The best ways to Sneak in those Work Outs

One of my favourite quotes regarding fitness is by Arnold Schwarzenegger. “The day is 24 hours; 6 hours we sleep, so you have left 18 hours. So don’t ever give me this thing "I’m working 12 hours so I don’t have time to exercise and to work out." Or "I don’t have time to study another language" 18 hours; so utilise the 18 hours, that’s what I’ve always believed in, and I feel like that’s the only way you can get ahead.”

If you don't work out in the day, it's not because you don't have the time, it's because you didn't prioritise working out. You did something else instead. That said, we're all time poor these days, and even the slim amount of downtime we have, who wants to work out then? Especially when Black Mirror is so good and there are 6 seasons to get through on Netflix.

I'm going to give you some of my tips for sneaking in workouts to your busy schedule. These are tips from my own playbook so enjoy. I'll also pepper in other famous fitness quotes for motivation.

1. The Thigh Master £7.99

As I'm writing this I'm doing some very uncomfortable squeezes with the thigh master. (Try and get that image out of your head). I don't think you need to dedicate time to solely work on your thighs. And perhaps if you have a home gym, it's always the leg machine that's missing in the collection right? Dung bells check, treadmill check, pull up bar check. But what about those legs baby? They can be used on your arms and abs although I just use it on my legs.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit.” —Aristotle

2. Hand Grips  - £7.99

I got into these whilst watching the Rocky 4 documentary. Sly Stallone was re-cutting Rocky 4 and in the editing suite he was calling the shots whilst working out with a pair of handgrips. Adjustable and non-slip, perfect for when you're on those business calls or as Sly proves, doing a Director’s cut.

Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit.¨ ― Vince Lombardi Jr

3. Peloton 

I dedicate all my social media to my 20-30 minute peloton ride. I can burn over 200 calories on the bike in 20 minutes and have all my reels uploaded and reply to the comments, the ones I like at least. I also scroll and engage with friends and brands, and then that's it. I’m trying to be on the phone less during the day, and having that window where I can multi-task fitness with social media is a good discipline all round.

¨Setting goals is the first step into turning the invisible into the visible.¨ – Tony Robbins

4. Walking meetings

I've never really enjoyed sit down meetings of any kind. I feel like I'm decaying in my seat half the time. Nowadays I have client meetings, especially in London I encourage my would-be clients to do walk and talks. Coffee is never that enjoyable in coffee houses anyway. A lot of noise, a lot of confectionary such as flap jacks or maple syrup-filled croissants. We have wonderful parks in London, and people typically think better when they're on the move. Definitely true in my case.

“Just believe in yourself. Even if you don’t pretend that you do and, and some point, you will.” —Venus Williams

5. Squats and Stretches 

Whenever I boil the kettle or brush my teeth, I'm constantly moving. Standing still is a huge irritation for me. Seriously who wants to look at themselves in the mirror for two minutes while they brush their teeth? I do some squats when I brush my teeth, I normally smash out around 30. And when I'm making a cup of tea I drive Tuula nuts by putting my feet on the kitchen counter and stretching out my hamstrings.

The key is to find those one or two minutes in the day where you normally scroll through your phone to pass the time. Stretch instead. Or if you're feeling brisk, cram in some tuck jumps.

¨Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up.¨ – Sylvester Stallone