A common complaint heard from many sources is that most people don’t have enough time in the day to get done everything they would like. But are most people truly too busy to get everything done or to workout, or is this just an excuse? If you consider just a couple of simple facts, you can see how this “too busy” statement doesn’t always hold water.
For example, it seems that every year, more and more gadgets are coming on the market that “save us time.” For example, the computer enables us to do many things that were not possible five to ten years ago, and it does save time in relation to writing letters and corresponding with other people.
But as we save time in this area, it appears that people spend more and more time doing other things on the computer as for example, looking up bits of information, attending chat rooms and reading articles or comments by other people in different specialty groups.
Students complain about not having enough time to do their homework and assignments, but yet when they keep a diary of everything they do during the day, they find that they wasted up to two to three hours. When they had an hour break between classes, they spent that time gossiping as they thought there was not enough time to get involved in studying or to work on a project, etc.
In the evenings, they had special TV programs that were a must for watching. In fact, studies show that an average American spends up to six to seven hours a day watching TV! Some of these are “must-watch” programs, but when asked the following day what the program was about, they could remember very little.
Was this time spent watching TV truly important? Does the time spent watching TV or gossiping, etc., truly enhance your life? If your answer is no, as it is in most cases, then it is time wasted. It doesn’t mean that all of it is wasted as sometimes you should take a good break from doing work or doing only constructive and beneficial tasks.
Because of this, if you hear someone say they do not have enough time or are too busy to workout to get important benefits in his or her life, then most likely they are involved in some activities that have little value in their lives or have their priorities backwards. As most people know, the benefits of exercise are many and too numerous to be listed here. Suffice it to say that they not only help to prolong your life but make your life more enjoyable and allow you to get through the day with greater ease and enjoyment.
Working out to become more fit should be part of everyone’s lifestyle. It should be scheduled with the same level of importance as a meeting, getting together with someone, going shopping, etc. It cannot, of course, replace going to work or going to school, or doing necessary tasks such as buying food or picking up your children from school, etc. Once scheduled, it is necessary to follow through on your commitment and do the workout.
Keep in mind that the toughest part of any workout is getting dressed for the activity. Once you do the activity, you will feel great and be thankful that you did the workout. You will not feel sorry that you took the time away from other “important” activities. In time, how your body and mind feels and reacts will be the greatest reward you can achieve.
For more information on this topic read Body Shaping and Build a Better Athlete.