Published on: 26-Jun-2022
While most of us know how crucial exercise can be for our health and well-being, it’s not always easy finding the time for it when you’ve got a hectic work schedule. You might work from dusk till dawn, or you’re trying to balance family, friends, and work during the average week.
Regardless of how full your calendar is, you might be surprised at the variety of ways you can integrate exercise into your day while still being competent in your work life. Take note of the following tips.
Combine Business With Pleasure
When you lead a busy work life, you often quickly master the art of multitasking. Without this skill, you might never achieve as much in the average week as you need to. It makes sense to combine business with pleasure when you need to exercise, focus on your well-being, and still fulfill your workplace obligations. For example, if you require CME credits to maintain or increase your knowledge in your professional life, you can study and be active simultaneously.
It can be as easy as enrolling in a conference at a vacation destination. When you’re not sitting in your hotel room learning new things, you can be outside soaking up the sun and exercising in an exciting new location.
Practice Incidental Exercise
You might genuinely have very little time in the average day to dedicate to exercising and getting fit, but it might be easier and quicker than you think to tone up your triceps and give your body the workout it needs through incidental exercise.
Incidental exercise involves performing your everyday activities to maximize your calorie-burning and muscle-strengthening potential. For example, you might take the stairs rather than the elevator and park further away from the office rather than outside the door.
Schedule Exercise Into Your Day
Many busy professionals have an itemized list of tasks to perform throughout the day, all neatly organized in their calendars. With back-to-back appointments, there’s often very little time to visit your local gym or even go for a walk in the park.
However, if you were to block out a portion of time each day that other employees couldn’t alter, you’d have a task-free period to head to the gym, an exercise class, or a park for much-needed movement and fresh air.
Delegate
As busy as you are, there’s nothing more important than your health and well-being. If you have to sacrifice it just to achieve what’s expected of you in a professional capacity, it might be time to consider delegation.
If you’re in a management position, delegating tasks can be as easy as hiring an assistant to help with daily planning, data entry, and other time-intensive tasks. If you’re an employee, you may need to talk to your boss about lightening your workload for the sake of work-life balance and your mental health.
When it comes to maintaining optimal health a simple way of delegating is by investing in no fuss veggie meal kits. As time progresses you’ll have a better understanding of portion sizes so you can supplement your meal prep with your own creations.
Focus On Nutrition
Staying fit and healthy can be about more than getting active. It can also be about fueling your body with nutrient-dense food. If you can’t consistently achieve the recommended amount of weekly exercise, nourish your body with the right foods.
Fruit, vegetables, and whole grains can form an integral part of the average person’s diet. You can also look at healthy snack options to keep you functioning at your best, such as nuts, hard-boiled eggs, Greek yogurt, and dark chocolate.
Bring Exercise Equipment to Work
You might not have time to leave the office to head to the gym, but there’s no reason why you can’t bring the gym to your office. Exercise while you work by purchasing office-friendly equipment like mini exercise balls, hand weights, balance ball chairs, and an under-desk elliptical. You can now also purchase treadmill desks that allow you to walk or run while performing those necessary daily tasks.
Participate in Health Challenges
Consider participating in health and wellness challenges. These corporate health challenges for productivity are perfect if you’re having a hard time getting up and moving during the day.
It’s a good idea to ask some of your coworkers to join you, as this can foster some fun competition between you and your group. You could even ask your employer to set up a program at your workplace. Or, if you’re an employer, you can create a program yourself.
Staying fit as a busy working professional can seem like an impossible undertaking, especially when you barely have any free time. However, exercise doesn’t always have to take up as much space in your schedule as you might think. Consider any of these options above, and you might just reach your fitness goals.
Your Personal Path to Wellness Starts Here>>Karen Malkin Health Counseling
