Schedule your exercise!

I am a morning person and always have been. My mother likes to tell people that she never had to make me go to bed, I was usually the one asking her to tuck me in. It is still true many years later, I feel my best when I get into bed by 9 p.m. and wake up around 5 a.m. So it makes sense, at least to me, that I also like to exercise in the morning. Nothing starts my day off better than a walk, run, jog whatever it is, first thing, before anything or anyone interrupts my flow. So why do I still sometimes plan other things in the morning making it almost impossible to get a workout in before I have to be somewhere? Inevitably, something comes up in the afternoon that prevents me from exercising.

Today was a great example; I planned my day around a 4:30 p.m. pick-up of my daughter at school. I needed to take the cat to the vet by 9:15 a.m. and I wasn't sure I would have enough time to get up, pack lunch for my daughter, feed the animals and shower. Also, I figured I would be home by 10:30 a.m. (I was) I would work until 2:00 p.m. then exercise, shower and pick up my daughter. I started my exercise (one of my new Insanity workouts which I LOVE) and 10 minutes into it I get a text:

Not my daughter's fault, I could have worked out in the morning. If I had a client who told me this story I would tell them: "Be consistent and stick to your daily exercise time, whatever that is for you and make it happen. Schedule that time like any other important event (picking your child up at school, an important business meeting, your wedding, a hot date). Nothing is more important than good health. If you aren't taking good care of yourself how can you take good care of others? 

So, I have exercise back on my scheduled for 5:30 a.m. Monday - Saturday no excuses.

How about you? What ways do you make sure that you get your exercise in each day?