For most able-bodied people, staying fit is reliant on a concurrent regime of regular exercise and a balanced diet. While this seems simple on paper (or on screen), hectic work schedules, family commitments and any of the myriad responsibilities we have in our lives can get in the way. We often fall into bad behavior of poor sleep patterns, eating irregularly and falling asleep in front of the TV rather than hitting the gym. This type of sedentary lifestyle will inevitably catch up with us at some point and in the long-term it can have serious negative consequences on our health and well-being. These 5 tips on getting fit when you're busy from oneHOWTO will help you find the right routine to work for you.
Prepare your meals in advance
Even if we enjoy cooking, or sometimes especially, it can be a time consuming process which eats up at possible allowance for exercising. It can be hard to keep an eye on the sauce and do your workout session at the same time. If we improvise, we not only end up using up time, we might not be able to provide the right nutrition we need for weight loss and staying fit.
A healthy lifestyle means healthy food, so why not pick a day of the week where you can prepare your meals in advance? Set aside a day, perhaps a day at the weekend when you have more free time and cook up a nutritional storm. You can put on some music and enjoy the afternoon without worrying about disrupting your daily routine. This way, you should always have delicious meals at hand which will help you stay fit and feeling strong.
Doing this won't also save pounds from your belly, but can keep your purse heavier by saving money. Many dishes like curries and stews can also improve on flavor after time. Just make sure there are lots of vegetables and protein for staying fit, but little fat, sugar and salt. If you want to take control of what you eat, we have some more information on tops to plan your healthy meals for the week.
Schedule your workouts like you schedule meetings
If you take a look at the word workout, you'll notice that the first four letters spell the word 'work'. It isn't 'sitout', 'lazeout' or 'gorgeout'. It takes work to get fit, but this can be difficult with all the other types of work we have going on. However, like a board meeting, business lunch or personal errand, a workout session can fit just as easily on your daily routine planner.
We are often so adherent to other responsibilities, we don't appreciate the responsibility we have to ourselves. If we make exercise as integral a part of our lifestyle, we will be able to meet these other responsibilities with a better drive. Making a workout session one of our top priorities takes planning.
However, simply drawing up a color coded chart of daily routines isn't enough. We also have to commit. If you are particularly out of practice, you can start with smaller routines. However, even 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day can make a big difference in your health. Then you can work up to hitting the gym or another form of exercise like a yoga class.
Workout in the morning
When you work out can have a significant bearing on how effective your exercise routine might be. Experts recommend working out first thing in the morning, before you start the day. If you exercise before your brain has a chance to wake up, it won't interfere with your schedule and you won't be able to come up with excuses. Most importantly, you won't be exhausted and you'll be more motivated.
A morning workout will wake up your brain and body, as well as releasing endorphins which will help reduce your stress levels and keep you feeling healthy throughout the day. Finish your workout routine with stretching and your body will thank you later in the day. Here you can learn more benefits of exercise in the morning.
What about even trying a 10 minute workout at home for beginners? This should be a great way to get your started and even the busiest of work schedules should be able to squeeze 10 to 30 minutes with relative ease.
Eat a nutritious breakfast
Working out in the morning isn't the only way to get your body to stay fit and healthy. While we might be feeling strong after a morning of exercise, we still need to fuel to keep the body ticking. A good breakfast is vital. It will jump start your metabolism and prepare your body for the day to come.
Having energy provided by vitamins and minerals is very important if you want to get fit when you're busy, as without it you can become exhausted later in the day. This can have a negative impact on your other responsibilities. This 5 tips for staying fit when your busy only work if you don't neglect your other priorities.
Smoothies are a great example of a nutritious breakfast which is quick and easy to prepare. You can even get everything ready the night before. If you put the dry ingredients you need in the blender and have the fruit prepared, you can leave the blender jug in the fridge. All you need to do in the morning is roll out of bed and flick on the blender. Have it ready so that when you come back from your morning workout, you're good to go.
Have a coach or accountability partner to keep you on track
You are more likely to succeed if someone holds you accountable to your goals. This is why many people invest in personal trainers as they don't feel like they can motivate themselves enough to work out. Unfortunately, unless you are a Hollywood celebrity, find the resources to hire a personal trainer can be difficult.
An important part of our daily routine should be community. Socializing with friends is another important thing we can find difficult to squeeze into a busy schedule. This is why you can kill two birds with one stone by making a friend an accountability partner. It is probably more difficult to find people who don't feel the need to get healthier than vice versa.
By finding a friend to workout together, you can be each other's own (free) personal trainer. You can use each other to provide encouragement while you also find the time to catch up. No matter how busy you are, a healthy lifestyle includes making time for friends.
These are our 5 tips to get fit when you're busy, but you can add to them by sharing your own in the comments section below.
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