To say that we’ve all got a lot on our plate right now would be an understatement. As things start to open back up, we are all moving towards things getting back to normal. That means that we’re starting to see friends and family again, it means potentially getting back into the office, it means travelling again, and it means that we’re still going to have to try to find time for everything else too.
All these things are reasons to be cheerful, but if you have been trying keep a health and fitness routine going, or you’ve been trying to start one, it can be hard to make the time to make good on that resolution. It’s all too easy to postpone that morning run now that the morning commute is looming back on the horizon. We can tell ourselves that we’ll start eating healthier next week now that our favourite restaurant is open for business again. And we can tell ourselves that we’ll stop snacking when things start to feel a bit more normal.
The fact is that there are always going to be reasons why you feel that you are too busy to take better care of yourself. You’re going to have to make the time and make the commitment, but there are some easy ways that you can carve out time in your busy schedule. Here are a few tips.
Get Into Planning Your Meals
When you’re rushed off your feet, getting home and cooking dinner from scratch can feel like too high a mountain to climb. This is the kind of situation where you find yourself wandering the supermarket aisles, knowing that you’re short on time, and picking out a microwavable meal or frozen pizza. It’s also the kind of scenario where a lot of us will give up and order a takeaway.
Well, if you want to make sure you’re eating healthily, you need a strategy and you need a plan. Use the weekend to plan and batch cook meals for the busy week ahead. Make sure that you have all the ingredients you need in your fridge or freezer, and that everything is ready to go when you get home. That way, you can still eat something healthy and nutritious without turning off your internal autopilot.
Don’t Fall Into The Snack Trap
Following on from the point above, it can be easy to leave yourself no time for breakfast and end up grabbing a pastry on the way into work. Similarly, if you don’t have time for lunch, a lot of people will graze on snacks throughout the day, taking on endless empty carbs and sugar to keep their energy levels up. If you know that you’re going to get snacky no matter what you do, cut up some fruit and/or vegetables the night before a busy day and don’t forget to take them with you.
If you know that you are going to be short on time, but you don’t want to lose a meal entirely, why not opt for shakes? Meal replacement shakes are a popular option for people on a weight loss regiment, and they’re loaded with protein, vitamins and minerals, and fibre. Shake That Weight has a great range of delicious and nutritious options to choose from.
Think About What Exercise Time Slots You Have Available
We don’t all have time to spend an hour or two at the gym after work every night. It can be hard enough to make time for the school run, let alone making time for a long run before work. If you are very short on time and you want to make sure that you are getting good exercise in every day, you might have to get creative.
Is your commute an opportunity in disguise? See if you can walk, run, or cycle in to make sure that you get your heart rate up through sustained exercise rather than sustained frustration with the traffic. Tired of cramming into the elevator at work? Take the stairs and see if you can’t get that blood circulating. Lunch break times may vary depending on your place of work but there is always a bit of time to get a bit of exercise in, whether it’s going for a run around the block, doing a quick bit of cardio or yoga in your office, or dropping in on a lunchtime class at your local gym. If you know that there is no easy time slot available to dedicate to exercise, you need to look for time where exercise can be squeezed in.
Start Swapping Out The Classic Problem Foods And Drinks
A lot of the unhealthy food and drink that we put into our body gets there because it’s convenient. We already mentioned snacks, but what about those fast-food options we grab at lunch because they’re right there? The fruit juice we drink because it’s an easier way of getting vitamins than buying and washing fresh fruit?
It’s perfectly understandable how we all end up picking up these bad habits, but they all have a serious impact on our health and fitness. Fruit juice, for example, is a classic example of something that may be healthier than some of the alternative beverages out there but is still loaded with sugar. If you want to start weeding some of these out, then think ahead and start stocking up on alternatives. Make the better options easier to reach than the bad ones.
Drink More Water
Whenever you tell someone that you have a headache or that you’re not sleeping properly or that you have some other common but irritating health issue, they will almost always ask if you’ve been drinking enough water. And while getting the same health advice from nearly everyone you meet can get a little tedious, they do have a point. Drinking more water can help to improve everything from your memory to your mood, it will help you to avoid getting constipated, and it can help with weight maintenance because, yes, water has no calories.
So, if you’re one of those busy people who doesn’t tend to drink anything unless it comes out of a vending machine, it’s high time to invest in a reusable water container. Get into the habit of using it and taking it wherever you go. Not only will you be helping the environment by cutting down on your plastic waste, but you will be helping your body to stay in the best possible shape.
Don’t Beat Yourself Up About It
We have all been pushed to the point of burn-out and beyond over the course of the last year, and of course there are going to be times when you just don’t have time to exercise in a day. There will be days when you’ll cheat on your diet because you’re out with friends and having a good time or having a hard day by yourself and needing some comfort food. Remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint, and if you fall off the horse every now and again, don’t be too hard on yourself. Just pick yourself up and get back on, good habits come through perseverance.