“I don’t have enough time.”

Trust me… I understand that feeling.

I’ve said it. I’ve believed it. And for a long time, I used it as a perfectly reasonable explanation for skipping my own workouts.

Because it feels true.

Life is busy. Schedules get overloaded. And the exhaustion is real.

But here’s the empowering shift I want to offer: It’s not that you don’t have time.

It’s that no one ever taught you how to use the time you do have in a way that actually fits your real, chaotic, human life.

When you stop designing for “ideal” time and start designing for your real time…

Everything changes…

When I first opened the gym, I genuinely felt like I had zero time.

My days were packed.

Clients at 5 AM. Clients at lunch. Clients in the evening.

In between?

I was programming workouts, answering messages, managing the business, shooting videos, doing laundry, and squeezing in meals whenever I could.

By the time I finished my last class, the idea of doing my own workout didn’t just feel hard…it felt impossible.

And I truly believed I didn’t have time.

But looking back…my schedule isn’t any easier today.

I just had a belief that workouts only “counted” if they looked a certain way:

A full session. A perfect plan. Enough energy. The right setup.

And because I couldn’t meet those perfect conditions…I did nothing.

Yup. I was a coach that was struggling to push myself to train despite working in a gym.

That belief that my workouts had to hit some arbitrary standard of “perfect” to count?

It kept me stuck for YEARS.

The moment I stopped aiming for perfection and started aiming for possibility, everything changed.

And that’s exactly what I want YOU to realize today…that SOMETHING always beats NOTHING.

Before we jump into the tips to help you design for the time you have, you need to understand something:

You have three types of time available every single day.

1. Micro-Time

Tiny 1–5 minute pockets you don’t even register:

Waiting for coffee.

Waiting for a meeting to start. Heating up lunch.

2. Window-Time

10–20 minute openings that show up when something ends early or plans shift.

3. Anchor-Time

Planned, predictable time you schedule intentionally.

Most people ONLY build their fitness around anchor-time.

Which is why, the second life happens, motivation dies.

But when you leverage all three?

You unlock hours of movement without changing your schedule.

Now, let’s talk about how you can optimize these different types of time to train no matter what…

TIP 1: Don’t Sacrifice What You Enjoy — CONNECT IT

People think they need to choose between the things they enjoy and the things they “should” do.

Scrolling TikTok…Watching reality TV…Listening to podcasts…Reading books…We think we can’t have these guilty, or not so guilty, pleasures.

But you don’t have to sacrifice them. You simply need to pair them with movement at times.

Love TikTok? Scroll while you walk.

Reality TV? That’s your mobility work time.

Your favorite podcast? Perfect background for a strength session.

You’re not removing pleasure – you’re layering it with a habit that serves you.

That’s how movement becomes something you WANT to do…

One client of mine said:

“Cori, the only time I relax is watching Love Island.”

But she didn’t want to have to workout the entire show to start.

So we turned that into her mobility routine.

During commercials, she did foam rolling, stretching or activation.

One month later? Better mobility.

More consistency. Same amount of relaxation.

We used those little micro-times to get her moving.

Eventually, she started making the show her anchor time to get in her cardio!

But this only happened because movement didn’t compete with her life – it integrated into it.

TIP 2: Use Stolen Moments – Include Movement Snacks

If a full workout feels overwhelming?

Shrink the target.

Because five minutes?

It counts.

In-between Zoom calls → 10 push ups.

Refilling water → light stretching.

Waiting for dinner → 10 squats.

During ads → plank holds.

These tiny actions create momentum.

This is the way you make micro-time and window-time work for you!

You didn’t even disrupt your day.

You just used the unused minutes – the minutes that often get wasted!

And you’ll be amazed by how much that window-time, those 10-20 minute blocks especially can add up.

Setting even a timer for a 5 minute circuit through 3-4 moves can be a full body workout.

A “something” that adds up when you otherwise wouldn’t have the time!

TIP 3: Focus on Frequency First

If consistency is the goal?

You’ve got to own your schedule and focus on what you can do no matter what life throws at you.

Start with short daily sessions – just even 10 to 15 minutes.

Daily frequency builds rhythm. Rhythm builds habits. Habits build discipline.

And discipline leads to results.

Short daily sessions create the “I’m someone who works out” feeling far faster than two long workouts a week.

Once you have the rhythm, then you can lengthen a couple days and let others shift into recovery.

This is how that anchor time you’re committing to your training starts to grow.

Once you start to see the time you actually have, you want to make every minute matter.

Here’s how…First, set a timer for your training.

Boundaries create freedom

When workouts feel vague and you’re unsure of how long you need, your brain hesitates.

When they have boundaries, you take action.

So when you time your workouts, you know exactly how long you need.

Timers remove the mental load. You just show up and follow the clock.

Then train movement patterns, not just movements.

Don’t think in exercises.

Think in MOVEMENT PATTERNS.

If time is limited, the most powerful shift you can make is to focus on training patterns that your body uses in real life.

There are about six key patterns:

• Squat
• Hinge
• Push
• Pull
• Lunge
• Carry/Core

When you train patterns, your body becomes stronger, more resilient, and more efficient in EVERYTHING you do:

• carrying groceries
• getting off the floor
• walking upstairs
• playing with kids
• lifting things overhead

And training patterns automatically means you’re using compound movements that deliver more results in less time with some flexibility to adjust your training based on the tools you have on hand.

So whether you can make it to the gym or you’re using 20 minutes to get in something quick at home, this focus on those fundamental patterns can help you keep your whole body strong while staying on track.

That’s not just efficient…that’s effective training.

Then be ready to push hard, but don’t go to failure.

Training to failure tanks your efficiency.

When you try to fail each and every round, you need longer rest.

Which can decrease your training volume – the exact thing you need to maximize when fitting in a quick routine.

If you’re timing your circuit and trying to get in as many rounds as possible to a 15 minute series, stop a few reps before failure. Move on to the next exercise working a different muscle group.

Keep the momentum high.

This helps you lift heavier, move better, and get more done in 5–10 minutes than most people often even do in an hour.

Because not only is something better than nothing for the momentum it creates, but if we design strategically for the time we actually have, we can build amazing results.

So while you may ideally love to train 6 days a week for 1 hour each session, if that doesn’t seem like a reality for your lifestyle?

Don’t set yourself up for failure.

Instead find the little pockets of time and opportunities that are there.

Make yourself WANT to do something because it feels DOABLE.

And a great way to do that is habit stacking.

This is a powerful strategy backed by behavioral science.

Habit stacking means attaching a small action to something you already do.

After brushing teeth → 1 minute stretching

After pouring coffee → 30 second plank

After closing laptop → 5-minute walk

Before shower → 10 lunges.

Your brain stops treating movement as optional and starts treating it as automatic.

Because often we make the excuse “I don’t have enough time” not because we need more willpower.

Or more motivation. Or even more discipline.

You just need small, consistent wins that shift your identity.

Every stretch between calls…Every walk as you watch reality TV…Every movement pattern-based circuit workout during that bonus 20 minutes because your appointment ended early…

They aren’t just workouts. They’re votes for the kind of person you’re becoming.

Someone who honors their health. Someone who follows through. Someone who makes time instead of waiting for it.

Identity drives behavior – and YOU get to write that identity through the actions you take.

You can’t change how many hours are in a day.

You can’t pause life.

And you can’t wait for perfect because that’s not life…

But you can use micro-time, window-time, and anchor-time.

You can integrate movement into things you enjoy. You can design efficient sessions using movement patterns. And you can build an identity that supports consistency.

Time isn’t your problem.

Your old belief about what’s “good enough” or what counts is.

And now?

You have a system that fits your REAL life.

Take one of these tips today, just one, and put it into action.

Your future self is going to be SO proud you did.

What’s one way you’ll better use your time to train today?

For workouts designed to work with real life, check out Dynamic Strength.

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