4 time management strategies to prioritize exercise and healthy habits

You want to move more, eat better, and get the sleep your body craves. (Umm, who doesn’t?) But between work, family responsibilities, and an always-growing to-do list, your day seems to fill up before you’ve even had a chance to think about yourself. Or maybe you have some good healthy routines down pat — a weekly gym class, starting your day with a power walk, or giving yourself a set bedtime — but wish you had time to do even more.

If you feel like you don’t have enough time for healthy routines or new goals, join the club. But simple time management strategies can help you carve out more room in your schedule, so you can prioritize what truly matters: your health and well-being.

Here are four strategies from Hinge Health experts to improve your time management and make space for exercise and other self-care activities.

1. Identify your ‘North Star’

Before diving into time management tactics, take a step back and reflect on your motivation, your why. What’s your "North Star" — the deeper reason you want to prioritize healthy habits? Maybe you want to:

• Have more energy (so you can keep up with your kids’ activities)

• Reduce pain and improve mobility (so you can travel more) 

• Manage stress and boost mental health (so you can be more patient and present with friends and family)

Identifying your personal motivation makes it easier to stick to new habits. Write it down, set reminders, or create a vision board to keep your goal front and center.

Health coach tip: Being as clear as possible about your North Star helps you identify steps you need to take to reach your goal and the benefits you’ll see when you achieve it, says Hinge Health coach Matthew Goblish. “For example, if you want to create a meditation habit, your North Star helps you look ahead to see that habit helping you manage stress.”

2. Find hidden gems

Think you have no extra time? A quick time audit might surprise you. Studies show that the average person spends over two hours per day on social media and messaging apps — time that could be redirected toward building healthy habits. Consider the time you spend simply waiting: in line, in traffic, for a meeting to start. These small pockets of time can add up. You could fit in a quick stretch or deep breathing session (Hinge Health has plenty of short ones).

Try these strategies to pinpoint time-wasters:

• Keep a time log. Track how you spend each hour of the day for two to three days.

• Check your phone’s screen time report. Your device likely tracks app usage automatically.

• Identify patterns. Are there gaps in your schedule that could be used for exercise, meal prep, mindfulness or gratitude exercises, or other health goals?

Even reclaiming just 15 to 30 minutes per day can add up to meaningful progress toward your health goals.

Health coach tip: “By identifying where your time goes, you can make small adjustments that add up to big changes,” says Hinge Health coach Kalin Birkel, NBC-HWC. “If you find you spend 30 minutes scrolling through social media, you could use that time for a quick workout or healthy meal prep.”

3. Reduce distractions and improve focus

Every interruption pulls your attention away and makes it harder to stay on track. It’s not just the distraction itself — it’s the task switching that drains your mental energy. Shifting between tasks (checking emails while working on a project) can make you less efficient and more fatigued. And research shows it takes an average of 23 minutes to fully refocus after being distracted.

To maximize your productivity, Hinge Health coach Nicole Laughlin, NBC-HWC, recommends these focus-boosting strategies:

• Silence notifications. Turn off alerts from emails, texts, and apps while working on important tasks. Even better, put your phone in another room so it’s physically distant from you. Research shows this can help improve focus.

• Use noise-canceling headphones. Listening to instrumental music or white noise can help block distractions.

• Set boundaries. Let your family or coworkers know when you need uninterrupted time. Block off time on your calendar for projects or work that requires concentration and flow.

Health coach tip: “You can’t avoid all distractions, so turn them into opportunities instead,” says Laughlin. Each time you get interrupted, take a quick movement snack — stand up, stretch, or do a few lunges. Short bursts of activity add up and contribute to your overall fitness.

4. Plan and prioritize your time 

Effective time management isn’t about doing more — it’s about focusing on what matters most. Here’s how to make your schedule work for you. 

• Create a short daily to-do list. Short is key. Keep it manageable — aim for five to 10 key tasks per day. Anything else can get done another day, or maybe doesn’t really need to get done at all, or by you specifically.

• Prioritize high-impact activities. Rank tasks by importance and urgency.

• Use reminders. Set alarms for workouts, meal prep, or stretching breaks. 

• Stack habits together. If you’re trying to add a new healthy behavior into your routine, link it to something you already do consistently (e.g., stretch while brushing your teeth).

• Multitask when possible. Walk during phone calls, do bodyweight exercises while watching TV, or listen to educational podcasts while commuting. 

Health coach tips: “Use a to-do list to focus on what’s important,” says Hinge Health coach Lisa Pettifor, NBC-HWC. “But keep a ‘Could Do’ list for all your other ideas. This helps you prioritize what really matters and keeps your goals manageable. If you have extra time, you can tackle more from your ‘Could Do’ list.”

Small steps, big results

You don’t need to overhaul your entire schedule overnight. Start with one small change, and gradually build from there. Each effort — no matter how small — moves you closer to your goals.

Most importantly, be kind to yourself. Life happens, and some days (maybe many days) won’t go as planned. The key is to stay flexible, adjust as needed, and celebrate your progress along the way. 

Ready to take action?

1. Choose one time management strategy to try today. 

2. Revisit your North Star when motivation dips. 

3. Track your progress and celebrate small wins. 

How Hinge Health can help you

If you have joint or muscle pain that makes it hard to move, you can get the relief you’ve been looking for with Hinge Health’s online exercise therapy program. 

The best part: You don’t have to leave your home because our program is digital. That means you can easily get the care you need through our app, when and where it works for you.  

Through our program, you’ll have access to therapeutic exercises and stretches for your condition. Additionally, you’ll have a personal care team to guide, support, and tailor our program to you. 

See if you qualify for Hinge Health and confirm free coverage through your employer or benefit plan here.

This article and its contents are provided for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or professional services specific to you or your medical condition.

References 

1. Salim, S. (2019, January 04). How much time do you spend on social media? Research says 142 minutes per day. Retrieved from https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2019/01/how-much-time-do-people-spend-social-media-infographic.html 

2. Mark, G., Gudith, D., & Kloche, U. (2008, January). The cost of interrupted work: More speed and stress. Retrieved from https://www.ics.uci.edu/~gmark/chi08-mark.pdf 

3. DeNoon, D. (2013, September 12). Combine brief bouts of moderate exercise for health. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/combine-brief-bouts-of-moderate-exercise-for-health-201309116670 

4. Zenko, Z., Willis, E. A., & White, D. A. (2019). Proportion of Adults Meeting the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans According to Accelerometers. Frontiers in Public Health, 7. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2019.00135

5. Ward, A., Duke, K., Gneezy, A., & Bos, M. (2017). Brain Drain: the Mere Presence of One’s Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 2(2). doi:10.1086/691462