FIND YOUR FITSPO

Get motivated to get your sweat on with these 14 tips

While the theories surrounding how to exercise and when to do it elicit a level of heated debate in the same league as almond versus cashew butter, the reality is actually pretty simple. The best time for you to work out is when you can – or actually will. And when your calendar is crammed to bursting, this means making the most of the minutes others spend binge-watching Attenborough documentaries or tapping snooze. ‘Many people identify lack of time or motivation as reasons for why they’re not active,’ says Professor Janice Thompson, a public health nutrition and exercise expert at the University of Birmingham. But the former doesn’t really wash when you’re studiously filling 17 Pinterest boards and counting – which only leaves the latter. What better motivation, then, than the hacks of busy women – bosses, business leaders, mums, even the odd WH staff member – who have not only nailed a sweat schedule that works for them, but the enthusiasm to keep at it consistently, too. Let’s be honest, no one’s immune to feeling a bit ‘meh’, but with these tricks for getting out the door in your back pocket, skipping workouts because you’ve got neither the headspace nor the impulse will soon become a thing of the past.

USE YOUR COMMUTE

Make your workout a mode of transportation.

‘It kills two birds with one stone,’ says Women’s

Health Digital Editor Amy Hopkinson. ‘I used to cram in a 6.30am session before dashing to the office at breakneck speed, but then I had my cortisol levels tested and discovered I needed to dial down the stress in my life, not add to it. Now, I walk to the office, banking 60 minutes of fasted LISS cardio. Nailing my daily calorie burn target simply by walking means I’m now less stressed, happier and feeling healthier in mind and body.’ Simply put, calories can be torched in the gym, sure, but it’s not the only place.

DRESS TO SWEAT

Want to swap that nightly IGTV marathon for actual marathon training? Try putting your gym gear on before you leave the office. Thanks to a phenomenon known as ‘enclothed cognition’, donning the appropriate garms can trigger a positive mental change in your behaviour. ‘Dress sporty, act sporty,’ in a nutshell. ‘When I put on my workout gear, it snaps me back into my hardcore, energetic trainer persona,’ explains Pop-up Fitness founder Olivia Cooney. ‘The clothes make me confident, which helps me feel strong.’

EXERCISE SNACK

Sorry, but this isn’t a green light to munch mid-workout. ‘On my really busy days, I break up my exercise into smaller chunks throughout the day instead of one big session,’ says Dr Hazel Wallace, cookbook author and junior doctor. ‘Research shows it may actually be healthier because not only does it encourage you to move more throughout the day, it ensures you spend less time sitting, too.’ Start by working around your meals, scheduling a 10-minute HIIT sesh or power walk before breakfast, lunch and dinner.

LISTEN UP

‘Listening to a podcast while running helps distract me from my breathlessness,’ says Anna Lawrence-jones, patient involvement manager at Imperial College London. ‘On holiday in Mallorca, I listened to a Spanish podcast to help me forget about the hills I was climbing (as well as my hangover). Plus, later that night, I could whip out my GSCE Spanish when we were ordering dinner.’ Everyone’s a winner.

HEAD TO BED

‘Are you still watching?’ Yes, Netflix, we are. Don’t be so judgemental. Except that, maybe after four back-toback episodes of the final season of House Of Cards, it does have a point? ‘I’ve always preferred working out in the morning,’ says Catherine Hales, who oversees digital content for a creative agency, ‘but I just didn’t have the discipline to go to bed early enough to make it enjoyable (curse you, autoplay). After a few weeks of powering through, though, eventually my body adjusted. Now, I’m tired enough to go to bed at a reasonable hour and get up earlier without feeling like a zombie.’

DON’T SNOOZE AND LOSE

Know yourself to be a weak-willed snoozing sinner who is bound to succumb to the temptation of a cosy duvet? ‘I place my alarm clock on the other side of the room from my bed,’ says Pip Black, co-founder of Frame and Mumhood, a pre- and post-natal fitness programme. ‘Once I’m up and alert enough to cross the room and switch it off, I’m much less likely to get back into bed.’ Plus, snoozing even if you feel tired isn’t actually biologically beneficial. ‘About 90 minutes before your wakeup time, your body clock starts a series of changes (an increase in body temperature and production of the hormone cortisol among them) that results in your waking,’ says Dr Neil Stanley, sleep expert and author of

How To Sleep Well. Have at it.

VALUE ADD

There’s little point pretending that the Pilates reformer itself will lure you away from your desk for a lunchtime workout, so you’re better off considering what will motivate you and attempt to incorporate that aspect into your fitness regime. ‘Sure, endorphin-producing high-intensity exercise gives me energy, but what really makes me swerve cancelling classes is the knowledge that not only am I investing a hefty chunk of money in a membership each month, but that the gym has bathrooms better than my own,’ says Amy Grier, associate editor of Cosmopolitan. In short: find your weakness, and be sure to exploit it.

BUDDY UP

There’s nothing like the accountability of a workout pal or running group to get you lacing up before, during or after work, but you can do it with a long-distance friend, too. Why not create a Whatsapp chat so you can share fitness goals and tips and ask for help staying on track? ‘My running coach and I talk on the phone once or twice a week, and I never want to let him down and say I skipped a workout,’ says Sarah Sellers, nurse anaesthetist and surprise runner-up at the 2018 Boston Marathon. It works – no one wants to be the flaky friend.

FIND YOUR TRIBE

Whether it’s Crossfit, five-a-side footy or a totally Zen yogi clan, there really is strength in numbers – research shows that you’ll work up to 200% harder when faced with others you see as fitter. ‘I love group classes because they bring out my competitive streak,’ explains digital business director Faye Jackson. ‘Inevitably, there’s someone fitter than me in each class, so I end up working harder than I normally would to match them.’

ANGLE IT ALTRUISTICALLY

‘The combination of exercising and doing something with purpose is my ultimate motivation,’ says Sarah Evans, a financial planning manager for Eat, who runs with Goodgym (goodgym.org), a group that combines fitness with voluntary work. ‘Knowing I’m actually making a difference to people by being there is so much more enjoyable than simply working out for the calorie burn. It makes me feel like I’ve really achieved something.’

COACH YOURSELF

‘After I gave birth, I felt like my body had really been through the ringer,’ says branding consultant Lucy Maber. ‘To get back into exercise, it was a case of mind over matter – I simply had to keep telling myself ‘you can do this’ and my body followed. Now, I repeat that mantra every time I challenge myself in the gym. It still works.’ Make that pep talk work harder – research shows that self-talk is even more effective when done in the second person.

DO YOUR SHARE

Anything they can run, you can run better. A study by Michigan Technological University found that checking the miles your friends have logged makes you rack up more yourself. ‘I have a love/hate relationship with following friends’ running on social media,’ says Women’s Health Social Media Editor Francesca Menato. ‘It’s great when we have a shared goal. We push each other to stick to it when it gets tough, and no one wants to be bottom of that leader board.’

PREP AHEAD

The key to making a lunchtime sweat session happen? ‘Always be prepared,’ says Women’s

Health Deputy Editor and former Girl Guide Victoria Joy. ‘I’ve started to keep a packed gym bag in my locker and I always prep my lunch the night before so I don’t have to spend time and money buying food. Having just an hour motivates me to work out as hard as I can. Plus, all that extra oxygen pumping around my body makes me much sharper in the afternoon.’ Try a 30 or 45-minute session to allow time to shower (or at least spray some fresh deodorant) and get back to the office stress-free.

BE FLEXIBLE

Turns out timing isn’t everything. ‘Pre-children, I loved early morning workouts – I believe in getting it done before you’ve got time to come up with an excuse,’ says Louise Parker, founder of The Louise Parker Method (louiseparker.com). ‘Now, I’ve come to cherish slower family mornings or an extra hour’s sleep, so workouts happen whenever is convenient later in the day. Some days, I exercise for 20 minutes, some it’s 40 – that’s fine. The trick is just to keep the habit alive.’