We hear ya!  Life can get complicated sometimes.  Schedules get jammed up, kids need attention, work demands are high, and your spouse could use a little more attention.  Where do you fit in here?  YOU are needed in every scenario listed above but if you are stressed out, are not feeling fully present or worse, you’re sick, who steps in? 

You can’t pour from an empty cup.  The fact is that if you don’t take the time to take care of yourself, you cannot take care of others as well as you’d like.  Taking time to exercise is as much self-care as it is a gift of love for everyone else in your life.  You can’t show up for them unless you show up for YOU. 

Once movement is part of your routine, you’ll find that you sleep better.  Sleeping better will help you navigate stress and think clearly.  When you are thinking clearly, you feel empowered to plan your day and successfully handle stressful situations that arise.  When you manage your day (instead of your day managing you), you’ll feel accomplished and happy.  When you’re happy, you lead by example and make others want to be happy too. 

How do you make the time to exercise?  With a little bit of planning, you can “find” more time in your day.  Start by looking at how your typical day is spent.  Is social media eating up too much of your time?  Do you socialize during the day causing the need to stay later at work?  Can your morning routine be shortened up a bit by planning the night before?  (Packing a lunch, getting the coffee pot ready, setting out your clothes, packing a gym bag, etc.).  Can you cut down on evening TV?

The bottom line is that regular exercise can improve the quality of your life.  Moving your body will help you with everything from fighting disease to improving your mental, physical, and emotional health.  Invest the money and the time in you.  You are too valuable to everyone around you to not make this investment in your health.