There are just not enough hours in the day, am I right? And it’s not even close. In fact, between the long workdays, dinner plans, trying to do laundry, making sure we message our friends back, spent time with the family, pursue those passion projects and eating healthily, our lives are pretty darn hectic… sometimes to the point where you get home from work, wolf down dinner while simultaneously changing into spandex, and then beeline it to the gym before it closes, which is gonna make your workouts suffer as you rush through them AND leave you feeling permanently tired.

The question is: how the heck are you meant to fit fitness into your mega-busy life? Well, given you’re already committed to working out, you might as well make the most of it by increasing your productivity. So whether you’re training your whole body at once or heading out for a run with a friend, here are 10 ways to be more productive when you workout.

Avoid All Distractions

Trust us: no one has ever answered the phone and said, “I’m just doing some push-ups, can I call you back?” Nope. not a chance. Instead, when your smartphone, smartwatch or anything else that buzzes or dings goes ahead and buzzes or dings, it can take your attention away from the workout, take you out of your momentum and suck the time away. So make sure you stay focussed by avoiding all texts, calls, TikTok notifications, which is easily done when you put your phone on Do Not Disturb mode.

Turn Up The Tunes

Music gets us going. Pumped. Ready to smash whatever workout lays ahead. Facts. That’s partly because hearing the sound of your own panting is never going to be as good as Taylor Swift, but mainly because studies actually show that listening to music while working out will help you workout harder, better, faster and stronger. So head over to Spotify right now and either find an epic playlist to get you pumped or create one yourself. Pro tip: Keep one mega-upbeat song on your playlist as a go-to for those especially tough workout moments when you need an extra push.

Set Yourself A Goal

When we workout aimlessly, we can feel lost to the point we spend half the time wandering around the gym aimlessly. That’s not productive. Instead, have some goals of what you want to achieve on your fitness journey and then use them to plan your workouts ahead of time. That way you’ll know to head immediately to the mats, treadmills, free weights, battle ropes or wherever else is on your list. You can then take it a step further by writing down the number of reps, sets and even a specific circuit to avoid cutting corners halfway through.

Keep Hydrated

Here’s the thing about water: not only does it hydrate, but it keeps you energised too. Yepp. Fluids and hydration are great for prolonging your endurance and stamina, and enhancing your performance. What we always recommend is, around two hours prior to your workout, try to drink 500ml of water and then, during your workout, drink around 225ml roughly every 20 minutes to keep your body in the prime state for your workout.

Fuel Your Muscles

There’s a lot be said about fasting, and adding fasted cardios to your fitness routine. But even though studies have shown benefits to working out on an empty stomach, it’s always best to trust your gut, literally. In terms of fueling before a workout, the idea is to provide sustained energy so you can push harder for longer. Luckily, it doesn’t take much to get those energy levels up. A pre-workout snack of an apple and peanut butter or a protein smoothie is enough. Our general rule of thumb is to stick to something that’s high in carbs and low in fat and fibre.

Take A Class

The fastest way to get stuck in a workout rut is to continuously head to the gym by yourself. It doesn’t matter how disciplined you are, you lack a certain level of motivation, accountability and oomph. So either find a friend to join you or, better yet, sign up for a class and make new friends. It could be spinning, yoga, a combination of cardio and strength, a running group or anything else. The point is, attending a class will help add more variety to your workouts, help push you to a new level and keep you accountable thanks to the definite start and end time, and guidance from an instructor.

Interval Training Time

For a lot of people – and we mean a lot – the biggest issue is being short on time. That’s where high-intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions can become your saviour, burning visceral fat and building muscle mass fast. Essentially, they demand you to push hard, recover and then repeat the process in an effort to get your heart rate up in a way that maximises caloric burn. Yeah, it’s hard-ish workout, but you’ll be finished in half the time.

Get A Workout Buddy

Let’s get straight into it: not only can friends help increase your workout accountability because, when you commit to a time and place, you have to be there – but we’re also 100% on the fact exercising together is way more fun than going to the gym solo. And the same holds true for couples. In fact, studies show that couples who workout together not only build a much closer bond, but also find it easier to stick to a healthy goal. So make that commitment now. Ask your partner to be your workout buddy, hit up that friend who has always shown an interest in fitness or tag along with that group of pals who already sweat together.

Stick To Recovery Times

Whether you’re doing intervals or sets, the clock is super-important. It tells you when to posh hard and when to enjoy your recovery, which is where the secret to a productive workout lies. Trust us: it’s way too easy to allow that 60-second recovery break to turn into a four-minute whoknowswhat where you lose your flow if you’re not paying attention. As such, get into the habit of using the time on your phone (with airplane mode on) as a way to help you consistently keep to your recovery times.

Attend A Fitness Retreat

Want to hear a fact: nowhere is going to make your workouts more productive than a fitness retreat. After all, that’s what ours are designed to do. With 6 hours of workout sessions a day, our team of world-class trainers are there to keep you motivated as you get the most out of your time with us. And the best part: the workouts are only a part of the package. From our bespoke diet plans to the lack of temptations, to making forever friends, our all-inclusive fitness retreats are designed to make you as productive as possible and help you overhaul your lifestyle so that everything you learn at camp becomes a habit at home.

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