One lunchtime, a colleague stopped me en route to the company gym and said, “wow, I wish I had time for that.” Her comment struck me like a too-long wall sit since the one thing I felt I didn’t have was time! For a moment I felt guilty. But then I felt grateful. Here was a way to get in a workout without shortchanging my job (since exercise boosts productivity), my family or my sleep. Nothing had to give! Even if you don’t work in an office with a gym – or work in an office – there are lots of ways to squeeze exercise into your busy day. Here are a few ideas to get more gain with less emotional pain.

1. Socialize while you exercise

tina sebourn, fitness coach at the marsh

If it’s tough to find time to socialize and exercise, why not combine the two? A group fitness class will let you lift or dance or flow with a friend. And since you’re right there next to each other, it’s easy to grab a post-class chat and cuppa. Group classes are also great places to meet friends. I befriended fitness coach Tina Sebourn while she was shouting instructions at us during her Body Pump class!

Tina, an engineer who teaches at The Marsh in Minneapolis, says the bonus of a group fitness class is that it’s not just the instructor who makes you try harder. "You want to be lifting more than the 80-year-old lady next to you,” she jokes, “but not necessarily more than the 200-pound man at the back.” It’s true. You do find yourself looking at your neighbors’ bar to ensure you’re neither wimping out with wussy weights nor stacking on so much you must exit mid set. (Very embarrassing if your 80-year-old neighbor is still going strong to the end.)

2. Make “yes” easier than “no”

Life’s complicated enough without having to force yourself to do stuff. Make exercise an easy habit to stick to by removing barriers. Can’t break the rhythm of your day once it gets started? Get moving first thing. “Early in the morning your phone hasn’t started ringing or your email piling up,” notes Tina. “There are more excuses later on.” Find it hard to motivate yourself no matter what time it is? Try an accountability partner. “This way you have a standing date; someone to keep you honest – and maybe even make it more fun,” adds Tina. Don’t like exercise, period? Maybe it’s not you, it’s your workout. I run for convenience. But dance for joy. Finding a regime that lifts your spirits as well as your glutes makes it easier to commit.

3. Burn calories on your commute

I have a wonderful former colleague who used to cycle 20 miles to and from work. Now that’s dedication – admittedly more than most of us can muster! If you live within manageable walking or biking distance from work, why not get there under your own power from time to time? In the suburbs, it’s often second nature to hop in the car. But being outside offers so many new possibilities. On the occasional days I walk to work I call my mum or a friend, think through issues or even meditate. It’s multitasking…but in a good way.

4. Include the kids

Kids can make wonderful workout buddies. And bringing them along for the ride – or walk or run or blade – ensures you don’t have to sacrifice family time for fitness. Something as simple as a game of tag can feel like a playful alternative to interval training. I realized to my chagrin the other day that my seven-year-old can almost outrun me. Still got the five-year-old beat though.

Jill jacobson, MANAGER & INSTRUCTOR AT THE BARRE

Some gyms will look after your little ones while you work up a sweat. If you find somewhere the kids love too, it can ease the guilt of separation. The Barre Studio on Lake Minnetonka was the first barre facility to offer childcare in the Twin Cities. And if their creche doesn’t get you the results will. “In Barre we isolate every muscle group,” says instructor Jill Jacobson. “We commit time to doing just arms, just legs, just core and so on throughout the whole body.” Barre is the only workout that’s ever given me anything akin to definition in my stubbornly unshapely legs. All while the kids are having a ball next door!

5. Think of exercise as a gift - for everyone

Yes, exercise can do all sorts of fab things for you. But it can do good things for others too. “We need to mentally re-program ourselves to know that after a workout you’re a better person, a better worker, a better mother, a better friend,” insists Tina. Now that’s worth making time for.

Got your own secrets to sneaking more exercise into your life? Please share them by leaving a comment!