Let’s face it: trying to fit in a daily workout routine in between juggling work, taking care of the house and driving the kids to and from their extracurricular activities can be challenging. For many of us there just aren’t enough hours in the day and a much-needed workout falls to the bottom of the priority list.

The truth is it’s important to make time for you, even if it’s just 30 minutes per day to participate in some form of physical activity. Try one of these three strategies to help you recommit to regular exercise.

Get Motivated

One of the best ways to get motivated is to be aware of the health benefits of engaging in daily physical activity. Here are some ways that regular exercise can help:

• Reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. Heart disease and stroke are among the leading causes of death in the United States. Getting at least 30 minutes of exercise each day can reduce your chances of heart disease or stroke by lowering your blood pressure and improving your cholesterol levels.
• Reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three American adults could be diagnosed with diabetes by 2050. By regulating your blood sugar and metabolism, exercise is one of the most effective methods to combat developing diabetes.
• Increase your energy. A good workout improves heart and lung function, which allows oxygen and nutrients to be more adequately delivered throughout your body.
• Promote a more restful sleep. Exercising not only helps you fall asleep faster, but also causes you to fall into a deeper sleep.
• Improve your mood. Physical activity stimulates chemicals in your body that help you feel happier and decrease stress.

If the health benefits aren’t convincing enough, try working out with a friend so that you can hold each other accountable. Set goals and then share them with one another so you can encourage each other to stick to your workout routine.

Learn more about getting fit.*

Try Something New

Sometimes boredom with your workout routine can challenge your motivation to exercise regularly. Remember, it’s important that you engage in various forms of physical activity to ensure that your whole body benefits from your workout. The key is to find two or three forms of physical activity that you enjoy doing that can help improve your strength, flexibility, stability, mobility and cardiovascular health.

If you typically run on a treadmill or elliptical at home, why not try running outdoors or joining a group run? For those of you that can’t make it out of the house, yoga, Pilates and dance cardio can help add variety to your at-home workout routine.

Monitor Your Progress

Once you’ve recommitted to daily physical activity, monitoring your progress can help you stay on track towards achieving your fitness goals. A great way to monitor the impact of your daily workout is to invest in a fitness device that can help you track your daily steps, heart rate and sleep pattern.

Another option to consider is keeping a daily fitness log. Every day, jot down how long you exercised, what physical activities you participated in, how you felt during and after the workout, and the progress you made towards your goals. At the end of the day, there is no better motivation than to look back on all of the progress you have made.

Still don’t think you have enough time to fit a workout into your schedule? Check out our four tips for staying active during the workday.

How do you keep yourself on track? Let us know your tips for staying active below!

Consult your doctor before beginning any diet or exercise program.

Get more information about specific health terms, topics and conditions to better manage your health on bcbst.com. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee members can access wellness-related discounts on fitness products, gym memberships, healthy eating and more through Blue365®. BCBST members can also find tools and resources to help improve health and well-being by logging into BlueAccess and going to the Managing Your Health tab.