We’ve all been there.
A major project lands on your desk. Deadlines close in. Family, business, and life all demand your time. You tell yourself, “I’ll just skip the gym for a week until things settle down.”
But here’s the truth: that’s the worst decision you can make.
When life gets chaotic, training isn’t optional, it’s essential maintenance for your body and your mind.
The Myth of “I Don’t Have Time”
It’s easy to believe that cutting your training gives you more time. After all, 45 minutes back in your day sounds appealing when you’re under pressure.
But the reality? Those 45 minutes are an investment, not an expense.
“Your training isn’t costing you time — it’s buying you clarity.”
Regular movement — even just 15 minutes a day — helps you:
- Manage stress by lowering cortisol and releasing endorphins.
- Stay focused by improving mental clarity and emotional regulation.
- Increase productivity through enhanced oxygen flow, brain function, and decision-making ability.
That 15-minute session pays you back in hours of sharper work and calmer thinking.
As Charles Poliquin said, “Strength is the mother of all qualities.” Maintain strength and you maintain the foundation that supports everything else.
How to Train When Time Is Tight
- Cut Volume, Not Consistency
If your program usually calls for 4–5 exercises, drop the last one or two. Focus on your A-series — the big compound lifts that give you the most return.
Only have 20 minutes?
- Do two sets per exercise instead of four.
- Keep the intensity high, rest short, and move with purpose.
Pro Tip: A short, focused session beats a skipped one every time.
- Prioritize Movement Quality
If recovery or fatigue is an issue, shift your focus from intensity to mobility and blood flow. Try the following movements as they will help to calm your nervous system, helping you stay calm and clear-headed.
1. Qigong Gentle Flow Warm Up
Connect breath and body.
1 x 60 sec
2. Dead hangs
Decompress the spine and shoulders.
1 x 30 to 120 sec
3. Couch Stretch
Opens the hip flexors and quads after long hours of sitting.
2 x 30 sec each side
4. Pigeon Stretch
Stretches the glute and hips which often shorten when sitting too much.
2 x 30 sec each side
5. Tibetan Rite #4
Stretches the front of your shoulders, neck and chest while strengthening your legs
1 x 7 reps
6. Tibetan Rite #5
A combination of two favourites. Donward Dog and Cobra.
1 x 7 reps
- Use Training as Your Anchor
When everything else feels out of control, those 15 minutes are your daily reset button.
That’s what we teach inside Performance42 — training as more than a workout. It’s your mental and physical recalibration ritual.
“Movement is structure amidst chaos. Discipline amidst uncertainty.”
Fuel the Machine: Nutrition and Recovery Matter
When you’re under pressure, your nutrition becomes even more critical.
This isn’t the time to live on caffeine, sugar, and late-night takeaways. Your body is already under stress — don’t add more fuel to the fire.
- Prioritize protein and whole foods. They stabilize blood sugar and support recovery.
- Stay hydrated. Every process — energy, cognition, repair — depends on it.
- Avoid alcohol. It might feel like a stress reliever, but it disrupts sleep, dehydrates you, and elevates anxiety.
Pro Tip: Treat this phase as a test of discipline, not deprivation. Clean fuel = clean focus.
Don’t Go It Alone
One of the smartest things you can do during high-pressure periods is to communicate.
Let those around you know what’s going on. Ask for support. Delegate.
This isn’t weakness — it’s strategic leadership. When you share the load, you free up bandwidth to focus on what matters most — including your health.
“Discipline equals freedom and wisdom means knowing when to ask for help.”
Final Thoughts
You’re not standing still, you are actually going backwards
One thing Charles Poliquin said to me was that after the age of 40: “Every time you stop training, you start to decay.”
Your body doesn’t stay still, it actually goes backward when you stop moving, and while there is muscle memory, even time you stop it gets harder to start again.
The secret to longevity is momentum, not perfection.
So even during your busiest weeks:
– Move daily.
– Lift something.
– Eat clean and hydrate.
– Stretch and restore.
That 15-minute habit keeps the machine oiled and your momentum alive.
When life gets busy, don’t drop your training — refine it.
Even 15 minutes keeps you sharp, resilient, and grounded.
Move well. Breathe deeply. Eat clean. Stay hydrated. Ask for help.
That’s how high performers don’t just survive — they thrive.
Ready to Build Stress-Proof Consistency?
Inside Performance42, we teach busy high achievers how to maintain elite physical and mental performance through every season of life.
If you’re ready to stay strong, clear-headed, and disciplined — no matter how full your schedule gets — join the next Performance42 intake.
👉 Join Performance42 Today
Because success doesn’t come from doing more — it comes from doing what matters, consistently.