Losing weight or starting a new exercise program may take a little time and planning. Developing an exercise schedule takes a variety of factors into consideration, such as time, location and your work or home responsibilities. Learn the basics regarding time management, assess your goals and then develop a plan or schedule that will fit into your busy lifestyle. Making a schedule for exercise will help you stay on track, stick to your goals and avoid missed workouts.
Step 1
Make a list of your daily obligations, such as work, school, child care responsibilities or time needed for running errands. Track your days and make note of how long it usually takes you to perform such responsibilities, taking into consideration your driving or commute times. After you've tracked your actions for a few days, you'll be more likely to see how much time you have left over every day in order to develop an exercise schedule.
Step 2
Determine how long you want to work out when starting a new routine. This may be determined by your age and current physical fitness level and how convenient it might be to exercise at home, in the gym after work, or in finding some outdoor activities or locations to exercise, suggests the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.
Step 3
Figure out how long various activities will take to complete. For example, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends spending about two hours and 30 minutes of moderate intensity training a week, or about one hour and 15 minutes of high or vigorous intensity exercise weekly. Also recommended is strength training at least two days a week. For weight or strength training, perform roughly eight to 12 repetitions on each muscle group. Strength training workouts may take between 30 and 60 minutes, depending on how many breaks you take between sets.
Step 4
Plan different workouts during the week, switching off between strength training, aerobic or stretching types of exercises, suggests Body-Perfect-Fitness.com. Start with small increments, such as 30 to 45 minutes a day, or break up exercise into 20 minute chunks of time if you don't have that much free time in your schedule. However, try to schedule your workouts for the same time every day so that you get into the habit of daily exercise.
Step 5
Determine ahead of time what type of exercise or routines you're going to do on a daily basis and write them down, suggests ExerciseSchedule.org. This will help you stay motivated and on track, as well as reduce the risk of boredom when exercising. Mix it up. Do a different type of exercise or routine every day to keep your muscles engaged, your attitude fresh and your goals achievable.
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