One of the things nobody really prepares you for when you start working full-time is how much less you move.

You go from college, where you might be walking across campus, going out, seeing friends, and generally moving around all day, to sitting at a desk for eight or nine hours. Then you get home exhausted, sit on the couch, order something for dinner, and suddenly the last thing you want to do is go work out.

It can become a routine pretty quickly. And once it does, staying active while working a full-time job starts to feel way harder than it probably should.

I went through this when I started working. What eventually helped me wasn't finding some perfect workout plan. It was figuring out how exercise could realistically fit into my workday instead of hoping I'd magically have the motivation to do it whenever I got home.

Build Your Workout Into Your Routine

I think the biggest thing is making exercise part of your schedule before you actually need to.

When you first start a full-time job, there are suddenly a million things competing for the hours outside of work. You want to see your friends. You want to date. You want to have dinner. You want to watch TV. You want to have some semblance of a life that doesn't revolve around your job.

And you also want to work out.

I've talked about this more in How Do You Balance Work, Friends, Dating, and the Gym? because I don't think balance means fitting every important thing into every single day. Sometimes you have to figure out what matters that day and make sure the things you care about aren't disappearing from your life completely.

If exercise is always the thing you're going to squeeze in "when you have time," it's really easy for it to be the first thing that disappears.

That's why I think it helps to establish some kind of routine early. Maybe that's working out three days a week. Maybe it's four. Maybe you're going before work, after work, or during lunch.

The exact routine matters less than actually having one. That's also the entire idea behind How Do You Create a Gym Routine That Works for You? The best workout routine isn't necessarily the most intense one. It's the one that actually fits into your life.

Why I Started Working Out Before Work

At my first job, I used to go to the gym after work almost every day.

For a while, that worked. But eventually I realized it was making everything else harder.

If I had happy hour, a date, dinner with friends, or basically any plans after work, I wouldn't make it to the gym. If I did go to the gym, suddenly it was 8:00 or 9:00 by the time I was done, and I felt like my entire day had been work and working out.

I remember feeling overwhelmed by the fact that I seemingly had time for nothing else.

So I started going before work instead.

And for me, it changed everything.

“Working out in the morning kind of gave me all these new things I didn't have when I first started.”

It wasn't necessarily easier. It meant waking up earlier, getting my stuff ready the night before, and actually getting myself out the door when the last thing I wanted to do was exercise.

But it gave me my evenings back.

Make the Morning as Easy as Possible

The thing that made morning workouts work for me was realizing the routine actually started the night before.

I'd pull out my clothes. I'd pack my bag. I'd have everything ready so that when I woke up, there were as few decisions as possible.

That sounds ridiculously simple, but I think that's the point.

If you wake up tired and have to figure out what you're wearing, pack your gym bag, find everything you need, and convince yourself to go work out, you're giving yourself about six different opportunities to say, "Fuck it."

Instead, I'd wake up around 7:00, get out pretty quickly, get to the gym around 7:20 or 7:30, work out for 45 minutes to an hour, shower there, and head to work.

Eventually, it became automatic.

“I kind of trained myself to do it. And now I can't really imagine my day without it.”

You don't necessarily need to follow that exact schedule. But making whatever routine you choose as easy as possible can make a huge difference.

And there is something to the idea of making movement a regular part of your schedule. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, along with muscle-strengthening activity at least twice a week.

Don't Underestimate Walking

Staying active doesn't have to mean doing an intense workout every single day.

One of the biggest changes that comes with a desk job is simply how much time you spend sitting. You might commute to work, sit at your desk most of the day, commute home, and then sit on your couch.

The Mayo Clinic notes that extended periods of sitting have been associated with a number of health concerns and recommends looking for opportunities to stand and move throughout the day.

So find reasons to move.

Walk to grab lunch. Take a longer route home. Go for a walk before work. Get outside for 15 minutes in the afternoon. Take the stairs when it makes sense.

The American Heart Association also recommends building small movement breaks into your workday, including walking around regularly, standing during calls, and using breaks as opportunities to move instead of continuing to sit.

None of those things individually feel significant, but they help prevent your entire day from becoming one long stretch of sitting.

Be Careful With the After-Work Couch

There is also one piece of internet work advice that I completely agree with: if you have things you want to do after work, don't sit down when you get home.

Because you know what's going to happen.

You sit on the couch for "a few minutes." You put on an episode of something. You start scrolling your phone. Suddenly you're exhausted and everything you planned on doing that night feels impossible.

I've done this countless times.

“Sitting down when you get home, like you will just sink into the couch and get tired.”

If you're planning on working out after work, sometimes the easiest move is going directly from work to the gym. Don't give yourself that transition where you get comfortable and then have to find the motivation to leave your apartment again.

Find the Time That Actually Works for You

I personally love working out before work, and if you're struggling to fit exercise into your schedule, I think it's worth trying.

But I'm also not going to tell you that everybody needs to wake up at 6:30 in the morning and go to the gym.

Maybe you're significantly more motivated after work. Maybe your office has a gym nearby and you can go during lunch. Maybe your schedule starts later and 10:00 a.m. works perfectly. Maybe you're not a gym person at all and you'd rather run, play basketball, go to a class, or take a long walk.

The best workout schedule is probably the one you're actually going to maintain.

The goal is to find a place for movement in your life that doesn't constantly feel like it's fighting against everything else you want to do.

Give Yourself Time to Adjust

This is also something I think gets lost when we talk about routines.

You're probably going to mess yours up.

There will be mornings when you sleep through your alarm. There will be nights when you planned to work out and ended up getting drinks with your friends instead. There will be weeks when work gets crazy and your entire schedule falls apart.

That doesn't mean the routine didn't work.

This is something I get into more in Why Consistency Feels So Hard Even When You Care. Consistency isn't really about never missing. It's about having something you can return to when you inevitably do.

When I started working out in the morning, I didn't magically become someone who loved waking up early. I had to keep doing it until it started feeling normal.

And even now, there are days when I don't get to everything I wanted to do.

The important thing isn't having a perfect week every week. It's having something you can come back to.

And Here's The Thing

Working full-time takes up a massive part of your life. That's just the reality of it.

But your job doesn't have to consume every part of your day.

For me, figuring out when to work out wasn't really just about working out. It helped me create a routine where I could take care of myself, show up to work feeling more awake and present, and still have time after work to actually have a life.

“I was just happier. I had more energy. I was much more mentally clear.”

So if you're struggling to stay active while working full-time, don't start by trying to completely overhaul your life.

Pick a time. Make it part of your routine. Make it as easy as possible to follow through.

And give yourself enough time to see if it sticks.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you stay active when you work a full-time job?

Build exercise into your schedule instead of waiting until you have free time. Walking during the day and creating a realistic workout routine can make staying active much easier.

Is it better to work out before or after work?

It depends on your schedule. Morning workouts can keep your evenings free, while after-work workouts may be easier if you're not a morning person.

How often should you work out when you have a full-time job?

Find a schedule you can realistically maintain. The American Heart Association recommends adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week and strength training at least twice a week.

How can you be more active if you sit at a desk all day?

Take walks during breaks, stand up regularly, take the stairs, and look for small opportunities to move throughout your workday.

How do you stay consistent with the gym while working full-time?

Make your workouts part of your normal routine and expect to occasionally miss one. The goal isn't perfection. It's building a routine you can keep returning to.