Nowadays, it can feel almost impossible to look after your health, BFR and fitness without neglecting other important aspects of life. The expectations to take care of a family, while also focusing on a busy career, often leads to people ignoring their own health.
It’s also common for people to focus too much of their attention on their health and fitness journey too soon, ultimately resulting in burning out and giving up. If this has been a problem for you in the past, try gradually concentrating on completing smaller, more achievable goals until they become a way of life.
Put simply; you can't be your best when you're not feeling your best. If you're struggling to make time to better your health and fitness, scroll below to read the 10 time-savvy tips to improve your lifestyle.
1. Introduce exercise to your morning commute
Stressed about exercise compromising your schedule? Try working with the time you have. For example, if you have children - try walking with them to school. This is a great way to get your whole family active every morning, without adding time to your busy day.
Additionally, try to park your car and walk to work as much as you can. If you find that your workplace is too far, try parking your car at a closer location, like a train station, and walking from there.
2. Keep water with you at all times
The benefits of staying hydrated are endless. If you're not aware already, drinking water can assist your muscles, joints, skin and cardiovascular health - just to name a few. If you're confused about how to start drinking more water, begin with making sure you don't go without a water bottle.
Not sure if you'll remember to take your water with you everywhere you go? Try keeping a water bottle at work and also one at home. By having your water bottle where you spend the most time, you'll find yourself drinking more simply because it's there.
3. Take the stairs instead of the lift
Where possible, try and take the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator. With this point, we don't mean using the stairs to walk up to your office if it's on the 40th floor - instead, try skipping the escalators you use every day for the stairs. It’s a simple trick to add more exercise to your day without feeling like you have to take time out to do it.
4. Always have healthy snacks nearby
Attack cravings when they occur by having healthy snacks on standby. Try and have a snack, like a small handful of almonds, in between your meals to keep your hunger satisfied. By keeping yourself satisfied between meals, you won’t find yourself overeating or buying extra food unnecessarily.
5. Simplify your meals
By simplifying your meals, you may find yourself freeing up spare time from your busy schedule. Consider getting healthy, ready meals delivered to your house instead of taking the time out to plan and cook. By eliminating the question of what you should have for lunch or dinner, you also prevent yourself from impulsively buying any junk food.
6. Use your lunch breaks to go for a walk
Take 10 to 15 minutes to go outside and go for a light walk during your lunch break. Not only will this benefit your physical health, but it will also help to boost endorphins, alleviating mild stress and improving your overall mood. This is also a great tip for when work becomes too stressful, and you need to clear your head.
7. Work with what you enjoy the most
With exercise and healthy food - what do you enjoy the most? Some people may loathe the rowing machine at the gym, while it might be another's favourite piece of equipment. Try to work with what you enjoy the most. For example, if you have a personal favourite vegetable or protein, try finding new ways to integrate it into your diet. Implementing your favourite aspects about a healthier lifestyle make it a much more enjoyable experience.
8. Track and analyse your journey
A great way to measure the success of your lifestyle is to use a fitness tracker or start a food and exercise diary. How much water did you drink today? What food did you eat today? Did you do any exercise today? These are all questions you can use to help track your progress to assess periodically.
From here, you can assess if there are any improvements or changes you would make to your following week. Bringing a sense of accountability to your journey will help enhance your lifestyle. Additionally, you can find fitness trackers in the form of watches and mobile applications to help do this for you.
9. Take 5 to focus before bed
If you can’t seem to switch off your mind before you go to bed, you’re not alone. Try practising yoga or meditating, or even doing both, approximately 30 minutes before you’re due to go to bed. Yoga will help relax your muscles to alleviate any physical barriers of falling asleep, while meditation will help relax your mind.
10. Make a good night's rest a priority
Having a proper night’s rest is more important than people think. By having a full and undisturbed sleep, you can perform much more efficiently the next day. It also helps your body recover from any exercise during the day.
Remember, through this journey you shouldn't be too harsh on yourself. If you can’t make all these changes right away, a little at a time is much better than none. Use these tips to help enhance your lifestyle while sticking to your tight schedule. Set yourself smaller, more achievable goals and build your lifestyle up from there.
