Does prioritising your health and fitness feel too time-consuming?
What would you say is the number one excuse people use for not pursuing fitness? Maybe it’s the lack of access to good information or a lack of energy.
These are valid excuses, but no. The primary excuse people use is the lack of time. “Oh, I would love to get fit, but I just don’t have the time. I have a full-time job, obligations, and kids to take care of.”
Carving out time to lead a healthier life can feel impossible at times. Luckily, working out and eating better doesn’t have to be as time-consuming.
Let’s discuss.
How to Train Effectively On a Tight Schedule
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Be Strategic With Your Time
There is always a way to save some time and be more productive. For example, instead of driving straight home after work, go to the gym instead. Doing so can save you the time you would otherwise spend getting home and preparing for a workout.
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Avoid Time-Wasting Activities
Time-wasting activities are everywhere. Here are some ways you might waste your time at the gym:
- Excessive warm-up/mobility work. A good warm-up shouldn’t take you longer than 10 minutes.
- Resting too long between sets. You should rest for 90 to 120 seconds between most of your sets.
- Distracting yourself with your phone. Keep it in the locker room while working out.
- Too much cardio. Some aerobic exercise can be beneficial, but direct most of your effort to weight training.
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Employ Intensity Techniques
Techniques like supersets, drop sets, and circuits can be beneficial for condensing more training in less time. Doing so would allow you to complete your workouts in less time and go about your day.
Eating Better When You Don’t Have Free Time to Cook Every Day
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Leverage Meal Prepping
Meal prepping means setting aside some time once a week and preparing food for up to a week in advance. Doing so can be a convenient way to eat well on a tight schedule, not worry about food during the week, and save money.
Here’s what you have to do:
- Decide what meals to cook
- Put together a grocery list
- Shop
- Cook the food
- Let everything cool
- Distribute into containers
- Pop in the fridge
- Clean up after yourself
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Buy Prepared Foods And Meals
Buying pre-bagged foods are not the best budget option, but it works well for people who don’t have the time but want to eat better. For example, you can get yourself pre-cut and packaged salads and frozen veggies.
Frozen meals can also work but be mindful of the added sodium. Good options include beef with veggies, a chicken bowl, and crispy chicken with rice.
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Collect Your Recipes
Looking for new recipes or recalling ones you’ve used in the past can be frustrating and time-consuming. Collecting your recipes in a notebook is a good way to save time and get straight to the cooking.
The next time you find a recipe you enjoy, take a couple of minutes to write it down. The longer you do that, the more recipes you will collect, and it will be easier to figure out what to eat.
Need extra help with prioritising your health and fitness? Book a complimentary consultation with our personal trainers. We can run you through a game plan of what you should be doing to get results.
