Friday, August 19, 2011

A Special Guest Post by Running, Loving, Living

We all have excuses including myself but can we really justify these excuses when it comes to our health…I think not. I had all the tips to working out when I wasn't working 5 days a week and they were good tips. Now that I am working 5 days a week I think I may need to modify them a bit or in the very least take my own advice more seriously. Lori was nice enough to have me guest blog and now I am going to give you some tips on how to stay fit while working, raising a family and trying to stay sane all at the same time.

  1. Plan:  If you fail to plan then you plan to fail.  This is so true whether it comes to exercise or healthy meal planning if I don't plan it out ahead of time I am less likely to follow through with my intentions of working out or cooking a healthy dinner.  My intention is to plan out my exercise and meals for the week on Sunday so I do not leave anything to chance.  When I actually follow through on this step my week works out pretty well but when I fail to plan I tend to slack on both the exercise and healthy eating.  Take one day a week and plan out all your exercise and meals, you will be much more likely to follow through if your routine is written down in black and white. 
  1. Early AM Workouts: Getting up early and getting your workout done first thing leaves no excuses for leaving out a workout that has been planned. This particular tip is essential for me because if I don't workout early I am not likely to workout after work because I am tired, I have to cook dinner and I just want to spend time with my family. If you start your day with exercise you will not only start your day feeling accomplished but your energy levels will soar…..so give it a try!
  1. Exercise DVDs:  This month has been so crazy for me that I think without the selection of 20 minute exercise DVDs that I have at home I probably would have worked out even less, if that is possible.  When I come home from work and I am tired a 20 minute strength training DVD is not only doable but it also gives me energy.  The fact that these workouts are only 20 minutes leaves me with very few excuses of why I can't do one, everyone has enough time to complete a 20 minute workout.
  1. Release the pressure:  Sometimes a workout is not going to get done and sometimes we are going to eat an unhealthy meal and that is okay.  I personally put a lot of pressure on myself to get it all done, but sometimes it is just not possible and by pressuring myself I just increase my stress levels.  By taking a more laid back attitude and real easing the pressure I actually get more done and stress less.  
  1. Just do it:  When you have a plan and you just are feeling lazy or not wanting to work out, just do it for 5 minutes.  I guarantee 95% of the time you will finish your workout.  If after 5 minutes you are really not feeling it then stop, at least you know you gave it a shot.
I could probably go on forever with tips on how to squeeze workouts into your busy day but I am going to leave you with my top 5.  Know that your health is in your hands and that you need to make exercise a priority, only you can do this for yourself.  I can ramble on and give you 1000 tips but unless you choose to follow them by making healthy living a priority non of them will matter.  As a nurse I see what happens to people when they don't take care of themselves and live unhealthily, trust me when I say you don;t want to travel down that road.  Live a long, healthy life by making healthy living a priority for you and your family. 


I appreciate Toni taking the time to do a guest post for us. She is the author of Running, Loving, Living. She offers excellent tips on health and fitness, all while juggling work and family. Be sure to visit her blog and let her know that you enjoyed her post!


6 comments:

Undercover Dieting said...

I started loving 20 minute workouts after trying the shred. What dvds would you recommend? I'm very interested in 20 minutes of hard cardio (and not so much strength), but any kind of recommendations would be appreciated! :)

Christy @ My Dirt Road Anthem: A Runner's Blog said...

I do short workout from BodyRock.tv, they are free, hard and most are easy to do at home with minimal or no equipment. Her older workouts are my favorites

Julia said...

yay! thanks for checking out my blog! excited to follow you as well...and I love these tips. I totally agree about working out in the am and just getting it in and I have recently found a new love for workout dvds...they add a nice variety to my other workouts!

Running, Loving, Living said...

Thanks for having me!!! @Undercover dieting try Marta Montenegro's MM21 series, all the workouts are awesome and only 21 minutes piece!!!

jillconyers said...

Your 5 tips are exactly what I would have recommended. They work and make it possible for me to workout or run 7 days/week.

Amy said...

Your tips are great! It always helps to hear things like that to put things into perspective!