Fitting in Fitness

“Think you're too busy to exercise? Meet a pilot, a mother, a chef and an executive who really do have good reasons to slack off, but still make time to get fit. It's so easy not to do it. Long work hours, running around after the kids or being on the road means there's always an excuse not to throw on a pair of trainers or some speedos, or jump on the bike. We know the drill - at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days, according to the national physical activity guidelines - but actually carving out the time to exercise is often too hard an ask. Lack of time is the most common reason we give for not exercising, according to Jane Martin, senior policy adviser with the Obesity Policy Coalition. The result? More than 70 per cent of people over 15 are sedentary or achieve only low exercise levels, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics' National Health Survey for 2007-08. Yet US President Barack Obama - presumably busier than most of us - still manages to hit the gym for an hour or so most days. OK, he has a team of aides organising his schedule around his routine exercise. But there are plenty of other seriously busy people who make exercise a fundamental - not optional - part of their lives. We spoke to four of them about how they find the time to squeeze in regular exercise, their tricks for sticking to it and how they keep motivated.”

http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/fitting-in-fitness-20090706-d9n1.html