The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that the average American spends about 90% of their time indoors (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2023), highlighting that most people aren’t spending enough time outdoors. Due to many factors such as work, school, and urbanization, the importance of building a sound routine that allows individuals to be exposed to the outdoors becomes paramount in keeping mental and physical well-being in check.
This post aims to provide practical, easy-to-follow strategies for incorporating running into a busy lifestyle. Whether you're a beginner looking to start a new running routine or an experienced runner searching for ways to maintain consistency, this guide will offer valuable tips on time management, motivation, and integrating running with daily activities.
Assess Your Current Lifestyle
Take a look at your schedule. If you’re like most of the population, you likely are working full time, or if you’re a student, then study can easily take up just as much time. Sitting down with a pen and paper and reflecting on your previous week can be a good way of seeing where you spent most of your time. If you struggle to remember what you did in the previous week, carry a notebook with you for the next week and jot down your movements. After a week, you can then see where most of your time was spent. Don’t forget to include mundane tasks such as commuting, shopping, and cleaning, as these can be big time drainers.
Once you have recorded what you have been doing for the past week, see if you can categorize the activities into non-negotiables and negotiables. You may not like the look of the results. It’s often a shock to realize how little time we make for ourselves and how much time we spend watching TV or scrolling on social media. Categorizing into negotiable behavior patterns and non-negotiables makes it easier for planning out how you want to truly spend your time.
NON-NEGOTIABLES | NEGOTIABLE |
Work | Excessive TV time |
School | Excessive social media |
Grocery shopping | Excessive video gaming |
Cooking | Unnecessary social circumstances |
So what if you don’t spend time watching TV or scrolling social media? You are a busy working parent who is working full time? This situation can often be tricky in finding extra time. Lumping existing non-negotiables together as a way of stacking can help manage your time more effectively. For example, if you are commuting home from work, do the shopping on the way past the supermarket. Or while you are cooking dinner, can you hang out the washing while dinner simmers?
Identify Your Priorities
Identifying your priorities is a big step in making running a part of your lifestyle. It allows you to critique your current lifestyle and to make plans for the lifestyle you want in the future. If your current schedule is full of activities you don’t like the look of (just have a look at screen usage on your phone), then switching them or decreasing time spent on them can help to free up more time for running.
In some cases, this may not be feasible for some individuals. This is where the importance of setting realistic goals comes in.
Be Realistic
In the case of a time-constrained person, you must be realistic about your expectations of what you can feasibly achieve with the time you have. If you can spare 30 minutes 3 times a week, then stick with that. Or better yet, slightly undershoot in the early phase so that you can gain some confidence that you are staying consistent. Missing workouts often leads to frustration and disappointment. Setting a slightly lower bar is good for building momentum and can lay the foundation for achieving more runs in the future. Whatever time you do find, it is better than none.
Determine Frequency
With priorities, assessing your current lifestyle, and setting realistic expectations, you can now determine how much time to dedicate to running. This is dependent on fitness levels, but as a general guideline, 2-3 times a week for beginners with a mixture of run/walking is a great starting point. Choosing the times to run is also important. Will you run in the morning, afternoon, or evening? If you work a 9-5, a morning run may be more suited for you, but if you work as a tradesman/woman, you may prefer an evening run. It does not matter what time you choose, as long as you choose the time that you can stay most consistent with.
Mixing Up Your Training
Once you choose your frequency, you can structure your training with different types of runs. Some are more suited for busy lifestyles. A mix of easy jogging, long runs, intervals, and tempo runs offers a host of benefits, and all should be used as part of your running schedule. If you are time-crunched, interval or tempo runs are often quick and can be done within 30 minutes. Long runs take up the most time, so scheduling these on weekends is usually the preferred option. Play around with these different styles of training and see what works best for you.
Plan for the Unexpected
There will be times in life where training will slow down as other life tasks take over. Accepting that life gets busy at times, and that you can only do what you can is important in the running journey. Missing runs occasionally is part of the process, and it will be inevitable. Focus on getting back on track when time frees up or making the most of the time that you do have.
Travel can be a tricky one to navigate. Researching routes before traveling, such as parks, trails, and safe neighborhood streets, can help navigate the obstacles faced in maintaining training when traveling on the road. Running can also be a great way to see new places. Keep this in mind when traveling. If you want to get to know an area, you can always run like a tourist, stopping at landmarks and taking photos.
In times of illness or injury, listen to your body, and never push through severe pain or illness. There is never any shame in allowing your body to rest and recover. Running is harsher on the body compared to other forms of aerobic exercises like swimming or cycling. Consider switching modalities of training if your body allows it when injured or sick.
A big part of incorporating flexibility is listening to your body. While it’s great to have a plan laid out on what you want to achieve on a given day, sometimes it's difficult to adhere to when you aren’t feeling motivated or are just plain tired. A good rule of thumb is considering that about ¾ of your runs should feel “good.” If for any reason, you notice an unusual dip in your motivation, drive, or feeling off on your runs, consider a rest day or adjusting your training plan.
Keeping It Fun
We run for not only our physical and mental well-being but also for the enjoyment factor. The aim of running is to keep it enjoyable. Choosing new areas to run, or running on trails, can help keep running fresh and provide some much-needed nature immersion.
Running with friends also adds a fun element to training. It can help when motivation slumps or help to break new PBs. Joining a run club is good for maintaining accountability and meeting like-minded individuals.
Tying It All Together
In today's fast-paced, indoor-centric world, finding time to engage in outdoor activities such as running is essential for maintaining both mental and physical well-being.
This blog post has aimed to provide practical, easy-to-follow strategies for incorporating running into a busy lifestyle. Whether you're a beginner looking to start a new running routine or an experienced runner seeking ways to maintain consistency, these tips on time management, motivation, and integrating running with daily activities can help you build a routine that fits your unique schedule.
By assessing your current lifestyle, identifying priorities, setting realistic goals, and planning for the unexpected, you can create a sustainable running routine that not only fits into your busy life but also enhances your overall well-being. Remember, flexibility and enjoyment are key components to maintaining a long-term running habit. So lace up your shoes, step outside, and start experiencing the numerous benefits that running can bring to your life.
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