In actuality, it’s not so much about finding time to workout as it is about creating time to workout. If you take a look at your typical schedule, there’s probably not a whole lot of time where you’re standing in your apartment doing nothing. We find uses for our time, whether it’s building our careers, spending time with friends, or even watching TV or playing on Grindr.

As such, most people can rightfully claim that they don’t have the time to workout. But as I’ve said before, either create time for exercise now - or find time for disease and health issues later.

So, how does one create time for exercise in the new year? It’s not as hard as it might seem. Here are a few tips:

1. Write out your schedule. Grab a few sheets of paper - this is one of the exercises in my Ultimate Guide to Working Out - and plot out your daily commitments, Monday through Sunday. Look for spots of available time.
2. Recognize that something else might need to go. Even after following tip #1, most people will find that they’re still hard pressed to find gym time. Tuesday nights might be great, for example, but that’s when Glee is on. If your schedule is fairly full, then there’s probably going to be a trade-off. Something else might need to go - and in the big scheme of life, few things are as important as health.
3. Schedule your gym times. Build standing gym-dates into your calendar. You’ll be able to plan around your allotted gym time, ensuring that you don’t overbook yourself.
4. Don’t cut into sleep time. Shaving a few hours off of your sleep time, either at night or early in the morning, is tempting - but it’s the worst place you can look to free up extra time (unless, of course, you’re already sleeping more than 8 hours). Most of us are living with sleep deficits as it is, so don’t cut time here. Note: You can shift your sleep times - i.e., get up at 6AM instead of 7AM, but only if you go to bed an hour earlier.
5. Sneak in a gym trip during your lunch break. If you have a gym near your place of employment, hit the weights and/or treadmill during your lunch hour.
6. Put an active spin on your existing commitments. Maybe your schedule is already booked, but there are opportunities to up the activity level for your existing commitments. For example, if you are meeting up with a friend - go on a hike, climb a rock wall or just take a walk. If you’re not willing to miss Glee, make use of the commercial breaks for exercise.
7. Maximize your workout. Going to the gym doesn’t need to be a 2 hour commitment. Give yourself a quality, efficient workout to make the most of your time.

We’re all busy. But “busy” is not a reasonable excuse to put off going to the gym. I hope these tips help you manage your tip and get the most out of your workout.

Any other tips? Let me know in the comments below!