I'm getting up an hour earlier these days. At first I said I'd

never be able to do it: I was already sleep deprived rising at 6

AM how would I ever get up at 5 AM? I'd never be able to get to

sleep earlier (this is still true), and a hundred other reasons

why it wouldn't work. And then I tried it, and it does work. I'm

still sleep deprived, but that extra hour in the morning is a

Godsend. I love it.

How do you Present Ideas to Yourself?

So why did it take me so long to "just do it?" Probably the way I

presented the idea to myself. Notice I used words such as "never"

and "already" as in "I'm already sleep deprived." I kept telling

myself it wouldn't work, that it was a bad idea and until the

first time I actually tried it, I secretly believed when the

alarm rang, I'd just turn it off and go back to sleep. I'd

forgotten how much I enjoy getting up early. Mornings are my best

time of day. I'm the most productive in the morning so it makes

sense to give myself an extra hour.

I Don't Have Time to Exercise

Sometimes a small adjustment in how you run your day can help

enormously in freeing up some time for things like exercise. "I

don't have time." I hear that a lot, but if asked, "What's your

favorite TV show?" most people can list a few -- hours spent

sitting and watching. There's nothing wrong with enjoying some

TV, but there's also no reason you can't exercise during the

commercials.

When I was a kid and it was my turn to clean the house, I made a

game out of it. I loved TV, watching probably six or seven hours

a day then, so missing a show to clean was not going to happen.

So I'd clean during commercials. Today there are over 20 minutes

of commercial time during each hour of the show. That's plenty of

time for getting things done. As soon as the show broke for

commercial, I'd jump from my chair and dash to wherever I'd left

off. I'd bring in laundry and fold it while I watched. I'd iron

in front of the TV, I'd bring in piles of miscellaneous debris

from other rooms and sort it into piles for where it belonged,

then on the next commercial I'd go put things away.

I'd move from one room to the next, carrying things that belonged

there with me, and returning with things that did not. Eventually

the house was clean, and hadn't missed my programs.

If you enjoy TV, consider how much time there is available during

the commercials and start using it. Whether for exercise or

cleaning, or anything else you need to get done: responding to

correspondence, studying, paying bills, grooming the cat - there

are lots of little chores we need to do, no reason we can't carry

them into our TV room and get them done.

Turn TV Time into "Get Fit" Time

You can turn your TV room into a fitness room easily. A cushy

floor mat, if the room isn't carpeted. A pair of dumbbells or

two. Empty bleach jugs make good dumbbells, but be careful if

they are only partially full of sand, dirt or water (whatever you

use to fill them with something to create the weight), as if the

weight shifts during the movement you could injure yourself.

Canned food make good homemade weights. I have half pound and one

pound cans, heavier can may be too difficult to hold. Go on a

scouting expedition around your house and see what you find that

could work as weights then store them behind the couch and start

using them. Twice a week or three times, consistently, and you'll

start noticing a change within a short time - usually in a month

or six weeks definitely.

My first exercise equipment was a pair of dumbbells, a one pound

and a five pound set. You don't have to have a fully equipped

home gym to exercise at home.

Push ups are an incredible exercise, men's and women's style. No

special equipment needed, just get on the floor and start.

Standing squats (pretend you are going to sit in a chair, then

stop at about or before chair level, and return to standing

straight). There are even books written for exercising on the

commercial breaks. I put together a page with a few of the books

I've found which present this concept such as "The Commercial

Break Workout: Trim and Tone Two Minutes at a Time" by Linda Buch

and Seth Anne Snider-Copley.

Grab some Extra Minutes and Get Started

I wanted to get up an hour earlier so I could work out in the

mornings. When I exercise first thing, nothing else interferes.

No matter what comes up, it doesn't take away from my fitness

program. Unexpected calls or invitations, traffic jams, "There's

no bread," yells my son who still thinks it's my job to keep the

pantry stocked, so I need to run to the store, nothing ruins my

day's plan to ride my bike or lift weights. The consistency of a

regular exercise program just makes me feel good - you might find

it does the same for you, and if you have had a difficult time

finding time - make time. Grab some extra minutes during

commercials on TV, get up earlier, find whatever works for you.

Write it on your calendar, make a date with yourself, and get

started.