No More Excuses: Smart Strategies to Make Exercise a Habit

Yesterday’s New York Times article on the gender gap in physical activity really struck a chord with me. As a mom to a 4-year-old and a 1-year-old, and an avid CrossFitter, this is a topic I’m incredibly passionate about.

In my work coaching scientist mothers, I see how much desire there is to incorporate more physical activity—but for so many, making it happen feels daunting.

Here are a few tips that have helped me, both personally and with my clients, to make regular exercise a sustainable part of life:

𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁: 𝗣𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 (𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗼) 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗻

Like the article mentioned, thinking of exercise as a non-negotiable—and a game-changer for every other part of life—is powerful. When I’m regularly challenged at the gym, I’m a better parent, a more supportive partner, more productive and on point at work, and much more resilient under stress. It boosts everything else, making prioritizing it absolutely worth it. I keep this in mind when asking for support or setting boundaries to make physical activity fit even if it feels uncomfortable.

𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗜𝘁 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗘𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗜𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻

While physical activity isn’t ACTUALLY my number 1 priority above things like my children’s health and happiness, I treat my weekday gym time as non-negotiable. I have a hard cutoff at 3:30 pm five day per week (gasp), which means I don’t take meetings after that time unless it's truly unmissable. This often means working early mornings or after the kids are in bed, but it’s worth it to me. I schedule life’s chaos around my gym schedule—not the other way around—and this strategy works to ensure it happens.

𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲

Think outside the box about how you can make physical activity fit. For us, I do the 4 pm CrossFit class while the kids are with a childcare provider or my partner, who then brings them to the gym for a hand-off so my partner can do the 5 pm class. If I have zoom meetings that need to run up until 4, I drive to the gym beforehand and take the meetings from there so I can hop right into class. On weekends when making it to the gym feels harder, we do a family hike every Sunday. Consider what barriers are getting in your way and brainstorm creative solutions that could work for you.

Physical activity deserves a place at the top of your priority list. What are your best tips for making it a priority? Let’s build a community that empowers each other to make time for ourselves! 💪 #PhysicalActivity #GenderGapInExercise