One of the questions I get asked frequently is how I make time for the gym. For me, it’s my reset from the rest of my day, no matter how bad that day is. And since I need this reset I make sure there is space on my calendar for it. In this post I will walk through how to make time for the gym and how getting that blood flowing can benefit you at work.

First let’s cover the logistics of actually finding a time slot to go to the gym. For me, I prefer mid-afternoon as the perfect workout time, especially if I get stuck spinning my wheels on a project. Going to take a break and work out allows me to look at the problem with fresh eyes when I return. I know there are also some days I prefer to just do my workout in the morning and get it checked off my list before the day has really even begun. Whatever that special time ends up being for you, mark it in your calendar and rearrange your schedule to accommodate. Try to stick to this schedule for a month before picking a new time. This will help you build a routine around your new schedule.

It may be tempting to cancel or schedule over this gym time but resist the urge. I promise you it will be a good use of your time. Treat this time for the gym like the most important meeting of your day. When an important meeting comes around, you usually have to stop what you are doing and attend to the concerns of the meeting. Well the same principles apply here, except this is your most important meeting with yourself.

Remember no single person is so critical that the organization cannot function without them. Not even the CEO. Turn off work for an hour, go break a sweat, and whatever urgent email that comes in can be addressed when you return. I know this is hard to hear for the overachievers and hard workers but it is true. No single person’s role is so critical to the organization that it cannot continue without them. This may have some caveats, especially, if you have a role with an ‘on-call’ function but in general everyone can break away for an hour from work and should.  

Last but probably most important, pick a workout that excites you. Whether that’s yoga, soccer, or crossfit. This way you are excited to go and do that activity. For me, I feel like I just get to engage my inner child and ‘play’ for an hour, granite this ‘playing’ is dropping barbells for me but nonetheless it makes me feel better. This helps reduce stress especially if you can get your mind away from the stresses in your personal and work life. Working out is a literal pause in my day where I can be with myself and present mainly because the intensity is so high in my workout, I really can’t only focus on anything but the present moment.

Besides the added endorphins working out can have other benefits as well. It can add a new perspective to a project you’re working on. It can also help build mental strength, there are countless times when I have taken the mental strategies I use to get through a workout and applied them to my work life. Exercising more had this trickle effect where by exercising more I started eating a little healthier, managing my sleep better, and in general becoming a happier and less stressed person. By using exercise to manage my stress, I was better able to take on more complex problems at work while having a healthy outlet to relieve these stressors.

So stop saying you don’t have time for the gym and make the time. Find an activity that makes you feel like a kid again and make time to start going. Even if it’s only a couple times a week.  Set up meetings on your calendar to block out that time and remember these are the most important meetings of your day.