Most of the people nowadays are so busy that they’re neglecting their health and their relationships in favor of jobs and projects. However, when your health suffers, your productivity diminishes, so it’s important to look after yourself. Here are some ideas on how to make your life a bit healthier.
1. Plan
The first thing you need to do is make room in your schedule for your fitness regime. You have to be serious about it. Think carefully about your day. When are you most well-rested and in the mood for some hard work, and at which part of the day you feel spent and altogether horrible? It’s different for everyone – some of us are early birds, some of us are night owls, and that is one of the factors that determine the levels of energy we have throughout the day. Do your workout when you’re in a good mood. It will help you associate training with happiness. That way, you’ll be more likely to follow through with it every day.
2. Delegate responsibilities
If you are not in a position to do it at work, you can probably do it at home. Ask your partner to make dinner, for example, and have your kids set and clean the table. There is plenty of housework suitable for children, and it’s never too early to early to start getting them used to responsibilities. It’s good for them, and it gives you a bit more free time to spend on your health and shape.
3. Limit screen time
The time we spend online is one of the most common distracting factors in a contemporary person’s life. Admit it, you have also spent an outrageous amount of time on the web doing nothing productive, and you’ve done it more than once. In order to dedicate your time and effort into getting healthier and getting in shape, you have to limit your screen time. If you don’t, it’ll eat your time away, and leave you without any progress whatsoever.
4. Be practical with food
Your diet is one of the most important things about your fitness program. A bad diet can result in all kinds of dreadful health consequences, from heart conditions to diabetes. You need to be practical with your food intake. Think about your current eating habits. Is there anything missing? Meat, vegetables, fruit, anything at all? Is there too much white flour or sugar? Make some changes, but make sure they’re reasonable. For example, if you’re eating too many sweets, swap them for healthier options, like raw cakes and protein bars. Start meal prepping, so you’ll have something healthy to eat every day.
5. Intensity over duration
If you don’t have hours to dedicate to your exercise daily, it’s not the end of the world. You can be just as fit with a short, but more intense workout plan. There are plenty of 5 or 10-minute cardio workout tutorials on the web, so find some that seem okay to you and try them out. They are greatly beneficial for your heart and they take next to no time at all. No matter how busy you are, you can always take 5 minutes of your time, so there are no excuses.
6. Change your habits
If you change some of your habits, it can greatly improve your health and mood. Don’t drive to walk. Go on foot or ride a bike. There are great electric bikes on the market for all those who avoid regular bikes because of the long distances and hills that get in the way. An electric bike will remove those obstacles, and help you arrive to work on time and without looking like a sweaty mess. Do your housework faster than normal, or take your dog out for a run instead of for a walk. Those changes will make a world of difference in how you feel.
7. Use your weekends well
Sure, weekends are the time to relax and unwind. However, weekends are also the time to do the things you didn’t have a chance to do during the week, and hitting the gym can be one of those things. Try to make a good use of your weekend in that regard. Rarely can people activate as many muscle groups at home as they can in the gym. You don’t have to spend the entire Saturday on it, But an hour or two of your weekend to care about your body.
8. Make exercise a social activity
Invite your friends for a bike ride or a walk, or even a soccer game. Making exercise a bit of a social event can make it more fun, so you’ll be more likely to actually do it. Besides, it combines two important aspects of your life – fitness and friendships – and saves you time. Perfect, right?
Introducing a bit of fitness into your life doesn’t have to be an overwhelming change of lifestyle. Some adjustments to your daily life will work just as well, and who knows – maybe you’ll start to actually enjoy it.
