Although well-being and longevity are indisputable benefits, exercise, more than any other activity, is moved around, pushed back and ultimately avoided when it really ought to be our number one priority. Without sound health, maximum productivity and contentment is impossible. And the most common cause of putting exercise on the back burner is lack of time.

Reaching the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended 150 minutes of exercise per week is achievable for most of us. It may simply be a matter of trying alternative approaches to exercise, different times or breaking it up into smaller activities across the day. Consider any combination of the following if you're guilty of using time and busyness as an excuse:

breaking up exercise ... could improve your health without severely impacting your time

• First things first. A morning workout means it's out of the way, you'll be inspired to accomplish more over the course of the day, you'll have increased energy levels and improved mood for up to 12 hours, better blood sugar control for up to an hour, and studies have also shown that you are likely to have improved sleep to boot. It's the most challenging habit to form in this list, but it's possibly the most advantageous.


• Go with the flow. No, not when you feel like it, but when your body does. Understanding your circadian rhythm, the internal body clock, will help you understand when you'll be least likely to opt out of an exercise session due to fatigue. It may require some experimentation, but you also might want to save some of this peak time for other pursuits. For most, the best hours are said to be from wake up to around midday.


• Workout with someone. Group fitness is great, but you'll feel more pressure to show up if a single person will be affected and potentially miss a workout, too. Find someone at a similar fitness level to keep up and improve with you.


• Exercise bursts. Short, 10-minute bursts of activity, from a brisk walk to high intensity exercise, throughout the day is accepted by experts as exercise that can accumulate to the WHO's recommended 150 minutes per week.
   
  Experts agree any activity is better than none, with a recent Australian study showing just 3500 extra steps walked per day positively affects health and assists weight loss. In a 2016 study by McMaster University, it was found a single minute of very high intensity exercise has similar benefits to longer sessions, and an earlier study by University of Minnesota found warming up is not as effective as once thought, but exercise should be gradually intensified. In summary, if you currently lack the discipline or the time for a longer session, breaking up exercise into 10-minute bursts could improve your health without severely impacting your time.


• Change with the seasons. In some parts of the world it can be too warm or cold at particular times of the day. Only commit to what makes sense and switch times depending on season.