Hack It: 6 Fitness Hacks For Busy Athletes!

Motivation to work out and kick butt in the fitness department comes in ebbs and flows.

Sometimes, life gets in the way: commitments to friends and family members might take over our schedules, injuries or sickness can slow or halt progress, escalated work schedules can shift our eating/sleeping/exercise schedules, or changes in mood and sleep can impact our energy and drive.

When other aspects of life take up time and energy we usually reserve for preparing and executing an awesome workout, it can really throw us off course.  

Sometimes, it can derail our fitness schedules for longer than we’d like.

And since fitness is a huge stress reliever, if we let it fall to the wayside, we might feel more stressed & pressured by life, which can embolden this feeling of, “I don’t have time/energy to workout”, and thus spur this vicious cycle that pulls us further away from our health and wellness goals. UGHHH I AM EXHAUSTED JUST WRITING THAT!

So in this post, let’s talk about 6 easy hacks that will save you time and energy and help you before and during your workouts. These hacks can be used on the regular, and can be especially helpful when these dreadful ebbs occur and get back into the flow!

1. Create workout outfit packs

When you are doing your laundry save yourself some time later by assembling workout outfit packs! Rather than folding and putting your workout tops, bottoms, and socks away separately, when all the clean clothes are fresh outta the laundry put them together in stacks that can easily be grabbed throughout the week.

Grab and go later in the week when time will be of the essence!

2. Move to the music!

When I am stressed about time, I want to set time in my schedule for working out and stick to it. However, constantly checking the time during the workout can make me lose focus and break my flow.

To help yourself keep focus on working out during your workouts, use your playlist to monitor the timing!

For example, if you want to spend 25 minutes working out (5 min warm up, 15 min workout, 5 min cool down): choose a 5 minute song to start off your playlist if you want to do a 5 minute workout. Then find a few songs that will play for about 15 minutes to follow immediately after and get your 15 minute workout in. Find another 5 minute song to finish the playlist that is a little slower and meditative that you can cool down with.

3. Always be prepared!

The best way to get a workout in is to always be ready for one! Always have a workout outfit and some portable equipment on hand, in your backpack, in your work locker, in the back of your car, etc.

That way, if the opportunity to workout presents itself you can seize it! I recommend having a full workout outfit handy, some basic essentials to freshen up after your sweat session, and some awesome equipment like our Sliders, Mini Bands, or Jump Rope that’ll let you workout anywhere and everywhere!

4. Sleep in your workout clothes

This Hack has helped me crawl out of bed to hit 6 am workouts MANY times. Get into bed the night before in your (clean) workout clothes so it’s one less thing you have to do in the wee hours of the morning.

Don’t workout in the AM? I find if I change into my workout clothes immediately after getting home from work, I am more likely to do my workout in the PM. Sometimes, getting dressed is the hardest part; but once it’s done, it feels SILLY not to workout! Give it a try: get changed and watch the rest fall into place.

5. Turn a TV Show or Movie into a workout game

You’ve seen drinking games for all your favorite shows and movies. Take a shot when Bob says ____. Take a drink when Sheila makes that face she makes. You know what I mean.

Why not turn a game that encourages binge alcohol consumption into a game that encourages strength and endurance gains, overall health, and wellness? Doesn’t that sound so much better!

We already have an awesome example for you to use – see our post from April that describes “THE ULTIMATE FUNTASTIC OFFICE WORKOUT GAME” – and come up with your own!

6.  Commit to 10 minutes

When all else fails, commit 10 minutes to moving. It could be walking, running, stretching, or a quick lifting session. If you want a short, intense sweat session, 10 minutes is more than enough – 1 set of a Tabata takes 4 minutes, and those will get your heart rate UP! Or, it your body craves a deep stretch and focus session to flush out the stress of the day, give it that!

You can do wonders with 10 minutes – and 10 minutes is an inconsequential amount of time to break from your day and focus on your mental and physical needs.

Sharing is Caring!

Do you have any fitness or lifestyle hacks that help you stay motivated and keep moving? Share them in the comments! I'd love to hear from you :) 

Have a great week Athletes!