How I Make Time by Onica Sinclair

A question I get a lot is, “How in the world do you make time to get a good workout in?”  Unfortunately people who don’t know me like to make a lot of assumptions.  “You must not have a full time job.”  Actually, I’m a full-time educator that works a full 8 hour day with a meager 30 minutes for lunch, along with working part-time at my local gym a few hours a week.  “You must not have kids.”  Actually, I have a very intelligent happy healthy energetic dramatic 10 year old daughter who’s 5^th grade math homework is way more than I can sometimes handle.  “You must have a housekeeper.”  Actually, my husband and I do our own laundry, dishes, cooking, and cleaning, all the while maintaining a 4 acre farm property, feeding and watering our 2 horses, 2 dogs, and munchkin cat.

What is all boils down to is priorities.  Family will always come first and I have to work to pay the bills, but I know that my workout provides me the ability to stay healthy and sane.  Without good health and sanity, I wouldn’t be able be a good mom, wife, friend, or employee.  I have come to realize making time for my workout should be much more than just “making time”, it should become a part of your day and something that needs get done, a “need” as opposed to a “want”.

I’ll be honest, by the time I get home from work and picking up my daughter and making sure her and my husband have dinner readily available, I’m exhausted!  I’m expected to be at work by 7:25 a.m. and don’t leave work until about 3:15 p.m.  Then there’s a 20 minute drive to pick up my daughter and another 20 minute drive back home.  That gets me home at around 4:15 or 4:30.  Cat gets fed as soon as I get home and while I’m making snacks and dinner, I intermix the dog feeding at 5:00 and horses feeding at 6:00.  Family dinner around 6ish, then homework, then bath time for Grace, then bedtime.

Where’s my workout you ask?  At 5:00 a.m., that’s where.  Once you start learning how your body works and prioritizing your schedule, you’ll figure out the perfect time for you.  I have come to know my body likes a good workout to get the day going.  It makes me feel empowered and accomplished throughout the rest of the day.  No, I was never a morning before (I still like to sleep in on the weekends!) and, yes, my alarm goes off at 4:15 Monday through Friday, but that is how I work best.  By the time I get to work, my brain has been awake and active for a little over 3 hours, my muscles feel strong and invigorated, and my energy level is high.  I balance this out by going to bed early.  When I’m with my family, I limit my screen time and phone time which allows my brain and body to enter a resting tired state around the time I’m putting my daughter to bed.  I try to go to bed no later than 10:00 p.m. which seems early for most adults, but allows me to function at peak levels at the most important parts of my day.

So what if waking up early just isn’t your thing.  Try an afternoon or evening workout.  Because you don’t have to wake up as early as I do for my 5:00 a.m. sweat session, you’ll be able to go to bed a later than what I do, still allowing for quality time with yourself and/or loved ones.  If you’re able to work out at home, that’s great!  You don’t have the leave the comfort of your own home and still accomplish tasks around the house.  If you have access to a great gym like mine, Aspen Athletic Clubs, they usually provide child care services while you work out.  Sure it’s an hour away from your kids or partner or pets, but you’ll make up for that hour throughout the years to come by being healthy, happy, and available to them.

As I stated earlier, family will always come first and I find my husband’s and my weekly date night dinner, along with the quality mommy-daughter time in the afternoons and evenings, an essential piece of living a fulfilling and happy life as well.  I’m no good to them if I’m unhealthy and unhappy though and working out and eating right gives me those feelings.  An active healthy lifestyle and putting quality products in your body will lead to this.  The endorphins released during your workout aren’t just a bunch of mumbo jumbo people talk about to entice you to be active.  They are real and, trust me, they work!  If you read one of my last blogs, you also know that working out helps relieve stress.  A combination of endorphins and stress relief leads to a happier and more productive day.

In regard to the “quality products” I referred to, there really is no better option out there than Performance Inspired products.  They are safe, clean, and natural and gives me the piece of mind of knowing that what I’m putting in my body is not only going to help me perform, it’s going to help me reach my maximum health and happiness potential.  Whether it’s the PI Multivitamin and first delicious Vanilla Isolate Whey Protein shake I drink in the morning that is easy on my stomach, my favorite Chocolate Delight Plant-Based Protein I enjoy at work that keeps me feeling full and replenished, the hydrating Gluten Free Ready 2Go Protein Water I sip on throughout the day, or the ZMA I take in the evening to help with recovery and sleep quality, Performance Inspired provides me the honest and trusted products I need to be inspired to better, and inspire others to be better, on a daily basis.