscrolling, and hopefully a good amount of sleep—you’ve probably got less time than you’d like. That’s fine. The goal isn’t to find five empty hours sitting around. It’s to get real about what you’re already doing and where the time leaks are.
Take a week and audit your day. You might find a few 15–30 minute gaps hiding in plain sight. And guess what? That’s plenty. You don’t need 90-minute gym marathons. You need consistency, not heroic efforts.
3. How much time can you make for this?
Here comes the slightly uncomfortable part: what can you give up (or cut down on) to carve out some fitness time?
No judgment—but maybe three hours of scrolling TikTok could become 30 minutes of movement. Or maybe waking up 20 minutes earlier a few days a week isn’t the apocalyptic event it feels like in your head.
You don’t have to overhaul your life. You just need to steal back some time from the black holes of “I’m busy” that suck up your day. Even two or three 20-minute sessions per week can add up fast.
And if your schedule’s truly insane? Cool. Start with 10 minutes. Seriously.
But here’s the catch: this time can’t come from your essentials.
That means no cutting into sleep, skipping out on dinner with your family, or canceling something truly important just to squeeze in a workout.
Your health doesn’t just come from dumbbells and deadlifts—it also comes from rest, connection, and not being a stressed-out zombie. Speaking of rest, read Unlocking the Power of Sleep: Why it’s Vital for Recovery and Weight Loss to get a better understanding of how important sleep is for your goals.
So yes, you can make time—but it should come from the fluff, not the foundations.
4. How much time do you really need?
Here’s the best part: not as much as you think.
If you’re smart about your workouts—focusing on strength training, full-body movements, and efficient circuits—you can make serious progress in 20–30 minutes, a few times a week. That’s less time than it takes to watch a mediocre sitcom.
You don’t need fancy equipment, a gym membership, or a 7-day split with named workout days like “Glute Annihilation Thursday.”
You just need consistency, intensity, and a plan that doesn’t make you dread your own life.
Final Thoughts (Or: The Pep Talk You Didn’t Ask For)
If your current workout routine is “think about working out and then get overwhelmed and mindlessly scroll on your phone,” don’t worry—you’re not alone.
Start small. Pick the amount of time you can actually commit to, not the fantasy schedule you’ll abandon by Wednesday. Remember: done is better than perfect, and 20-minute workouts beat 0-minute ones every time.
Now grab a timer, silence your inner perfectionist, and start moving. You’ve got time—you just need to stop giving it all away to stuff that doesn’t make you feel better.
And hey, if you only made it halfway through this blog before getting distracted, good news: that’s enough time for a quick workout.
