Let me be honest with you - I used to be one of those people who claimed they were "too busy" for exercise. Between work deadlines, family commitments, and the general chaos of adult life, squeezing in sports felt like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. That was until I started watching professional basketball and realized something crucial: if athletes like Chris Banchero and Raymar Jose can deliver outstanding performances while managing their packed schedules - Banchero adding 13 points and seven rebounds, Jose contributing 12 points and five rebounds for Meralco in that intense game - then surely I could find thirty minutes a day for physical activity. The truth is, we all have the same 24 hours, but professional athletes have mastered the art of time optimization in ways we can all learn from.
I've discovered that the key isn't finding time but making time, and this mindset shift changed everything for me. Think about it - Chris Banchero doesn't accidentally stumble upon opportunities to score 13 points; he creates them through strategic positioning and awareness. Similarly, we need to stop waiting for free time to magically appear and start intentionally carving it out. I began by conducting what I call a "time audit" - tracking how I spent every hour for one week. The results were eye-opening. I was spending approximately 14 hours weekly on social media and another 7 hours on random web browsing. That's 21 hours I could partially redirect toward physical activity. The average person spends about 3 hours and 15 minutes daily on their phone - imagine reallocating just one-third of that to sports or exercise.
What surprised me most was how small changes created significant opportunities. I started with what I call "micro-workouts" - 10-minute high-intensity sessions during natural breaks in my day. During my morning coffee brewing time, I'd do bodyweight exercises. While waiting for dinner to cook, I'd practice basketball dribbling drills in my driveway. These brief sessions added up to about 50 minutes of additional activity daily without requiring massive schedule overhauls. Another game-changer was what I've termed "activity stacking" - combining exercise with social or family time. Instead of meeting friends for drinks, I'd suggest playing tennis or going for a hike. My weekly catch-up with colleagues transformed from coffee meetings to walking meetings, adding roughly 5 miles of walking to my week without sacrificing connection time.
The professional sports world offers brilliant examples of efficiency we can apply to our busy lives. Consider how basketball players like Raymar Jose maximize their impact in limited minutes - his 12 points and five rebounds came through focused effort during his time on court. Similarly, we can adopt high-intensity interval training (HIIT) methods that deliver maximum results in minimum time. Studies show that 27 minutes of HIIT three times weekly can produce better cardiovascular results than 60 minutes of steady cardio five times weekly. I've personally found that 25-minute HIIT sessions fit perfectly into lunch breaks, requiring only about 40 minutes total when you include changing and showering time.
Technology has become my unexpected ally in this journey. I use scheduling apps to block time for exercise as if they're unbreakable appointments - because they are. My calendar shows three weekly "basketball practice" sessions just like it shows client meetings, and I treat them with equal importance. Fitness tracking technology helps me measure progress in concrete terms, much like how Chris Banchero's 13 points and seven rebounds provide clear metrics of his contribution. Seeing my own numbers improve - whether it's shaving 30 seconds off my mile time or increasing my vertical jump by 2 inches - provides motivation that keeps me consistent despite my packed schedule.
One of the most valuable lessons I've learned concerns energy management rather than time management. Counterintuitively, adding sports to my schedule actually increased my energy levels, making me more productive during work hours. The post-exercise endorphin rush and improved sleep quality created a virtuous cycle where I became approximately 23% more efficient at work tasks, effectively giving me back more time than I invested in exercise. This mirrors how well-conditioned athletes like Raymar Jose maintain intensity throughout games - his consistent performance across four quarters demonstrates how physical fitness sustains mental sharpness.
I've also embraced what I call the "weekend warrior" strategy with surprising success. While daily activity is ideal, research indicates that people who pack their exercise into one or two longer weekend sessions still gain about 82% of the health benefits of daily exercisers. Personally, I dedicate Saturday mornings to longer basketball games or hikes - typically around 2.5 hours - and find this sustained activity provides both physical benefits and mental reset that carries me through the following week. The key is consistency in this pattern rather than perfection in daily execution.
Looking at professional athletes provides the ultimate perspective on making time for sports. These individuals don't have empty schedules waiting to be filled - they have overflowing commitments including training, travel, media appearances, and personal lives. Yet they prioritize their sport because they recognize it's foundational to everything else they do. Chris Banchero's 13 points and seven rebounds represent countless hours of practice squeezed between other obligations. If someone with his level of demands can find time to excel, then surely we can find 30 minutes most days for our health. The reality is that making time for sports isn't about having spare time - it's about recognizing that physical activity makes everything else in our lives better, from our mental clarity to our energy levels to our overall life satisfaction. I've found that the busiest periods are precisely when I need exercise most, as it provides the resilience and focus to navigate demanding times successfully.
