Five Ways To Prioritize Workout Time

If you want to finally figure out how to prioritize your workouts then you are in the right place. One of the biggest hurdles people face when trying to start a fitness routine is finding the time to prioritize their workouts. I get it, your schedule is busy enough as it is. How are you going to find the time to hit the gym for an hour a day? Maybe you want to try working out at home to save yourself 30 minutes of driving to and from the gym, but you still can’t find the time to squeeze a workout in. If that’s you then I have some ideas for you. And make sure to read the entire article because the last tip has been a game-changer for the students in my online coaching program, StrongFit.

Here are 5 helpful ways to start prioritizing your workouts so you can finally set up a routine that starts giving you the results you deserve. 

Workout in the morning

There is no better way to make your workout a top priority than by getting it done first thing in the morning. There are fewer excuses and fewer distractions. No one is calling you to hang out at 6:45 AM. Morning workouts are great to get your exercise out of the way early and start your day feeling good. Creating blood flow and movement in your body first thing in the morning sets your day up for success. The rush of endorphins and completing a fun workout make you feel accomplished and confident. Those are the feelings and emotions that keep you coming back for more. Remember how good those endorphins feel and how confident you are after a workout and use the need for those feelings as a way to prioritize your workouts. If you want less temptation to skip a workout and fewer distractions keeping you from finishing it then working out first thing in the morning is where it’s at.

Hire a personal trainer

Another great way to prioritize your time to work out is by hiring a personal trainer. This is going to require you to schedule your workouts and you are obligated to keep those appointments. Personal training is a commitment between two people to show up for each other as agreed. A lot of personal trainers offer packages that allow you to buy more than one session at a time. If you purchase a 12-session package then you can schedule all 12 sessions in advance, talk about prioritizing your fitness! Having a personal trainer is also a great way to prioritize your workout time because you can learn from them. As a personal trainer myself I can tell you that we know a thing or two about prioritizing workouts. Ask questions and find out what tips and hacks your new trainer uses to prioritize their workouts.

Sign up for group classes

Signing up for group classes can give you the same accountability benefits as hiring a personal trainer but it will be less expensive and less personalized. And that’s ok, you can still use the classes to your advantage in order to prioritize your workouts. In a group class setting, you are sharing a commitment with your instructor and the other members taking the class. That means you aren’t the only one prioritizing your workout at that time and it makes it easier to stay committed.

Look over the class schedule and find a time slot that works for you four or five days a week. If they have a group class from 4:30-5:30 every weeknight and you get out of work at 4:00, guess what you are doing after work? You can use the time between leaving work and getting to the gym to decompress from your day. By 5:30 you are feeling good and will have checked off two of the biggest priorities of the day.  

Have a workout partner

You can even look at fitness as a social event. That’s a great way to make it fun which means you are more likely to prioritize time to workout. Try inviting a friend or family member to work out with you. You can take a dance class, go for a bike ride, or play a game of pick-up basketball. You don’t have to be at a gym or in a group class to get a good workout in. Having a workout partner helps with accountability and it’s great to build exercise into your relationships because it creates healthy habits with the people you are closest to.  

Set up a specific time to exercise, make it an appointment

One of the easiest ways to let other tasks and events take priority over your fitness is by having a vague workout schedule where you hit the gym whenever you can squeeze it into your day. One day it may be after work at 5:00 PM but other days it will be at 8:00 PM. Then there are the days where it doesn’t happen at all because your friend texts you and asks if you want to grab a drink as you are sending out your last email of the day. Before you know it one drink turns into two and you have long forgotten about your workout. 

Here is how setting a specific time to exercise can help you prioritize your time to work out. Let’s say that you work 8 to 4 and you have the best intentions of going to the gym after work. So much so that you say to yourself after dinner the night before, I am going to go to the gym after work tomorrow. But then tomorrow comes along and there are countless things that take priority over going to the gym after work. Maybe your friend texts you to hang out or your spouse asks you to stop at the store to pick something up. No matter what it is, if your planned or scheduled day ends with work then everything and anything will take priority over going to the gym. On the other hand, if you say to yourself tonight, I am going to work out tomorrow after work from 4:30 to 5:30 and put it in your calendar, you just prioritized your workout. That way when your friend texts you at 3:55 and asks you to meet them on the patio of your favorite restaurant you can tell them that you are done at 5:30 and you can meet them then. I promise you that you won’t miss out on anything special if you keep your commitment to yourself to go to the gym. 

If you want to prioritize your workouts then be specific with your workout times and put them in your google calendar or apple calendar. If you had a Dr or dentist's appointment you would prioritize it by putting it in your calendar. You do that because it’s important and you want to make sure you honor that time. You even go as far as scheduling other things around it. Why should your workouts be any different? You are setting an appointment to make improvements to your overall health and you are going to honor that appointment. You can even get creative with what you name your session in your calendar, use something motivating so you get an extra push to get it done when you get that notification. Below are a few example calendar entries that you could use to stay motivated to commit to your workout time.

Final Thoughts

Even with the best advice, I understand that it’s still going to be challenging to always prioritize your workouts. But I believe in you because if I can do it so can you. If you take one or more of these suggestions and apply them to your everyday life I know that you can start prioritizing your workouts in a way that fits your lifestyle and gives you the results you want. It may not be easy, but it will be worth it. That I promise you. That’s why I wrote this blog and ultimately the entire reason that I am so passionate about coaching people. I know the results are worth it and I know you deserve them. I do my best to provide you with as many free resources as I can to make that possible. If you enjoyed this blog and want to make sure you don’t miss out on more content just like it then make sure to fill out the form below to sign up for my monthly newsletter. Upon registering you will receive a free copy of my eBook, Discovering Your True Strength, 50 bodyweight workouts to build strength and burn fat! You can also find plenty of free resources on this website, check out my video section if you are in the mood for calisthenics workouts, flexibility tips, tutorials, and more!

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I hope you found it helpful and from here on out will be able to prioritize your workouts with confidence. If you have any questions or need any additional assistance in your fitness journey then you can email me personally. I respond to every email within 48 hours. My email address is patrick@mimathletics.com.

Much Love,

PLD