Fitness Tip - Plan and Prepare. - 9/4/2007
By George Hillinger
BS Kinesiology
ACE Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
It is easy to get caught up in the modern day lifestyle. Getting consumed by work can be extremely stressful and leave little time to take care of your self. The problem with this lifestyle is that over time it leads to poor physical and mental health. Work related stress combined with poor exercise and eating habits jeopardizes your physical and mental wellbeing. Exercise has been proven to lower stress and improve function in the work environment. The key to breaking poor exercise and eating habits is to plan your exercise into your daily routine and to be prepared to eat healthy, by purchasing healthy foods ahead of time and bringing those foods with you to work.
It is hard for me to believe that people don’t have time to exercise. I know that if you really want to, you can make time to exercise. I have had many successful clients that have achieved their fitness goals despite working fifty or more hours per week. One thing holds true to all of my successful “overworked” clients; they plan ahead. Basically, you need to work your workout schedule into or around your work schedule. Many times, the best approach is to schedule your workouts first thing in the morning. That way, an unexpected meeting or workload won’t keep you from canceling your much needed workout. It is just too easy to skip going to they gym because you got off work an hour later than expected. By getting it done first thing in the morning you’ll eliminate a lot of excuses to skip your workouts. Everyone’s work schedule is different and the key is figuring out what works best for you. If you consistently get off work every day at the same time, you may find that it works best for you to go to the gym and blow off some steam after work. The point is to look at your schedule and plan exercise into your daily routine to make it a part of your lifestyle.
You also have to be prepared to make lifestyle changes. In addition to being prepared by bringing workout clothes with you for your workout, having healthy food planned and prepared for the week will keep you on track with healthy eating habits. Along with exercise, healthy eating habits tend to get lost in a busy work day. Our bodies are in constant demand for food and going longer than five hours without food can lead our body into starvation mode which slows our metabolic rate and encourages body fat gain. You need to have three planned meals with snacks in between to be on track with your eating habits. Obviously, the content of these meals and snacks is essential for your success. It is difficult to eat healthy with take-out and fast food. The problem with frequently eating out is that you don’t know exactly what you’re putting into your body. Even healthy menu choices can be ruined by unhealthy preparation (for example; fish cooked in a heavy butter sauce). Treat yourself by eating out on occasion but don’t indulge yourself with eating out every day. The easiest way is to take your lunch and snacks with you. Prepare ahead by picking a day every week to go to the store and buy the healthy foods you need for the week. It will not take any longer to prepare a healthy lunch (for example; a sandwich, piece of fruit and yogurt) than it would take you to get in your car to go to lunch and you will be eating a healthier meal.
With a little self-discipline and by planning and preparing yourself for healthy lifestyle changes, you will be able to switch bad habits into good habits. Once these habits are embedded and they have become a part of your lifestyle, you’ll feel better, function better, and never want to go back to the unhealthy lifestyle that once consumed you.
It is hard for me to believe that people don’t have time to exercise. I know that if you really want to, you can make time to exercise. I have had many successful clients that have achieved their fitness goals despite working fifty or more hours per week. One thing holds true to all of my successful “overworked” clients; they plan ahead. Basically, you need to work your workout schedule into or around your work schedule. Many times, the best approach is to schedule your workouts first thing in the morning. That way, an unexpected meeting or workload won’t keep you from canceling your much needed workout. It is just too easy to skip going to they gym because you got off work an hour later than expected. By getting it done first thing in the morning you’ll eliminate a lot of excuses to skip your workouts. Everyone’s work schedule is different and the key is figuring out what works best for you. If you consistently get off work every day at the same time, you may find that it works best for you to go to the gym and blow off some steam after work. The point is to look at your schedule and plan exercise into your daily routine to make it a part of your lifestyle.
You also have to be prepared to make lifestyle changes. In addition to being prepared by bringing workout clothes with you for your workout, having healthy food planned and prepared for the week will keep you on track with healthy eating habits. Along with exercise, healthy eating habits tend to get lost in a busy work day. Our bodies are in constant demand for food and going longer than five hours without food can lead our body into starvation mode which slows our metabolic rate and encourages body fat gain. You need to have three planned meals with snacks in between to be on track with your eating habits. Obviously, the content of these meals and snacks is essential for your success. It is difficult to eat healthy with take-out and fast food. The problem with frequently eating out is that you don’t know exactly what you’re putting into your body. Even healthy menu choices can be ruined by unhealthy preparation (for example; fish cooked in a heavy butter sauce). Treat yourself by eating out on occasion but don’t indulge yourself with eating out every day. The easiest way is to take your lunch and snacks with you. Prepare ahead by picking a day every week to go to the store and buy the healthy foods you need for the week. It will not take any longer to prepare a healthy lunch (for example; a sandwich, piece of fruit and yogurt) than it would take you to get in your car to go to lunch and you will be eating a healthier meal.
With a little self-discipline and by planning and preparing yourself for healthy lifestyle changes, you will be able to switch bad habits into good habits. Once these habits are embedded and they have become a part of your lifestyle, you’ll feel better, function better, and never want to go back to the unhealthy lifestyle that once consumed you.
*Consult your physician before starting any exercise or nutrition program. If you have a question about fitness, email me at george@2fitnessconnection.com and I may write about your question in the next tip of the month!