Are you struggling to keep up with your fitness regime while at work? Is your busy schedule getting in the way of your exercise and diet plans?
Don’t worry, this article is particularly geared for busy individuals who need to find innovative ways to stay in incredible shape while effectively running their business’s and careers.
1. Meal-Prep is crucial
Meal prep is an essential part of any proper fitness and diet plan. Not only will it help you eat clean throughout the week, but it will also save you time and money. Furthermore, meal prepping is a lot simpler than you think.
For instance, I usually take two hours to plan my weekly meals every Sunday. The first hour is spent in the supermarket shopping for fresh food and the second hour is spent repacking all the food into portions based on my nutritional needs.
Prepping your meals a week in advance will do wonders for your productivity as well as ensure that your body has the right fuel to get you through your hectic schedule.
2. Get a food delivery service
Nicki Minaj, the well-known popstar, recently attributed her dramatic weight loss to an app that lets her order salads to her hotel room while on tour. The switch to a delivery service means that she can now concentrate her energy on recording hits and performing.
Do you know any food delivery service near you? Are the meals well prepared with organic ingredients?
These are some of the considerations that you must make before picking a food delivery service. It will enable you to avoid dirty food that has been prepared with unhealthy ingredients.
Related: 20 Ways to Stay Fit With Minimal Effort
3. Intense workouts are fast and efficient
You might not have 6 hours to go hiking every week, but you can easily sneak an intense 30-minute workout into your busy day. These intense short workouts are actually more efficient at burning calories and building muscle compared to longer regimens.
I particularly enjoy sprinting over short distances as opposed to jogging over long distances. My friend prefers swimming at advanced speeds as opposed to making multiple laps.
I used my Fitbit to track my HIIT workouts and my heart rate throughout. Analysing your heart rate helps you to see how intense your workouts really are and if you are working hard enough.
You shouldn’t just wear your Fitbit for workouts though, you should be using it to track all of your exercise throughout the day as this counts too, whether at work or in the gym. You can get replacement Fitbit bands so you can have a formal one for work and a sport one for in the gym.
4. Get a workout buddy
Every human needs some form of social interaction to get through life. These relationships are the reason why we go out for drinks or attend parties.
In this regard we have discovered that you can combine your social needs with your workout. For instance, you can join a jogging group or play basketball with your friends from college.
This will also enable you to stay motivated when working out as you can get support from someone close to you. I personally love teaching my girlfriend weight training as it helps us strengthen our bond while still burning calories.
5. Get plenty of quality sleep
The working world has a tendency to overlook sleep. As a matter of fact, most corporate settings place more importance on the hours that you spend in the office thereby forcing you to sleep less.
This will only make you unproductive and unfit. The human body requires a sufficient amount of rest in order to perform at its peak. Don’t let the corporate facade fool you.
Related: 6 Awesome Tips to Get Fit While Doing Housework
6. Find healthier alternatives
I substituted my old writing desk for a new standing desk that is self-adjustable. I also started taking the stairs compared to always riding the elevator. In the next few months I want to add a treadmill to my office so that I can work out whilst listening my audiobooks.
Are there any healthy alternatives that you can add to your busy day? What inactive task can you replace with an active one and burn more calories?
7. Make a sacrifice
This might be a hard pill to swallow but you might need to sacrifice part of your schedule in order to stay fit. For instance, I had to get rid of my TV time in order to find space in my schedule for weight training. It was a huge adjustment to make but, in the end, it has paid off.
8. Drink plenty of water
This might sound basic but drinking plenty of water is just as important as getting plenty of exercise and eating the right foods. Staying hydrated throughout the day is a big part of keeping your body in shape.
All these people walking around with water bottles at work know what they are doing. Water helps to keep your metabolism functioning properly and also helps to reduce the chances of getting injured during workouts.
Related: What Can Make You Overweight and Cause Obesity
9. Make your workouts fun
Another great way to motivate you to work out is to make it fun. If you enjoy working out you will see it less of a chore and more as a hobby or a way to let of some steam.
There are many people who force themselves to go to the gym and there are those people that live in the gym. The ones that live there don’t force themselves to be there. They go because they love to work out because it makes them feel good. It becomes part of their daily routine. So if you find a way to enjoy your workouts then you will make the time in your busy routine for them.
A great way to enjoy your workouts more is to listen to music whilst working out. It can bring you to life and put you in a positive frame of mind and kill the monotony of running on the treadmill for 30 minutes and help you get in the zone.