“I’m so busy” - so how do I find time for sport?

“I’m so busy…” That’s probably one of the most common answers when someone asks, “How are you doing?” or “Do you work out at all?”

I also often hear people say, “Once I get through this big project or the chaos at work, I’ll start going to the gym again.” But if work has already taken away all your free time and you’ve set aside the tools for recovery, then the ship is already starting to list.

So here I’ll share a few thoughts that have helped me stay energetic and focused on my journey with sport and movement.

1. Plan your workouts the same way you plan your meetings.

If you don’t write it in your calendar, it won’t happen. The same goes for workouts. Block out time for sport, whether it’s a morning run, a lunchtime walk, or an evening bike ride. If it’s scheduled like a meeting, you won’t just skip it.

👉 Practical tip: Book a sports moment into every day. If you miss one out of seven, no big deal. But if you plan just three workouts in a week and end up skipping two, that’s the point where work is already pushing you into a corner. Your agreement with yourself is just as important as an agreement with a colleague, don’t let “urgent” tasks take its place.

2. Sport isn’t a solo act - sport mates make it easier!

Combine exercise with your social life. I love walking meetings, that’s when creativity takes off, and you can be much more present with a friend than while eating pastries at a café. Go for a run with a friend, plan a family hiking day, or join a group workout. It helps keep motivation high and creates emotional value. When you know someone is waiting for you on the track or at the gym, it’s much harder to cancel at the last minute. You’re not doing it only for yourself, but also for the other person. That light social pressure works in your favor, especially on the days when motivation is low.

👉 Practical tips: 

• Run and coffee: start the morning with a jog with a friend and finish at a café, that is movement + a social reward.

• Family evening in motion: go for a walk with the whole family after dinner instead of sinking into the couch.

• Workout date: train together with your partner or add it alongside a trip to the cinema or restaurant.

• Colleague-moving lunch: create a movement group at the office — for example, a 30-minute walk every Wednesday!

3. Turn sport into your "mindful moment"

Many of us feel that the day belongs more to someone else - to projects and a hundred obligations. I’ve discovered that sport is the time when I’m with myself and my own thoughts. I often go without headphones, just to notice where my mind drifts and how movement brings silence into my head. It feels like a mental break, not a physical chore. I even call these moments my self-coaching sessions, when I look for answers to certain questions. More than once, I’ve gone out in bad weather and, through these quiet minutes, gained new ideas. That’s why combining exercise with moments of silence is, for me, the best quick remedy for maintaining balance.

👉 Practical tip: A good check-in question to ask yourself is: “When during the day am I truly present for myself?” If you don’t have an answer, maybe now is the time to make a change. Sport is the perfect moment to think, to move, and to arrive in the present and to ask yourself: “How am I really doing, and what do I need most right now?”

If life feels too busy for sport, in reality movement is exactly what gives you more time, energy, and mental clarity. Sport doesn’t have to be a project or an extra obligation, it can be an inspiring, solution-giving meeting with yourself or a colleague, a conversation with a friend in the rhythm of movement, or that important quiet moment to understand where you’re headed.

You don’t have to wait for the perfect time or an empty calendar. You can start right away, with a Wednesday walk or a Saturday morning run. If you take responsibility for planning your movement with the same dedication as you do for meetings, the result won’t just be better fitness, but a more balanced, creative, and present version of yourself.

Signe Ventsel