One of my college friends sent me a Facebook message asking me to do a post on staying fit when you are super busy (like working 14+ hours of the day busy). So, Keri, this post is for you!
As a grad student with two part-time jobs (one is a graduate assistantship and the other is a for-credit internship) I am very busy. Some days I literally get up as 6:00, workout and shower, head to work, and then don't get home until 10 when I promptly fall face first into my bed. Days when I'm actually home at a reasonable hour, I have to read for class, write papers, cook dinner, and attempt to keep the apartment at least semi-clean. With all that, where's the time to stay fit and healthy?!
It really comes down to one thing: preparation.
First, let's look at the workout part of the equation. It is very important to not only schedule ahead of time what workouts you are going to do, but when you're going to do them. Because I'm doing Beachbody workouts, they come with a 60-day or 90-day schedule pre-set for you, so the "what workout to do each day" piece is already taken care of. If you're doing your own set of workouts, maybe going to the gym to use the treadmill or weights, then you'll need to come up with your own calendar of workouts. This may seem like more work up front, but it will save you time in the end.
Now, as far as when you will workout, this depends on your schedule but it is universally important to schedule them into your day. If you try to "find time" you're unlikely to workout. You have to carve out that time in advance to really commit to working out consistently. For me, I find it easiest to workout first thing in the morning. That way, nothing else gets in the way. For other people, they find it easiest to workout when they get home. You need to decide what works best for you, and then put it in your calendar like anything else that needs to get done.
One of the reasons I love Beachbody workouts so much is that I can save time by working out in my living room, rather than needing to drive to the gym. I don't have time to waste 20-40 minutes round trip heading to the gym to workout. And why would I want to when I can get just as good of a workout (or better) in my living room? Plus, I have complete privacy so I don't have to worry about looking ridiculous while I workout (and I'm sure I do. Look ridiculous that is).
If you're someone with only about 10 minutes a day to workout, there are a couple options for you, too. One, you could get a program like Beachbody's 10-minute trainer, which has well rounded workouts that take literally 10 minutes to complete. Or, if you find you do a lot of walking during the day (city folk, I'm talking to you!) use those 10 minutes to focus on weight training. You can do six days a week, 10 minutes at a time, and strengthen your whole body by doing one or two muscle groups each day.
Now, the other part of the equation is nutrition, and preparation is a huge help here, too. Every Sunday I create a meal plan for the entire week, including all six meals for each day. A lot of it is repetitive (I eat the same breakfast and snacks each day) but it makes packing food for the day super easy. The night before, I gather all the meals I will need for the next day and put them in a pile in my fridge (or on the counter if it doesn't need to be cold). In my meal plan, I star the meals I will need to take with me based on how many hours I will be out of the house. Some days I bring five meals with me, most days it's only three. This may sound like it takes a lot of time but it really saves you time and your health. This way you don't have to run to a take-out place to get food and it's way cheaper, too.
In addition to planning your meals in advance, having a super quick and healthy breakfast is very important. My time in the mornings is very limited, so I like to blend up a high quality protein shake after my workout. Shakeology is a great option for breakfast, although I prefer to have it for dessert every night instead. By drinking Shakeology, you get maximum nutrition in the shortest time possible. My morning protein shake is fast and convenient, with very little clean up, so it allows me to get out the door quickly. Another time saving tip that I have yet to try (although I do intend to test it out this Tuesday) is using a crock pot or slow cooker. You can throw all your ingredients in the pot in the morning and by the time you get home dinner is ready. You could also throw everything in a plastic bag (or a number of bags if you plan to do a few different meals that week) on Sunday and then just dump it into the crock pot and turn it on. How much easier can it get? I'll be sure to give an update on how well that works after I try it out this week.
And that's about it. Once you decide that your health and fitness is worth the extra effort to do a little planning, these day-to-day tips make staying on track easy.
Stay healthy!
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