How you reap the benefits of wellness (for busy people)

If you’re like most people, you don’t have time to exercise—not enough hours in the day and too much on your plate. Plus, starting a new exercise routine can be intimidating, especially if you haven’t exercised in a long time or are more out of shape than you’d like to admit. Even if you find time to get in some physical activity, it’s probably not enough to improve your health as much as you’d like. So what’s the solution? 

It’s important to realize that you don’t need to spend hours at the gym or invest in fancy meal delivery kits to get the health benefits of exercise and healthy eating. With some focus, determination, and careful planning, it’s possible to reap benefits while spending only limited amounts of time on your endeavor—and even making progress toward multiple goals at once!

The article below will give you some great information on how you can improve your fitness without spending hours upon hours in the gym or working out from home. 

Follow these simple daily routine habits to reap a lot of benefits:

• Change your morning routine

The biggest reason people feel they don’t have time to exercise is that they’re getting up too late in the morning. That’s right; it’s not that we don’t have time, but we aren’t willing to prioritize it at an earlier hour. If you like working out first thing in the morning, try giving yourself three days (at least) to adjust by going to bed 15-30 minutes earlier each night and adjusting your wake time accordingly. On day four, you’ll be waking up early enough for your new workout routine.

• Don’t skip breakfast 

It’s important to have meals and healthy snacks on time—particularly breakfast—to keep your metabolism humming. Breakfast eaters have healthier diets, better blood sugar control, and are less likely to gain weight than people who skip breakfast. In fact, studies suggest that making sure you get some protein at every meal (including breakfast) can help you lose weight and keep it off. This is because eating protein helps balance your hormones and regulate your metabolism, so you burn calories more efficiently throughout the day instead of storing them as fat.

• Drink more water

Studies show that hydration improves focus, energy levels, and overall mood. If you’re not drinking enough water, consider setting yourself a daily goal. For example, eight 8-ounce glasses equate to 64 ounces—or 21⁄2 quarts! While that may sound like a lot of fluid, experts say it’s just right for most people. Set the alarm to go off every time you finish one full glass—that way; you can ensure you stay on track with your personal benchmark.

• Don’t skimp on sleep

The National Sleep Foundation says adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night and that sleep deprivation can lead to weight gain.  While it’s tempting to stay up late working or watching TV, try your best to keep a regular bedtime—and if you have trouble falling asleep at night, consider taking naps during the day. Not only will they help you catch up on missed sleep, but they’ll give you energy.

• Avoid stress whenever possible

To avoid stress, whenever possible, avoid communication with unpleasant people, uncomfortable work, problems in personal life, failures in creativity, or favorite activities. Having fewer things to do every day will help us achieve more peace and happiness. Getting through life isn’t about taking on everything at once; it’s about picking our battles wisely and avoiding unnecessary stress and challenges when we can.

• Enter physical activity into your daily routine 

Physical activity is an essential part of health—and it has other advantages, too. If you struggle to find time for exercise in your daily schedule, don’t worry; we have plenty of tips that can help you squeeze some physical activity into your day. Take ten minutes at work and do something to increase your heart rate—go up and down some stairs, stand on your feet while talking on the phone with customers or clients, or just walk around.

• Yoga and meditation 

Meditation is one of those great life skills that it’s hard to believe isn’t more common. It’s simple, accessible, and even enjoyable—think about all your friends who regularly visit yoga classes or meditate in their spare time.

If you haven’t tried meditation yourself yet, it might be because you don’t think you have enough time to fit it into your schedule; but did you know that 10 minutes can do wonders for your mental health? Experts say there are many benefits to practicing just 10 minutes per day, including stress reduction and improved focus. The best part is that no matter how busy you are, there will always be room for ten minutes of meditation at some point during your day!

• Practice mindfulness 

Mindfulness can be defined as paying attention to what’s happening in and around you in each moment. It’s about noticing and appreciating experiences—no matter how small or seemingly insignificant—as they occur. Mindfulness practice is not reserved for your downtime but can be applied at work too. 

• Use the weekends

Don’t forget to plan and prioritize your workouts on your weekends. After all, that’s when you have more time. Yes, I know you also have responsibilities like family commitments and errands that need to be run, but with a little planning, you can do it all without sacrificing your fitness goals.

Let’s Sum Up

It might seem impossible, but starting—and sticking to—good habits will make your day-to-day life easier. Start by focusing on one habit at a time (e.g., drinking more water). Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to start an array of new routines at once. Changing too many behaviors at once is counterproductive and can lead to failure.  Focus on building just one good habit before moving on to another. Once you have that down, focus on building another positive behavior into your routine. The key is to build good habits slowly and surely, so they become second nature over time.

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