Like most busy people, I’m going to take a wild guess and say that you are struggling with finding times to fit in a workout and prepare healthy meals.
I understand. You work a full-time job and/or are a parent or even a student. Life gets busy and it is hard to focus on becoming a healthier, fitter you. You only seem to be able to motivate yourself for a few weeks before your busy life gets in the way again.
today, I going to share with you 5 tips to help all you busy people out there become healthier, fitter versions of you. Your future self will thank you.
- Make a Plan
On Sunday (or whatever day is your least busy) write down your schedule for the week. You can write this all down how ever it is most convenient for you (i.e. word document, notebook app on your smartphone or even an actual notebook if you still use one). Be as detailed about your week as possible. Write down when you are working/at school, when you get up, when you leave and get home, any breaks you might have through out the day, and even when you (hope) to go to bed. This will help a lot if you find it hard to fit healthy eating and fitness into your day.
Once you have that all written down, look it over and see if you can find times to fit in a quick workout. Even if it is just a quick bodyweight workout at home, school, or the office. Then look for time that can be used to put together some healthy meals for the next day or two. You’ll probably find at least 20 minutes each day to do one or the other or, hopefully, both. Finally, make sure you write it into your day so you stick to it.
The first couple of days that you try this probably won’t go according to plan. Just keep working at it. Like everything else it takes a little practice.
- Set realistic workout times.
Now that you have you week mapped out; you may be tempted to try to schedule in a 60-minute workout session. More than likely this won’t work out (pun intended). Your busy, things happen, and by the time you get to it you might not feel up to doing an hour. Setting aside 20-30 minutes for a quick HIT bodyweight workout is all you really need. And can probably realistically find the time for most days.
Notice how I wrote most days. It’s okay if you can’t fit one in every day.
- Always Bring Snacks.
A lot of busy people are great at eating healthy at home but put them on-the-go and everything falls apart. Especially when they have friends and colleagues that don’t follow a healthy lifestyle.
While it is okay to have the occasional treat, you don’t want to make it a habit.
Make a snack pack to bring with you the night before. Include snacks that are good sources of protein, fiber and healthy fats. Not only will these help fill you up, but they will also help stabilize your blood sugar which will keep your hunger and fat gain at bay.
- Make mobile meals
While we are on the subject, let’s figure out how to eat the rest of the day. While snacks are well and good, let’s face it, they won’t keep you full. And, eating out gets expensive and isn’t as healthy as you think.
Keep it simple. Make a healthy salad or sandwich the night before and don’t forget to bring it with you to work or school the next day.
- Eat frequently.
Try not to go more than 3 hours without having a snack or small meal. If you have the easily portable meals and snack mentioned above, you should be able to find a couple of minutes to get something in you. This will prevent the famished feeling which will most likely make you go overboard on your next meal or snack.
Your friend and trainer,
Paul F. Sweatt CPT
Train Smart. Train Hard. Train Safe. Train to Sweatt.