You’re ambitious, determined, and perhaps even a bit entrepreneurial – you’re the first one to arrive at work and the last one to leave. And after such a long and stressful day at the office, you have to worry about so many family and personal commitments that exercise is the last thing on your mind. If you work a desk job and commute, it’s very easy to fall into a sedentary lifestyle. Thankfully, you don’t need to worry. If you are a workaholic strapped for time who wants to build a leaner and stronger physique, read on to find out the best tips and tricks you can implement into your tight schedule.
Always stay active
You burn more calories standing up than sitting down, so use it to your advantage. When you’re at the office, try to stand or walk as much as possible – use the stairs more often, stretch in your cubicle, walk around the office while you’re on the phone, or even stand while reading a document. Whenever possible, aim to be active. Every small step counts toward using your body, exercising, and staying fit and healthy.
Be prepared for the gym
While you might be short on time, devising a flexible gym schedule is the easiest way to stay in shape, as it provides you with a distraction-free environment and all the tools you would ever need to stay fit. Whether you choose to visit the gym early in the morning, on your lunch break, or even after work, the best idea would be to always carry a gym bag fully equipped with everything you’ll need, from workout clothes and gym shoes to hair ties, toiletries and a few beautiful drink bottles that will motivate you to stay hydrated throughout your workout routine.
Plan your meals ahead
Yes, you may work hard and are super busy, but you must have a day or two off every week – use this time off wisely in order to stay on track with your health goals. Try to pre-cook food for the week in batches and freeze them for later use. You can even think about narrowing your food choices down to two or three dishes, which will allow you to cook in larger batches and save more time. If you can’t stomach the same meal for more than two days in a row, then consider adding tome smart time-saving variations. For example, replace one of your meals with a filling smoothie, made with yogurt, protein powder, fruits and some healthy greens. Not only is a smoothie quick and easy to make, but it will also provide you with calories equivalent to your regular meals.
Opt for healthy snacks
Fill up your office fridge with healthy snacks such as carrots, celery sticks, kale chips and more, and always keep healthy snacks within sight when you’re at home. Snacking per se is not a bad thing for your weight, but snacking on junk food is. Since most of our unhealthy eating happens during the snacks break or when we are feeling bored, make sure to always have a healthy snack within reach when hunger or boredom strike.
Make sleep a priority
Lastly, and most importantly, your body needs 7-9 hours of sleep in order to be able to function properly. You’re probably guilty of putting your work, family, friends, and everything else ahead of your sleep, but you need to stop this immediately. Unless there is an emergency, you need to make your sleep a priority and try to sleep at least 7 hours every night. Getting adequate amounts of sleep will also prevent CNS fatigue and reduce the risk of overtraining. Use a smart alarm clock to wake you up in a soothing manner, develop good sleep hygiene by keeping all electronics out of your bedroom and make a pre-bedtime routine of listening to calming music, meditating, or whatever helps you smoothly transition into sleep.
So, there we have it, some important tips to help you stay fit, even if you are on a crazy schedule. Some of these things might seem easy to implement straight away, others not so much, but the bottom line is NEVER GIVE UP. Your health matters the most, so make it a priority and get going.
