How to Make Time to Exercise With a Busy Schedule or Constant Travel
If your doctor has recommended that you begin exercising, you might be wondering how to make time to exercise when your schedule already feels packed. Between work demands, family responsibilities, and frequent travel, regular workouts can feel impossible to squeeze in.
But here’s the truth: you don’t need hours of free time or a perfect routine to start improving your health. At The Well Personal Fitness, we help busy people find realistic ways to prioritize movement—without overhauling their lives.
Whether you’re on the road often or simply struggling to carve out time, here are a few strategies that can help you finally figure out how to make time to exercise.
1. Rethink What Counts as Exercise
One of the biggest mindset shifts is this: exercise doesn’t have to mean a full hour at the gym. You can:
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Walk briskly during a lunch break
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Do a 10-minute bodyweight circuit in your hotel room
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Stretch or mobilize before bed
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Use resistance bands for a quick strength session
When you’re redefining how to make time to exercise, it’s helpful to start small and make movement more accessible.
2. Schedule It Like a Non-Negotiable Appointment
Just like you wouldn’t cancel a meeting with your boss or doctor, try not to cancel your movement sessions. Block time on your calendar and treat it like something that matters—because it does.
Even short, 15–20 minute blocks can add up over the course of a week.
3. Start Small and Build Consistency
You don’t need to overhaul your life overnight. The key to building a lasting habit is consistency over intensity.
Think of exercise as a series of small, repeatable actions. Ask yourself: What’s the smallest step I can take today? Maybe it’s a five-minute walk. Maybe it’s choosing stairs over the elevator. Maybe it’s parking just a little further from the grocery store entrance.
These micro-choices are how you make time—and eventually, how you keep it.
4. Use Travel as a Reason to Move, Not an Excuse
If you travel often, it’s even more important to know how to make time to exercise without relying on a full gym, or even your usual equipment.
Try these ideas:
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Pack a resistance band or gliders
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Do hotel-room workouts (plenty are online)
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Take walk-and-talk calls
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Explore new cities by walking instead of driving
Travel can disrupt your routine—but it doesn’t have to stop your movement.
5. Lean on Support and Accountability
If you’re struggling to follow through, you don’t have to go it alone. A trainer or coach can help you stay accountable, adjust your workouts around your lifestyle, and provide strategies to help you follow through—even when you’re busy.
At The Well Personal Fitness, we work with people who travel, have demanding jobs, are sandwiched caretakers, and unique schedules. We don’t hand you a cookie-cutter program. We design a plan that actually fits your life. It really is all about you!
6. Remember Why You’re Doing This
Ultimately, learning how to make time to exercise isn’t just about checking a box. It’s about feeling better, reducing stress, and giving yourself the energy and strength to keep doing what matters most in your life.
Your time is valuable. But your health is non-negotiable. And movement is one of the simplest, most powerful tools you have.
Ready to Make Space for Your Health?
If you’re not sure how to make time to exercise but know you need to start, we’re here for you. Whether you’re local to the Richmond area or always on the go, we’ll help you create a sustainable plan that works with your real life.
Let’s take the first step—together.
👉 Submit for an Exploratory Session today and let’s have a conversation about how we can help you make movement work for you.
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