
“I’d love to train, I just don’t have time.”
It’s one of the most common things people say. Especially parents and busy professionals.
And it makes sense.
Life is full. Schedules are packed. Energy is limited.
But after years of coaching people with demanding lives, one thing is clear:
The issue usually isn’t a lack of time. It’s a lack of protected time.
Most people try to fit training into whatever space is left over.
If work finishes early.
If the kids cooperate.
If energy is high.
The problem is that leftover time is unreliable.
When training lives in the gaps, it gets pushed aside as soon as something more urgent appears and something always does.
That’s why consistency feels so hard.
There’s a big difference between spare time and protected time.
Spare time:
Happens when nothing else gets in the way
Disappears quickly
Relies on motivation
Protected time:
Is scheduled in advance
Has a clear start and end
Is treated like an appointment
People who train consistently don’t wait to feel ready. They already decided when training happens.
Here’s a practical place to start.
Look at your typical week and ask:
Where do I regularly lose time without meaning to?
What could I realistically reclaim 2 - 3 times per week?
Which time of day causes the least friction?
For many people, 60 minutes is enough:
Early morning before the day unravels
Straight after work before heading home
A set class time that removes decision-making
You don’t need to train every day to see results.
You need consistency in a schedule that survives real life.
Fitness that relies on “free time” usually disappears when life gets busy.
Fitness that has a place in your week tends to stick. Even when energy is low and motivation fades.
That’s why sustainable routines are built around realistic commitments, not ideal ones.
If training keeps getting postponed week after week, it’s often not an effort issue... it’s a planning one.
Having someone help you map training around work, school, and family life removes a lot of friction and second-guessing.
That’s often all it takes to turn “I don’t have time” into “this just fits now”.
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