How to Make Time to Work Out
For the busy professional or parent who knows exercise matters and keeps letting it slide.
To make time to work out when you are busy, pick a time slot you can protect most days, keep the bar low enough to show up on hard days, and treat missed workouts as a reason to come back tomorrow rather than proof you failed. Consistency beats intensity. The workout you actually do beats the perfect plan you skip.
I have kept exercise in my life through leading businesses, raising boys and writing a book. It has never been because I had extra time. It has been because I decided it was not up for trade.
My workouts often happened late, somewhere between eight and ten at night, after dinner and time with my boys. That was the slot nobody else needed. While I was writing my book, I even used that time to write on the treadmill and work through ideas on the StairMaster.
There will always be nights you do not feel like going, and nights you miss. What keeps me consistent is a simple rule I wrote about in the book.
If I miss a workout, that does not mean I have failed. It means I need to get back in the gym tomorrow.
The guardrail is not perfection. It is the habit of coming back.
Six ways to fit exercise into a busy life
Find the slot nobody else needs
For me, it was late evening after time with my boys. For you, it might be early morning or lunch. Pick the time that competes with the fewest other commitments.
Lower the bar for hard days
Decide on a minimum, like 15 minutes, that counts on busy days. Showing up for a short workout keeps the habit alive.
Combine it with something you value
I wrote on the treadmill. You might listen to a book, take a walking call or train with a friend. Pairing makes the time feel doubly worth it.
Make missing easy to recover from
One missed day does almost nothing. Two missed weeks is a different story. The goal is to shorten the time between missing and coming back.
Fix the setup
If you keep skipping, it is usually not a character issue. It is a setup issue. Pack the bag the night before, lay out the clothes, choose a gym on the way home. Fix the setup and the behavior often follows.
Tell someone
A workout partner, a class or simply telling someone your plan makes it harder to quietly skip.
If I miss a workout,
I have not failed.
I need to get back in the gym tomorrow.
Why it is worth protecting
Exercise is one of the few things that tends to give you more energy than it takes. When you protect it, you usually show up better at work and at home. If you are building other habits too, the free habit tracker and How to Be Consistent can help.
See also How to Make Time for Yourself and How Fast Do You Get Back?
Common questions
How do I make time to work out with a busy schedule?
Pick a protected time slot, set a minimum workout for hard days, pair exercise with something you value, and remove friction from your setup.
What is the best time of day to work out when you are busy?
The best time is the one you can protect most consistently. For many busy people that is early morning or late evening.
How do I stay consistent with working out?
Lower the bar on hard days, treat missed workouts as one-day misses, and make your setup as easy as possible.
How short can a workout be and still help?
Even 15 to 20 minutes counts, especially if it keeps the habit going on busy days.
Pick the slot nobody else needs, lower the bar on hard days, fix the setup, and when you miss, come back tomorrow.
You Are Capable
of More.
Ten principles for becoming the person you know you are capable of being, built from real stories of people who doubted themselves and did it anyway. Winner of the How-To category at the 2026 Paris Book Festival.
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