The world moves a million times faster as a result of us all being connected and there's a lot to cram into a day. You, super-stressed, ridiculously busy and feeling overwhelmed about fitting a fitness routine into your day! So how can you accommodate for the fast and frantic pace of life in the 21st century and stay fit? Is there any time for exercise and time to focus on your health?
You know the score: When your time is taken up with meetings and making a good impression counts. All that is much easier to deal with if you’re in good shape, meaning you are in a good physical, mental and social state. But, how do you achieve that while rushing from one meeting to the next existing on a diet of canapés?
Simple, people, who are particularly concerned about the effects of stress on their physical and mental state, need to take more decisive action.
Create 1 Monthly Good Habit At a Time
Each goal doesn’t have to be big, because if you’re creating one new healthier habit over a 12-month period (12 new healthy habits) you’ll find you will have completely transformed your health without even it feeling it. You will get results, even with the smallest of changes, so focus on that one thing. Write your goal down and have it somewhere where you will see it every day and within those 30 days you’ll be well on your way to success.
Schedule In Advance
First you need to designate time in for your workouts. Even with the best intentions, it's easy to skip them, opt for other activities, and wake up on Friday morning to realise you haven't worked out once all week. Instead of saying you’ll “go to the gym three times this week,” know exactly when you‘re going to use the gym, and make it the same each week. That way you’re much more likely to stay on track and maintain it.
Treat your workout schedule like you would an important business meeting - it's an event that's set in stone. Spend a few minutes every Sunday night to map out your weeknight schedule for the upcoming days, and write down your workouts in your calendar to help them stick. Make sure there's a healthy balance of fun, work, and exercise to keep your new schedule feeling fresh and achievable.
Early-Morning Exercise Pays Off
When it comes to your fitness, it’s worth taking a fresh approach. In recent years, doctors’ conferences have become sporting events, with a third of attendees taking part in an early morning 5km run. It is not that everyone has to run 5km before breakfast but the message is clear, early morning is the best time to partake in sport, whether it’s swimming, jogging, cycling or shadow boxing. And there is proof of this: if you exercise in the morning, your body is busy replenishing lost sugar until well into the afternoon. What’s more, it helps you relax, and you enjoy your business breakfast even more.
You are much more likely to stay on track if you train first thing in the morning, because nothing can get in your way. Training later in the day, well if everything in your day doesn’t go according to plan it might be that your day is pushed back a bit, and then a bit more, and by the time all of your other stuff is actually finished you can’t be bothered. The other thing is that if you don’t love going to the gym, there is nothing worse than the constant reminder in the back of your head that you need to go to the gym. Get it done and get it out of the way!
A Short Workout is Better Than No Workout
A short workout is better than no workout at all. Even 10 or 20 minutes of exercise can keep you on track and is worth the effort. Unless you are training for a marathon of course. Time spent working out will only allow you come back to the project at hand with a fresh, clear perspective; trust me, you won't regret it.
Strength in Numbers - Make it Social
If you're ready to make a healthy commitment to your future self, exercise is an absolute must. But when you feel overwhelmed by work, family obligations, and a thriving social calendar, time at the gym often gets put off, and your healthy goals fall by the wayside. If you're concerned about falling out with friends you see regularly, get them involved in your new healthy habits. Plan a new kind of happy hour date with friends, hit up a fitness class with co-workers, or go for a long hike or walk before heading to your favourite restaurant with your partner over the weekend.
The other thing is that if you’re trying for a high intensity workout then you may need someone to push you that little bit further. It can be easier to pull back on the intensity if you’re training by yourself, but when someone else is watching, you’re more likely to put in that extra effort. Whether you're looking for a running buddy or a little healthy competition in a group class, fitness is more fun when you've get friends involved.
Be Realistic
Don't set yourself up for failure (or injury) by going overboard. Going too hard too soon will only make you revert back to old habits and excuses.
Even if you feel up to it, stick to the workouts you have set in place that make sense for your current condition and schedule. As working out becomes ingrained in your schedule and your strength and stamina improve, you can increase the number of days you're working out accordingly.
