Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Stace: "Take Care of Your Body, and it Will Take Care of You."

Oftentimes, I hear people complain that they "just don't have the time anymore," and that's understandable, to a certain extent. Between working a full-time job, cooking dinner, caring for children, working overtime, not getting enough sleep, etc., who has TIME to workout these days?! Who has time to sit down and eat a meal?

Here are some helpful tips to get you back on track, no matter what your schedule looks like:

1- Make YOU a priority.
It's difficult to put yourself first. Usually you can start thinking about yourself only after your kids are cared for, dogs are fed, tasks are completed, dinner is on the table, chores are checked off, etc. but in order to be a good mother, daughter, father, son, brother, sister, worker, friend, husband, wife, it's important to feel good about yourself. If you're working at your prime, you are able to give more to the people and things that are important in your life. Putting your health at the top of your "to do" list is so very important and beneficial, and believe it or not, adds to your productivity.

2- Find time.
"Stacy, you don't understand..."
Believe you me, I do. I have a full-time job that requires me to be in the city by 7am. I don't get home until after 5. After work, I have so many other projects in the works and teaching my dance/fitness classes, that I hardly feel like I have a second to myself. Amongst all the madness, I find myself CRAVING a workout (those endorphins are something, let me tell ya). Usually I go for one that requires lots of physical motion with minimal thinking lol (enter running and yoga, how I love thee). The trick is to find the workout regimen and time that works for you. Ask yourself:
a. Are you a morning person (ahem, no), a night owl, or more of an "after work" exerciser?
b. What days do you have some free time- on the weekends? Mondays and Thursdays? Designate certain days that you will devote to your physical fitness.
c. What kinds of exercise do you enjoy? Weight training, running, pilates, spinning? Write down the things you enjoy and designate the days you will perfrom these activities.

3- Be realistic with your time.
Every little bit counts. If you want to devote 5 days a week to working out, but realistically only have 3 available days, then make the best out of those days. You don't need to be in the gym 6x a week, twice a day, for 2 hours a pop, to see results. If anything, that's detrimental to your health (overtraining), a topic I will write about very soon!

4- Every decision counts.
For once, I'm going to say "don't look at the bigger picture." Instead, look at each decision for what it is. Each time you choose a healthy meal, each time you give your body adequate rest, each time you work out, you are making a positive decision that benefits your overall health. Each small step leads to may-jah progress ;)

5- Just DO IT.
Stop mulling over all the reasons and excuses as to why you can't do something, and use that time to figure out how you can get it done. Most importantly, GET IT DONE! Have an hour to spare? Go for a light jog, do a quick weight training workout, stretch, prepare a healthy meal, read up on new exercise methods, research different recipes and food options. The information is available to you, utilize it!

I'll add more later- gotta get back to work! Hope everyone is having a great Tuesday =)

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