Losing health over a hectic schedule? Here is how to balance both

According to Lavinia Rodriguwz, author of Mind Over Fat Matters: Conquering Psychological Barriers to Weight Management, when you say you have “no time” for fitness, it typically means that you lack motivation, have low self-esteem, fear and negative associations. In an ideal world, you may want to have a separate time for workouts or would want to wake up early to keep yourself fit. But, in reality, with hectic work schedules, family, and social life, even 24 hours doesn’t seem enough.

Image : shutterstock

Did you know workouts and increased fitness levels increase your productivity? Yes, it is time to stop stressing and start taking your health seriously. Here are few tips that might help.

Plan your meals

If you want to get healthy, the first thing you need to look out for is your diet. Your diet contributes up to 80 to 90 per cent of your well-being. Every week, you can plan your meals over the weekend, which will save you a lot of time. Also, when you carry your meal, you will be able to beat the urge to dine out or skip a meal, which, too, can slow down your metabolism. People only crave snacks and titbits during coffee or tea time. With smart planning, you can either carry them with you or look out for avenues like Snackexperts. They deliver tasty snacks at your office or your home.

Create a schedule for workouts

At your workplace, a planner or a to-do list can massively increase your efficiency. Similarly, when you write down your goals, time it according to what works for you. Unless you schedule it in a way that is convenient, you will find yourself pushing it away or making excuses. If you are a beginner to such fitness regimes and don’t know where to start, applications like FirstRun can help you achieve your goals. Also, there are tons of fitness trackers like GOQii, Fitbit, or even Mifit to keep track of your steps and inform you on the amount of calories burnt everyday.

Stay hydrated

Dehydration is one of the most important factors of failing health. When you drink water throughout the day, you can also suppress your hunger. Although they say about eight glasses of water a day is enough for a person, it really differs from person to person. You can add green tea or a flavoured tea to increase your water consumption. There are also a lot of detox water recipes that are tasty and will help you meet the water requirement for your body.

Get creative with workouts

When you include exercises in your everyday routine, you will not only kill calories, but also boredom. You can work out everywhere irrespective of whether you are working from home or office. Keep a dumbbell at your desk, or use your chair to do sit-ups, triceps and even simple exercises which are easily available on YouTube. You can also do calf raises while having coffee or commuting to work. You can park your car further away from your station or home and get some extra exercise just by walking.

Along with this, when you reduce your alcohol intake, regulate your sleep cycle and find a partner who will motivate you constantly, no one can stop you from being energetic, healthy, and happy. And, this will reflect in your life and work, too.

(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)