Balancing Work and Workouts

Schedule Your Workouts Like You Schedule Your Work Meetings

Make a plan. Put your workouts on your calendar. I am always more likely to complete a workout that I have scheduled than one I have not, especially if it is a workout class or session I have paid money for. Plan out your week so that you are doing something to move your body every day. You do not have to be in the gym 7 days a week to get in a good sweat. At home workouts can be very effective and conducive to busy work schedules. There are a multitude of fitness apps, online classes and trainers, and workout videos that you can do from the comfort of your own home. The options are truly endless, so the biggest step is truly making a commitment to actually start. One practice I use is every Sunday night I write out my workouts for the entire week on my kitchen calendar. It serves as both a reminder and an symbol of accountability for my workout routine.

Determine Times That Work Best for you

Are you the sunrise yogi or the midnight burner? Personally, I prefer to do my workouts in the early mornings before I fully get into my day. Morning workouts for me are great kickstarts to the rest of the day. They give me the energy and push I need to tackle the projects and agenda I have set for that day. After early morning workouts I tend to be more focused and efficient with the tasks at hand. I usually get more done on mornings when I workout before work than on mornings when I do not. Afternoon workouts can also provide a midday surge of energy to help you get through the rest of the workday. Find out what times work best for you and try to stick to that routine. Getting into a steady routine will help your body start to expect and anticipate your workout to the point where you might start to feel out of sorts when you miss consecutive planned workouts.

Meal Prep

Cooking takes time. Whether it is ordering in or making the meals yourself, if you prepare what you will be eating for the week ahead of time, you are more likely to eat balanced meals at proper meal times. Meal prep helps avoid snacking and eating disproportional meals because you have already taken the stress out of deciding what to eat. A great way to make a meal stretch and not have to eat the same thing every day is to make things that can be put together in different ways. For example you can cook rice and veggie noodles and use various ingredients in your refrigerator to create different rice and pasta bowls throughout the week. Also, meals like overnight oats and protein balls are great to have prepared beforehand and eat in mornings before workouts. They are quick and require no prep time allowing you to sleep in longer before you need to be up for your workout. If you take the stress out of deciding what to eat by meal prepping you can save yourself from unhealthy choices when you are hungry.