bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Associated Press

You’re too busy to exercise, right? Your job consumes all your time. You are strapped by professional and family demands.
The more responsibility, the less free time.
These do not have to be an excuse. Making time for daily exercise calls for creativity and a broader understanding of how to fit everything in.
“The trap is thinking that exercise must be an hour in the gym,” said Charles Scott, who describes himself as an executive mentor or exercise coach.
His message: if you have a very demanding job, you need to find a work-life blend. “An hour in the gym is exercise,” Scott says. “But it’s just one form of exercise.”
Scott coaches about 70 business executives – online and otherwise – and other busy people to improve their physical and professional well-being.

He is based in New York and is hardcore about his own exercise but realises not everyone can be, or wants to be.
Scott is planning to run across the Grand Canyon in June – the out-and-back version – a distance of about 74 kilometres (46 miles). He has guided his blind friend Dan Berlin on several endurance events, including a speed ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro and tandem cycling across the United States with a team of blind cyclists.
The ambitious person’s trap
Rather than calling it exercise, Scott talks about teaching “intentional movement” to his goal-driven clients.
Our bodies need to move. No matter what age you are, our bodies must move to stay healthy. So if you’re not exercising, you’re out of alignment
Charles Scott
“The ambitious person’s trap is when you undermine your physical and emotional health in pursuit of your professional goals,” he said. “It’s common in this culture among the executives I mentor.”
Scott asks busy people to focus on something other than making money or chasing fame. He tries to emphasise a holistic approach that includes the emotional, professional and physical.
“Our bodies need to move,” he said. “No matter what age you are, our bodies must move to stay healthy. So if you’re not exercising, you’re out of alignment.”

Alternative exercise for busy people
Scott has a list of ways to blend movement into your day without needing a gym. Of course, if you can hit the gym, that is great, too.
He suggests doing one-on-one meetings while walking instead of sitting behind the office desk or laptop. Or he suggests standing rather than sitting when you hold meetings.
“If you want a meeting to be short and efficient, choose the standing conference room,” he said.
Alternatively, do isometric exercises during a meeting to tone, for instance, your stomach muscles.
“Tighten up your stomach muscles. Hold for 20 seconds and don’t hold your breath,” he said. “Don’t make it obvious. Release. Do it again. You’ll be sore tomorrow. It burns calories. It tones muscles. And it takes precisely zero seconds out of your I-am-too-busy-to-exercise day.”

Ways to blend work and exercise
Here are a few more ideas about blending exercise into your work schedule:

If your flight is delayed, go for a walk around the airport and add to your daily step count.


Link workouts to daily events. For example, when you wake up, always go for a walk. Or, when you get home from work, do a certain number of push-ups after you walk through the door.


Make a workout a social event and do it with a friend or a group.


Give yourself the title “athlete” and build habits around that identity. Scott is an advocate of experiencing “meaningful discomfort”, which he calls the “birthplace of resilience”.


Pay attention to the food you put in your body. Treat your body with respect.


Take a quick break from answering emails and do 10 squats or push-ups or whatever to add movement.


“In business, many people show up to work and they crank it out all day,” which he termed a “rookie mistake”, like a newcomer going out too fast at the start of a marathon.
“Then they go home exhausted and they are fussy with the people they love.”
A partitioning approach
One of Scott’s clients is Harrison (Harry) Kahn, the general manager of the Vermont Creamery, an artisanal dairy in the US state of Vermont.

Kahn uses the partition method, waking up at 5am to exercise, typically running, biking, or skiing in the winter.
“Charles has reminded me that life isn’t a game of comparison with other people,” he said. “You have to figure out your own stuff.”
Kahn describes himself as a routine-oriented person who is comfortable dividing his day into chapters. Once he is in the office, his attention is on the job and 120 employees.
“I’m very focused when I’m at work, so I can get it all in as opposed to going in and out and having the day go on really long.”
Like what you read? Follow SCMP Lifestyle on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter here.


7 inspiring stories of perseverance and resurrection, from cancer fighters to an astronaut

Hong Kong callisthenics athlete on how the sport changed his life and what makes it special

Too cold to sleep? Expert tips for a good night’s rest when the temperature drops

Travel stories from 2025 that will fuel your wanderlust for the year ahead

Wellness

No time for a workout? How to fit exercise into your busy work schedule

Charles Scott works out with people via Zoom. Photo: AP

Even if you have a very demanding job, you can still fit in a workout, says exercise coach Charles Scott. Photo: AP 

You don’t need to work out in a gym, Charles Scott, executive mentor, says. Photo: AP 

“The trap is thinking that exercise must be an hour in the gym,” Charles Scott says. Photo: AP

Take a quick break in the office and do 10 squats or other exercises. Photo: Shutterstock

Make your workouts and exercises social events and do them with friends. Photo: Shutterstock

You don’t need a gym: Charles Scott works out with people via Zoom. Photo: AP

How to age well? Moderate workouts can save your body and lower dementia risk, say experts

Exercise enthusiasts in Singapore. Studies suggest even small amounts of exercise can help reduce the risk of developing dementia – and you are never too old to get started. Photo: Instagram/teamstrongsilvers

Ivan Corsi is the founder and director of Athletic Club, a personal training studio in Hong Kong. Photo: Ivan Corsi

The benefits of physical activity become even more critical as we age, says Hong Kong Sports Clinic founder and physiotherapist Joseph March. Photo: hongkongsportsclinic.com

People exercising at Hung Hom in Hong Kong. For older adults, the best exercises are those that improve strength, stability, mobility and cardiovascular fitness. Photo: Nora Tam

A couple on a brisk walk and a woman jogging next to the sea in the tourist city of Sanya, on Hainan Island in China. Both are MVPA types of exercise that can help ward off dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Hong Kong artist’s colon cancer diagnosis at 38 shows growing risk of it among the young

Colon cancer survivor and artist Helen Law in Hong Kong. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Colon cancer survivor Helen Law in Hong Kong. The artist’s bout with the disease at 38 highlights the need for young people to stay vigilant as the incidence of the disease among those under 50 rises. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Law knew something was wrong when crossing the road left her breathless, but she never imagined it would be cancer. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman died of colorectal cancer at age 43. Photo: Marvel Studios

Hong Kong-based oncologist Dr Lee Siu-hong says that, as well as genetic factors, a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet can increase one’s risk of colon cancer. Photo: Maggie’s Caring Cancer Centre

Law chose not to undergo genetic testing, fearing that the results may put “significant psychological pressure” on her family members. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Dr Leong Che-hung, the chairman of Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre in Tuen Mun, Hong Kong. Photo: Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre

Law’s artwork Hope will be on the cover of her upcoming book. Photo: Helen Law

Oldest female American Ninja Warrior competitor on how she’s still getting stronger at 73

American actress and dancer MacColl is the oldest woman to compete in the long-running US sports entertainment reality show American Ninja Warrior. Photo: Elizabeth Morris/NBC via Getty Images

MacColl even “hangs out” on monkey bars installed in the kitchen while preparing cups of tea. Hanging is good for your health, and grip strength is a biomarker of longevity, MacColl writes on Instagram. Photo: Instagram/ginnymaccoll  

It is never too late to start strength training, says MacColl, who did her first pull-up at the age of 63. Photo: Instagram/ginnymaccoll

MacColl regularly works out on obstacle course challenges – such as stepping from post to post above a swimming pool – to stay fit and nimble as she ages. Photo: Ginny MacColl  

MacColl trains on a makeshift outdoor zip line, training for ninja warrior competitions. Photo: Ginny MacColl 

MacColl and her daughter Jessie Graff show their strength at the world premiere of Poms in Los Angeles on May 1, 2019. Photo: Getty Images

MacColl hangs with her daughter Graff during training in 2017 – the year MacColl made her first appearance on American Ninja Warrior. Photo: Instagram/jessiegraffpwr

MacColl works out with her daughter on a climbing wall at Graff’s home. Photo: Instagram/ginnymaccoll

Singaporean chef’s incredible 30kg weight-loss journey and how his health has benefited

(Left) Singaporean chef LG Han on Masterchef Asia in 2021, and (right) more recently after losing weight and building strength. Photo: Instagram/han_lg

Han wants to manage his physical health to help support his mental health. Photo: Instagram/han_lg

Hainanese Chicken Rice Donabe is a signature dish at Labyrinth⁣. Photo: Instagram/restaurantlabyrinth

A social media post by Han that credits his personal trainer. Photo: Instagram.com/han_lg

Han in 2024. Photo: S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy

Han and his wife, Pamela Tan, on their wedding day. Photo: Labyrinth

Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Health

You can always find time to work out, even with the busiest of schedules, says exercise coach Charles Scott


You can always find time to work out, even with the busiest of schedules, says exercise coach Charles Scott.


How to age well

No time for a workout? How to fit exercise into your busy work schedule

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}You can always find time to work out, even with the busiest of schedules, says exercise coach Charles Scott

You can always find time to work out, even with the busiest of schedules, says exercise coach Charles Scott