A Touch of Southern Grace : Guest Post :: 5 Healthy Ways To Stay Fit If You Work Full-Time

Monday, March 5, 2018

Guest Post :: 5 Healthy Ways To Stay Fit If You Work Full-Time

Once you graduate college or graduate school it becomes increasingly more difficult to find the time to carve out a decent block of time to work out at least three times a week. When I was in college right after my classes were over I would change into some workout clothes and spend about an hour on the elliptical then do about 15 minutes of toning exercises. Now I go to yoga class twice a week, hope to do the elliptical once a week, and on the days when I don’t have time to make it to the gym I usually either do a yoga video or just something as simple as doing lunges. Today Peter Minkoff is sharing with us 5 healthy ways to stay fit if you work full-time.

Sitting is the new smoking. And this is not an exaggeration in the slightest. Of course, people have worked full-time before, but with technological advances of our time, both work and leisure time are usually spent sitting at the desk/on a sofa and staring into a computer/TV screen. Such habits have taken its toll considerably and will continue to do more damage if you don’t make sure that you balance your lifestyle with healthy habits and regular physical activity. Obviously, the first and major symptom that can cause plenty of other health issues consequently is weight gain and muscle fatigue (the one you get from not using your muscles at all). The main question of course is how to find the time to do something when you’re supposed to be at work 8-9 hours every weekday, and sometimes even on the weekends. You may find your answer in the following tips, so keep on reading.

Start with what you eat

One of the major downfalls when it comes to health and fitness of people who work full-time is the need to quickly grab whatever’s the most convenient when they’re hungry. This is usually some junk food and snacks that are everything but good for you. Not only does this kind of a diet lead to weight gain but other health complications as well. So, the first thing you can do is to pack a healthy meal for yourself together with healthy snacks. If this seems like too much work for you to do at home, you can look up nearby restaurants that do deliveries, and order a healthy and balanced mean to be brought to you at work instead of buying the first thing at the fast food stall near your office.

Remember to drink water

Hydration is extremely important for proper bodily functions regardless of what you’re doing during the day. In general, you need to drink the amount of water you get when you divide your weight in kg by 30. When you work all day, you can simply forget to drink water, even when you feel thirsty. But, remember – once you feel thirsty, your body is already dehydrated. Water is paramount for maintaining skin elasticity as well as boosting your energy and mood. It can also minimize migraines. Therefore, bring a water bottle to work, or even fill up the big soda bottle with water and keep it on your desk. Have a nice mug that you enjoy as well. When water is constantly in front of you, you’ll find it easier to drink it as well.

Walk as much as you can

It would be best to walk to and from work, but if that’s impossible, try cycling instead. Moreover, taking short walks in the evening or in the morning will boost your circulation as well as help your muscles stay strong. Don’t let yourself sit down all day either. Try to get up and walk around your office at least every hour for a while so that the body gets the minimal physical activity it needs to work properly. Of course, you can even incorporate deskercises if you want to get even fitter compared to your current fitness level.

Exercise regularly

Physical activity is a must if you want to stay healthy and fit, or even lose weight. However, when you spend as much time as you do at work, you probably feel too tired to hit the gym afterwards. Sometimes, waking up early to go to the gym is a completely unattractive option as well, and you shouldn’t force yourself to do something you thoroughly dislike. But, you still need that physical activity. So, what do you do? Instead of wasting time on a trip to the gym, why not work out at home? As long as you get functional fitness equipment and find effective YouTube videos showing the exercises, you can achieve amazing results with only 20 minutes a day from the comfort of your own home.

Talk to others from your office

You can’t be the only one facing the problem of staying fit when working full-time. There’s bound to be someone else among your colleagues who’s dealing with the same issue, or someone who’s found a way to make things work, and balance the job with healthy habits. Don’t hesitate to approach them. This is a great way to partner up and have someone to go through the changes with. Moreover, exercising and paying attention to your diet seems less stressful and impossible, when there’s someone by your side in the same circumstances and is doing the same thing as you.

Work is important, and no one claims differently. But it’s not as important as your health. You may not care about looking like top models or having a beach body, but staying fit is not just about that. It’s about your own well-being and mindfulness, and staying healthy, both physically and mentally. This is why you cannot ignore your body’s and mind’s needs, even when working full-time.