Making time for physical activity is one of my weaknesses. When I have extremely busy periods in my life, physical activity seems to be one of the first things that I cut out of my schedule. However, this approach is not healthy at all.
I cut out my workouts when busy because I don't really like working out. But living a balanced life is not about balancing those aspects in life that I like. Having a balanced life means that I also embrace those positive aspects in my life that don't come naturally to me.
One big mistake that I would make was to schedule my workouts in the morning. I am the first to admit that I am not a morning person. So when the alarm clock would go off I would resent my a.m. workouts. If I skipped them then I would feel guilty. I simply had to acknowledge that working out in the morning doesn't work for me. So instead of working out at 5:30 a.m. I now work out at 5:30 p.m. If scheduling my workout in the afternoon increases the chances that I will work out then I'm successful.
Exercising on a regular basis is essential to good health. Our bodies need exercise just like it needs food and water. But keep in mind that as with balance, physical activity is a very individual thing. As I say often, one size fits all doesn't cut it. The important thing is that we all do some sort of exercising based on our physical capabilities. For some this is walking and for others it may be training for a marathon. The important thing to do is just move.
