It’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind, whether you’re working from home or at the office, and forget about your health objectives in the process.
If this is the case, you’re in good company. All too often, we find ourselves mumbling, “I just don’t have enough time,” as our to-do lists, calendars, and email inboxes all start to fill up. Making time for exercise and cooking from scratch when you’re always multitasking takes effort and motivation, but it’s not impossible. Read on for some useful advice.
Be Active On Your Commute
If you still have to commute or are going to start doing so again, you might want to do something active during your commute. Now, this won’t work for everyone since not everyone commutes, and some of us live far away from the office. But most of us overestimate how far it is to get to work.
So, if you are close enough to ride a bike or walk, make this part of your day active. Studies have shown that people who are active during their commute say they like it more. This means they are less stressed at work, and they can exercise every day without changing their routine.
Invest In A Slow Cooker
Crock pots, or slow cookers, are a lifesaver for the time-pressed home cook. Set it and forget it (with minimal prep) in the morning, and you’ll have a hearty, hot meal waiting for you when you get home. What could be better when you don’t have a lot of time but still want to eat healthily?
Dishes that have been slow-cooked for hours (such pulled pork or chicken casserole) tend to have intense flavors, so they’ll often taste amazing – this beef tips recipe done in the slow cooker is a great example. And, since crock pots allow for batch cooking, it is more efficient to make enough food for several days at once.
Make Breakfast In Advance
Eating breakfast has been found to improve health in many ways, including helping you maintain a healthy circadian rhythm. Nonetheless, the mornings are generally the busiest time of day for many of us. Whether you’re rushing to get to the gym on time or taking care of the kids first thing in the morning, making a hearty breakfast is probably only achievable on the weekends.
Prepare your breakfast the night before to give yourself a head start in the morning instead of skipping it or opting for a sugary pastry. Getting the morning’s breakfast ready is a calming ritual that many people look forward to every night. Yet another option is to prepare a large quantity on Sunday and store it in the fridge for easy access during the week.
Stay Hydrated
You sit down to begin a project, and an hour passes by without you taking a sip from your water bottle, despite the fact that you know that doing so is essential to maintaining a healthy diet and way of life. Does that sound familiar? It’s so easy to change this habit and to ensure you drink more. Remember, constant hydration improves digestion and mental clarity.
It’s preferable to sip water steadily all day long rather than gulp down many large glasses at once. In order to ensure that you stay hydrated throughout the day, you can either use a time-marked water bottle or install an app that will send you reminders. Even if you’re extremely busy, sipping water is something you can certainly still manage to do.
Have Lunch But Keep It Simple
Lunch doesn’t always get the respect it deserves while we’re on the go all day. However, a quick pit stop for fuel is essential for a productive afternoon.
The balanced plate method is a good, all-around nutrition guideline, so use it as a starting point for keeping meals simple and straightforward. Here, try to hit all the bases by eating a palm-sized portion of protein, a fist-sized portion of starchy carbs, a couple handfuls of vegetables, and two thumbs’ worth of fat at each main meal. Meals may be less filling and less varied in terms of nutrients when one or more of these elements is lacking, and this could lead to snacking which not only takes additional time out of your day, but can be unhealthy too.
Put Your Workout In The Diary
Instead of trying to fit in exercise when you have a spare moment (which will be never), treat it like a work meeting and schedule it into your plans in the same way. Add it to your diary and prepare for it (just as you wouldn’t show up to a presentation unprepared, neither should you forget to grab your gym clothes or leave for a class early).
You’ll be less likely to let the week get away from you and forget about it if you schedule it in advance.
