"No Time" Isn't the Problem

The most common reason women say they can’t work out is simple: “I don’t have time.”

At first glance, that feels entirely true. Life is undeniably busy. But in many cases, what we’re actually facing isn’t a true lack of time—it’s an effective lack of time. A perceptual barrier. And that’s a very different thing.

Let me explain.

There are certainly women who are genuinely overcommitted, buried under real responsibilities. But in my experience coaching women, the more common reality is this: the sense of being maxed out isn’t always about the actual schedule. It’s often about the invisible weight of expectations we place on ourselves.

Women are masterful overachievers. I have yet to coach a woman who isn’t carrying the weight of her entire universe on her shoulders—and quietly berating herself for not doing it all flawlessly. I don’t think this comes from nowhere. From a young age, we’re conditioned to be the caretakers. To keep the peace. To support, to accommodate, to smile, to serve.

So we absorb a message: You matter after everyone else’s needs are met.

And the result? A woman who is exhausted—physically, emotionally, and mentally—while trying to convince herself that if she just tries a little harder, she’ll finally get it right.

Here’s the truth:
If you're telling yourself you don’t have time to work out, the deeper issue may be that you've never been shown another way to approach life. You've come to believe your job must be done a certain way, that parenting must be done a certain way, your house must be run a certain way—and your workouts must look a certain way too.

This is the real barrier—not time.

It’s the belief that if you can’t do it just right, you’re letting someone down. Meanwhile, the only person you're consistently disappointing is yourself.

Let’s take a closer look at the “no time for workouts” narrative. If this has been your ongoing struggle, start by considering:

• What do you believe your workouts are supposed to look like?
  Who says it has to be 45 to 60 minutes, five days a week? Who decided 15 minutes isn’t enough?

• Where do you believe that time is supposed to come from?
  There won’t be a magical free hour falling from the sky. It will require a trade-off. But that trade-off doesn’t have to be massive.

You can start small:

• Leave emails unanswered a little longer

• Let the dishes sit in the sink a little longer

• Leave laundry unfolded

• Step away from work a little earlier

• Let someone else walk the dog

• Pass on a volunteer task

• Invite your kids to do more around the house

• Let your partner carry more of the load

These changes may seem small, but collectively, they create space—space you can use to reclaim your health. Because if you truly can’t find two short windows a week to move your body, the issue is no longer time. It’s a chronic pattern of overextension.

And I say this with deep compassion: your health is suffering not just from what you’re not doing, but from the way you’re doing everything else.

Even if your life is narrowed down to just work and family, there is still room to reflect on boundaries:

• Do I truly have to work the hours I do?

• Can my kids do more for themselves?

• Can I delegate more to my partner?

Sometimes the most powerful thing a woman can do for her health is what the world might label “selfish.” But I call it something else: self-respecting.

Prioritizing your physical and mental well-being is not indulgent. It’s essential.

I want to gently offer a perspective that may stir some discomfort. I invite you to sit with it—not as criticism, but as an opening for reflection.

Often, when we feel overwhelmed and overextended, there is a deeper psychology of avoidance beneath the surface. The stories we tell ourselves—about not having time, about always putting others first, or about why now just isn’t the right moment—can quietly protect us from the discomfort of change. These narratives aren’t random. They serve a purpose. They shield us from fear, from vulnerability, and from the uncertainty of what it might mean to truly prioritize ourselves.

If this brings up defensiveness, that’s okay. It’s a normal response. In fact, that reaction often signals something important. It may be pressing gently on a truth you've worked hard to avoid. Let it sit. Let yourself come back to it when you're ready.

Growth doesn’t begin with perfection. It begins with honesty—and often, at the uncomfortable edges of our comfort.

You don’t have to keep doing things the way you always have. There is another way.

You are allowed to choose it.