Getting to the gym can be tough, we know that. You have a full-time job. A busy commute. Family and social commitments. And you’re tired. Fall-asleep-on-the-couch tired. When it comes to keeping up with your day-to-day life — and the latest season of The Last of Us — who has time for a 6 a.m. bootcamp class with Coach Keith?
And yet, sticking to your fitness goals is important. You know that working out makes you happier and healthier, even if it’s sometimes the very last thing you want to do. So how do you creatine a routine that will actually stick? How do you curate a workout regimen that’s both efficient and enjoyable?
I’ve compiled seven time-saving, workout-improving strategies, designed to help you exercise both smarter and harder. Call them hacks if you must. Play around with the tips below and you may find it’s easier than ever to achieve an optimal workout, especially when you’re at your busiest.
1. Start Snacking
Snacking might derail your diet and sink your summer bod, but in exercise terms, micro-workouts come highly recommended. Just ask Steven Dick, director and founder of The Fitness Group, who loves breaking his workouts up into smaller “exercise snacks” throughout the day.
“It really works for me,” he says. “A fair few health providers recommend this approach, in which instead of setting aside a full hour to work out, I’ll do short bursts of exercise, like five to 10 minutes of bodyweight squats, lunges or push-ups.”
You can do these between meetings, while waiting for dinner to cook or whenever you get chance throughout the day — meaning you can get your workout in without needing to block out an entire hour.
2. Learn to Superset
Fitting in an entire workout before or after work can be difficult, especially considering everyone in town seems to have the same idea. Even in the best gyms, equipment comes at a premium during busy times. So consider the superset, in which you’ll perform two complementary moves back to back, saving time and adding in a nice little aerobic hit alongside your weight session.
“A dumbbell squat and a lying leg curl will work both the quads and hamstrings,” says Alasdair Nicoll, personal trainer at The Fitness Group. You can apply it to any body part (i.e., lat pulldowns and lat raises) as a quick and efficient way to work multiple muscle groups in a short span of time, without compromising performance.
In fact, a 2015 study found that short, fast workouts can be just as beneficial as longer, slower workouts. If you’re short on time, fast and efficient — yet still controlled and considered — may be a winner.
3. Go Backwards
When counting out your reps, think “10, 9, 8 and so forth.”
According to Kieran Sheridan, founder of Gulf Physio, “Studies show that downward counting creates a shorter perceived duration.” There’s a word for this sort of thing: “subjective time judgement.” By focusing on smaller numbers as the set gets tougher, you’re alerting your brain that the end is near.
4. Turn Up the Volume
Queuing up music doesn’t just have a massive impact on your enjoyment of exercise, but it can elevate your performance, too.
“Studies have shown that music is actually a vital part of any workout’s success, as it helps to improve performance by positively boosting your mood, which makes you more inclined to push yourself harder,” says Reiss Mogilner, a personal trainer at F45.
Mogilner says tempo plays a big part — he prefers upbeat songs to get him in the mood during his workout, putting him in the right frame of mind to hit personal bests. “Opting for uplifting music and songs that have good memories attached to them is the best way to give you the boost you need,” he says.
Pop and rap are shown to be particularly effective when it comes to both endurance and performance, so it might be time to dust off that Wu-Tang playlist.
5. Game It Out
You know what’s fun? Video games. You know what isn’t? Grinding through another set of EZ bar curls when you’d rather be anywhere but the gym. The key might be to bring some gamification into your workout, with one study finding modest short-term fitness improvements in those who track their metrics via a wearable.
But you needn’t stop there. It’s well proven that training with a buddy increases competitiveness, and the same applies for tech that turns your workout into a competition, be that your Peloton, Strava account or your gym’s connected treadmill.
“Gamification allows you to compete against other gym members,” says Dick of The Fitness Group. “You can be on the treadmill and your avatar can run past the avatar of the person next to you. What a way to unlock that inner motivation and keep you pushing past the final few miles!”
6. Hunt the Workarounds
If a certain movement drains your will to train, don’t white-knuckle your way through it — replace it with an effective alternative. Deadlifts not your thing? Try heavy farmer’s carries or trap bar pulls. Burpees feel like a chore? Sub in a kettlebell complex — a dynamic, full-body sequence that builds strength and cardio without the mental slog. Can’t face another long run? Opt for hill sprints or a zone-2 bike ride with a podcast.
There’s always another way to move. It might feel like you’re shirking exercises at first, but adaptability isn’t laziness — it’s strategy. The more these workouts work for you, the more likely you are to keep showing up.
7. Prioritize Fulfillment
“Find [a workout] that brings you the most enjoyment and focus on that,” says Bryce Hastings, head of research at gym chain Les Mills. “Whether it’s running, strength training or yoga, finding fulfillment in the activity makes the experience itself a stress reliever, turning exercise into a break from life’s demands.”
Still not feeling it? Instead of focusing on long-term goals, consider the immediate high you get from a well-performed rep. “Society promotes exercise and fitness by hooking into short-term motivation,” says Michelle Segar, director of the University of Michigan’s Sport, Health and Activity Research and Policy Center. Focusing on the immediate moment instead of vague future milestones is a great way to celebrate your progress.
Whether you’re looking to get into shape, or just get out of a funk, The Charge has got you covered. Sign up for our new wellness newsletter today.
