Fitness doesn't have to happen in a gym
Is your list of daily to-do’s dusk-to-dawn long?
It’s no surprise when many people say they can’t imagine fitting in exercise when they can barely finish the list they have. The thought of driving to the gym, exercising, and getting back to the rest of their day complicates everything.
But I think we over-analyze and over-complicate the whole exercise daily thing. There was a time not that long ago when gyms didn’t exist, but yet obesity wasn’t as prevalent.
It’s a Personal Thing
I’m not going to preach about how we all have the same 24 hours in a day and you’re without excuse.
Everyone’s life is unique and I won’t pretend I know what it’s like to have 5 kids under the age of ten or be a single mom holding down two jobs while working toward a degree. But I do know that you have to prioritize your health for not only your sake, but also the sake of your loved ones.They need you and you need to be strong and fit and feel good about yourself to accomplish all life throws at you.
So how can a super-stressed, ridiculously busy person not get overwhelmed with fitting in fitness in an already overflowing schedule?
5 Tips for Stress-Free Health and Fitness
1) Don’t compare yourself to anyone: I have a few friends that are able to do whatever they please with their day. To compare what I’m able to do in my life would be useless. Someone will always be fitter and able to accomplish more. Really, it could fill your head with negative thoughts and seriously get you down to compare yourself. The question is: am I better now than last week, last year, or even yesterday?
2) Find what floats your boat: Does the idea of Zumba sound fun because you love to dance? Or maybe yoga because you’re needing to be Zen? Or kettlebells because you want to get out some pent-up angst and swinging an iron ball sounds like a perfect angst remover? Just because your best friend loves body pump doesn’t mean you have to. Getting healthy doesn’t require you to be a gym rat, and hating your workout will eventually have an effect on how much you’ll really stick with it. Find something that appeals to you and your personality.
3) Make nutrition a priority: Even if you miss a workout, you can always fit good choices in when it comes to your nutrition. This is especially important if you’re stressed. But for long-term success you need to keep a positive view of food and your physical self.
Think of your body as a beautiful machine. To get the best performance you have to choose wisely. When you choose high quality fuel you’ll feel better and have more energy. Steer clear of empty calories like soda and sugary sweets and what I like to call fake food — the stuff where you read the label and there’s a big list of chemical names. Much of your success is going to be determined by the choices you make at restaurants and grocery stores.
4) Surround yourself with support: You can find the greatest workout and love it, buy the most nutritious food, and get on the clean eating track; but nothing will halt your forward momentum like someone who doesn’t have your best interest at heart. It’s a sad thing, but some people don’t want you to have success. They want you to stay where you are.
Seek out people who lift you up and don’t clutter your life with drama. Sometimes those negative people happen to be family members and we have to have interactions with them. More the reason to choose carefully who you’re going to spend your time with outside of family!
5) Keep the big picture in mind: Often you’ll see workouts geared toward better buns or toned arms for summer, but short-sighted fitness is seldom successful. You never actually arrive to a final point when it comes to health. There’s no dash to the finish line. It’s a life-long journey complete with hills and valleys.
The good news is you can relax and stop the cycle of get-fit-quick that leads to the fall-off-the-wagon-and-beat-yourself-up scenario. Slow and steady wins this race. Over the years your body will change and you’ll have to tweak here and there, but consistent, day-to-day healthy choices are what will give you the energy and strength you need to deal with your busy life.
Now for your thoughts. What ways have you found to fit in health and fitness in a busy schedule that work for you?
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