5 Reasons to Fit a Workout Routine into Your Busy Schedule

For many adults, exercise may seem like an inconvenient and unnecessary activity, particularly when you have a busy schedule. This assumption would largely be incorrect. In fact, it turns out that the busier your schedule, the more benefits you can derive from regular physical activity. There is ample scientific evidence to back this up, as you will see so in this post.

The benefits of physical activity to a busy schedule come in various forms. The following are some of the major benefits:

Better Work life Balance

It can difficult to juggle long work hours and personal life. We usually feel like we are taking on more than we can handle. So the thought of squeezing one more activity (physical) into an already tight schedule is certainly not appealing. You may be surprised to find that squeezing in that run or workout is what you need to make your schedule more bearable.

A survey of 476 working adults about how they manage the demands of their personal and professional lives, conducted by Professor Russell Clayton, found that exercise significantly lowered stress levels. More surprisingly, it also found that exercise increased self-efficacy. The term refers to the sense that one is capable of taking things on and getting them done, and although self-efficacy is a matter of self-perception, it has real impact on reality. Among the survey participants, the increased feeling of self-efficacy experienced with regular exercise carried over to home and work roles, and made it easier to balance those roles.

Keeps Addiction at Bay

People that work long hours regularly might get into certain bad habits as a coping mechanism. In many cases, these coping mechanisms can quickly become addictions that are often accompanied by detrimental effects to both the body and the mind.

Addiction expert at addictionhelper, Daniel Gerrard says, “When an individual is trying to recover from addiction, the body and mind miss whatever was producing endorphins in the brain, responsible for that “high” feeling. Exercise can trigger the release of endorphins, which can act as a natural high. This is why we always incorporate physical activities into addiction recovery programs.”

A stressful work life can have our bodies craving for certain endorphins, which can usually be triggered when we consume sugary foods or drugs. Exercise can serve as a much better and sustainable alternative for satisfying our cravings. However, note that exercise can also become an addiction with its own side effects.

You’ll Have More Energy

It may seem counter-intuitive, but research proves that working out will actually boost your energy levels. Researchers at Elon University conducted a research that showed that not only does exercise give you more energy; it also boosts your cognitive abilities. It has been suggested that you harness this mental boost by working out in the middle of the day, right when your concentration is starting to decline, and then get back to work re-energised.

So next time you are feeling a slump in your energy levels, rather than reach for a caffeine beverage, try a quick workout to get those energy levels back up.

Helps You Think Straight

It is common for people to feel like they can think more clearly after a workout session, especially when its outdoors. The reason behind this is that when you exercise, you increase your blood pressure and blood flow throughout the body. This includes the brain, so when you exercise your brain gets more energy and more oxygen.

Many studies have shown that exercise can boost your memory and help you learn better. It now seems that the benefits of exercise can also improve your creativity. However, the evidence to support this theory is not as solid.

Boost Your Confidence

Obviously, exercise can improve your appearance, which can in turn improve you confidence. But there's more to it than that. Even when you don’t see the results from exercise, knowing that you are making an effort can make you feel better about yourself.

Exercise can also help you feel more accomplished and social (if you work out at a gym). There is something about doing a sports or physical activity with other people that builds your self-confidence.

In many workplaces and businesses, self-confidence can go a long way in determining whether you achieve your objectives. So be sure to take advantage of this, by taking on physical activity regularly.

Understanding the benefits of working out is good, but fitting a regular workout routine into a busy schedule can be challenging. One of the best ways to stick to an exercise routine is to pick a sport or physical activity that you actually like. It may take a bit of trial and error to find what works for you, but it would definitely be worth it in the end.