Many people have their own ideas of the times we are in, but the regular 24 hours a day now feels like 12 hours a day, no doubt. Everyone is always on the go and it seems there’s never a break to pump some energy into that well-deserving body.
The potency of a workout routine and a healthy eating habit in reducing stress, maintaining a good body weight, proper mental health and general wellbeing cannot be emphasized enough. No matter how packed your days are, there is always a way to squeeze in an exercise. One amazing thing about working out is that it’s so flexible you can change it several times to fit your lifestyle and you will still get all the benefits.
Here are some easy ways to sneak exercise into your daily lives whilst having ample time for your work or occupying activities.
- PLAN
You can not set out to do something and think of succeeding if you do not plan. “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail” are not mere words, they mean a lot and not heeding spells out doom. Always have a plan on paper or in mind. You can do this by creating a To-do list on your phone or on paper. Try to avoid the less important things so that you don’t end up stressing your body.
Have a pan B and possibly C. so, the meeting was prolonged and it’s eaten into your time for walks (maybe there’s another coming up). Or you have to finish that proposal, get the kids from school and prepare dinner so the time for exercising has been lost, take a deep breath and relax. Have some backup ideas and put them into action right away.
Here’s what you can do: walk to the cafeteria and grab some quick lunch (it has to be a healthy one) and walk back to your office instead of waiting to be served in your office. You can also start the meeting on your phone when walking back to the office hence reducing the time for the sit-down meeting.
Why drive to get your kids from school when you can walk (that’s if it’s a walking distance). This will allow you some stretching time and some conversation time with your kids. Another option is to put on some grooving music and dance the stress out while cooking.
Never abort the healthy work-life mission; just retreat and come back with an alternative plan in full action.
- DECLUTTER
A balanced work-life goes hand-in-hand with a healthy mind. Start this journey by removing all the unnecessary things in your home, workplace, shop, everywhere. Make sure your surroundings are spotless or neat at least. Being in a clean and clear environment boosts your mental wellbeing and puts your body at rest. In taking out all those things, do well to take out some duties too. All the duties you take time to perform which aren’t needful can be ruled out of your schedule.
You can still declutter the needful ones by outsourcing them so as to get some “me time” for resting and exercising. Have your partner take the kids from school sometimes, allow your partner or kids to do the cooking, get a washing machine to do the laundry if you can afford it etc. There are a million ways of decluttering; just examine your lifestyle and find ways of getting certain things out of your schedule.
- Have a healthy exercise routine
The desire to workout intensively like what we see on social media for some massive, well-trimmed body is okay in the imaginative world but a drain in your busy world. Instead of fantasizing and having the by-all-means mentality, why don’t you just craft a workout routine that is realistic, fits your lifestyle and is healthy for your body (Fitness 1 Gym is here to help you with that. No stress just stretch). Because really, you can’t kill yourself.
Take a read at what author, MFA and positive psychologist and certified yoga expert, Sam Chase has to say about this.
“Pressure to do our best at everything can be paralyzing, and perfectionism is deadly to balanced living. In pursuit of the best, we end up burning tons of time and energy trying to maximize the things that may already be good enough and leave ourselves depleted when we head into the next activity. In fact, research has found that while gold medallists may be happiest, bronze medallists appear considerably happier than silver winners.”
- Eat good food
Even though we don’t live to eat, we definitely eat to live. Eating to live doesn’t mean gobble up any meal at all. You must pay attention to everything that enters your stomach from booze to snacks to main meals. Make sure whatever meal you eat is balanced and hygienic; have almost all if not all the components of a balanced diet present. Go slow on the booze and reduce the high-calorie snacks.
Mind your munchies!
- Grow your relationships
Connect with that neighbour, colleague or relative who is fitness-minded like you. Start and grow a healthy relationship with that person you know is concerned with maintaining a balanced work-life lifestyle. If you are not comfortable with the options given, you can register with Fitness 1 Gym and we will pair you with a professional, concerned and dedicated trainer to assist you on your balanced work-life journey.
Having a fit comrade will make it difficult for you to skip your workout routine and provide you with the needed motivation. It’s always easy to make excuses for yourself but not to your fit comrade or trainer. The trainers from Fitness 1 Gym will push you to give off your best and ensure that you do not slack.
- Step out with friends and family
Stepping out with your friends and family and spending quality time with them is undoubtedly one of the best ways of maintaining a healthy work-life lifestyle. Your mental and physical health is strongly tied to your social support system.
Go on game nights, date nights, get some “Netflix ‘n’ chill” going on, sleep overs, get-togethers, parties etc. Have fun with the people around you and grow your circle. Surround yourself with positive energy and people. You can even become their fit comrade by inviting them to workout with you. It shows how thoughtful you are.
- Prioritise the right things
Keep in mind the people or activities that are dear to you and prioritise them. Do not ignore the needs of family and friends but do not ignore yourself too. Your wellbeing and that of your family comes first. If you have to do your workouts much earlier so nothing derails you during the day or your family doesn’t end up feeling like you don’t care, then do it.
Don’t hesitate to skip game or movie night to sleep early in order to wake up early for your workout and work. Let the very important people and things take the first positions.
- Rest
After doing all these, remember to rest. Yes! rest, sleep, calm your body and nerves. Apart from your sleep time at night, try to sneak in some 25-minute rest time. You can also pamper your body with aromatherapy or a full body massage; it will do you some good.
On days when you’re super tensed up or stressed, allow yourself some time to sit or lie. Give your body that needed break so it can be calm and regain the lost energy and composure. Don’t forget to drink a lot of water too; hydration is always key.
Do not brood over how busy our life is and how limited the time is. Just get creative and have your exercise and health routine at heart. Reduce stress, workout and have fun as you balance your work-life routine the healthy way. Get in touch with us at Fitness 1 Gym for support and more ideas.
We have slashed 50 percent off on all our packages just for you this festive season. Offer ends on 31st December so rush today and grab this opportunity to take control of your health and fitness for less. Contact us now.
References
Corp magazine, How You Can Balance Work and Exercise, corpmagazine.com, May 5, 2016
BY Jamie Ducharme, Why Spending Time With Friends Is One of the Best Things You Can Do for Your Health, TIME, JUNE 25, 2019
https://time.com/5609508/social-support-health-benefits/
Kristin Lamb, Why You Should Hang Out with Friends, Riverview Health, July 26, 2017
https://riverview.org/blog/wellness-2/why-you-should-hang-out-with-friends/
Jacqueline Howard, The bizarre psychology of the bronze medal win, CNN Health, August 18, 2016