Men's Fitness Online

Be honest: do you work in a 9-5 and use that as an excuse not to start a fitness routine? How often have you promised yourself you’ll start exercising tomorrow, only to realise days, weeks, and months later that you’ve done nothing towards fulfilling that promise? If you’ve lost count, don’t worry—you’re not alone. If there’s a good intention more unfulfilled than a fitness routine, we’ve not heard of it.

The great thing is, that adding exercise to a busy working life isn’t as impossible as it may seem. With the right approach, a fitness routine can be seamlessly stitched into any schedule, especially a 9-5. To keep you motivated on this journey, here’s a simple guide to incorporating a fitness routine into your 9-5.   

Start small, begin with a plan

To successfully embrace a fitness routine and mesh it into your 9-5, you need to hone attributes such as persistence, dedication, and time management to achieve something that lasts longer than a week. At the start, you must foster patience more than anything else. Getting fit is a slow burn, with gradual rather than instant results. Perhaps you’ve already started making little changes, like keeping a men’s natural deodorant to hand in anticipation of your soon-to-be-active sweat glands. Also an essential step for your colleagues’ wellbeing – especially if you’re planning to head straight into the office after a quick workout!

Studies have shown that 15 minutes of light exercise each day is enough for you to see positive results over time. Starting small also lets you assess where and when you can incorporate exercise into your daily schedule—which is half the battle.  That’s why it’s best to start with a small plan, especially critical if you’ve never had a proper fitness routine, or your windows for exercise are limited. Launching into intense and prolonged exercise when your body is used to sitting at a desk all day is a fast track to serious injury. And no one wants to admit they can’t exercise because of lack of exercise.

Leverage your commute

A great place to introduce that 15 minutes is on your daily commute. Commutes come in all shapes and sizes and are often overlooked as a period for exercise. What kind of commute you have will dictate what exercise you can enjoy during that period. That said, it’s an avenue you should consider, as morning exercise is brilliant for your metabolism. 

The trick is to get creative. If the bulk of your commute is by train, try walking to and from the station. If your commute in the car isn’t akin to a leg of the Tour De France, why not ride your bicycle? If you’re open-minded, you’ll find opportunities. 

Resist the urge to spoil a good thing, though. If you love nothing more than getting lost in a book or a podcast on your commute, keep it that way. The positive mood you foster during your commute will help your fitness routine when you find time for it elsewhere in the day.

Utilise your lunch break

Another potential goldmine of free exercise time is your lunch break. It’s a period that symbolises a pause in the rhythm of work, a time to recharge and replenish before the afternoon shift. In other words, a perfect time to do a little exercise. Yes, you still need to eat, but enjoying a short workout before doing so will work wonders. Anything from a brief weight session to yoga will not only shake off those morning meetings, it’ll help you feel fresh for what the rest of your day has in store.

It’s also a wonderful way to break routine. If your lunch break is usually spent engaging in banal conversation in the office kitchen while eating last night’s leftovers, exercise might be the exciting change you never knew you needed to energise your mind and body.

Fitness-proof your 9-5 office

Spend the bulk of your day in an office working 9-5? Then it’s time to transform that space. Anything from a standing desk to a foam roller to a fitness ball instead of a chair will help keep you on your fitness track. The reason for this approach is simple: the sedentary life will quietly undermine all your hard work, given the chance. Make your 9-5 a fitness haven, full of dumbbells, and yog mats. It’s your space

And while you may move around the office from time-to-time during the day, now you should make it a conscious decision. At regular intervals, get up, have a stretch, and go for a walk around the building. It’s another step that yields small but important results over time and it’ll keep you alert.

Get others involved

If you see your fitness routine as punishment for leading the life of a sloth, it will feel that way. The same goes if you see yourself as a martyr who has to suffer alone. The remedy to these negative thoughts? Get others involved! 

When you invite your friends, family, or colleagues to exercise with you, it opens a floodgate of fitness possibilities. Suddenly, your after-work run becomes a game of volleyball, your morning stretch – a group swim in the ocean. Group exercise is great because it promotes healthy competition, and if you form the right group, you’ll soon discover the ability to push and support each other. And that’s the fastest way to fitness we know. 

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Remember: there are no rules when it comes to your fitness. Nothing is set in stone that you must kneel before. All you need is the willingness to give it a go, the patience and persistence to keep going, and the kindness and empathy to encourage yourself and maybe others along the way. With those capabilities, you’ll soon discover the best and healthiest version of you.