If your New Year’s Resolution this year is to get fit and exercise, but you’re already intimidated by a complete lack of spare time, read on! You’re busy, we get it, but are you really too busy to look after yourself?
Exercise, Fitness, and You
Spare time. Sorry, what was that again?! It can sometimes feel as though our lives are dedicated to work, chores, running errands for our friends and family, helping kids with at-home virtual learning, as well as catching up with our favorite shows and checking emails; it’s easy, therefore, to feel as though you have no time at all to even start a fitness regime, let alone regularly participate in one. We’re here to tell you that you’re wrong – there is ALWAYS time to keep fit, and we’ll tell you how.
So, how is exercise possible when your days are already so full? Have you ever considered making the most of the minutes in between? For example, a visit to the gym or pool doesn’t need to take a full morning or afternoon; an invigorating 30-minute session can be squeezed in before or after work, or even during the evening once your meal has gone down. You may even find the exercise does your mind and soul good too, as you escape from the hustle and bustle of every day life for a moment.
If hitting the gym sounds like hard work, why not incorporate a little exercise into your commute? Get off the bus or subway a few stops early, jog the last couple of blocks, or even cycle into work if you live within easy reach; you take from fitness what you put in, so be prepared to get up and go at a moment’s notice. If you spend a lot of your day huddled in front of a desk, using the elevator between meetings, or lounging in the break room try using the stairs, walking around to stretch your limbs, and even simple aerobic activities; you’ll feel so much better for it, and burn off the calories without even noticing. If you are working from home, take advantage of all that time you are saving by not commuting to the office every day!
Meanwhile, ensure that your diet reflects your new, healthier, can-do attitude; drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol, caffeine and foods that are high in sugar and fat and, teamed with your fitness regime, you’ll quickly notice a difference in your weight and mood.
Avoiding Injury During a Quick Workout
If you’re fitting a trip to the gym into your lunch break (at home or at work), aiming to jog to work every day, or using the stairs more than ever before, it can be tempting to forgo a simple warm up and cool down before and after every bout of exercise – you know, just to save time. Ignoring this advice can be incredibly risky, though, and increase your chances of succumbing to an injury such as a sprain, twist, or even a break. Stretching your muscles, increasing your heart rate with mild cardio exercises, and remembering to limber up before your fitness regime, and then winding down gently, and stretching out straight afterwards will help your muscles to prepare, and recover, as well as reducing that aforementioned risk of injury. Remembering to drink plenty of fluid, meanwhile, will keep you hydrated no matter how much you sweat.
Wearing the right clothing during exercise is absolutely vital if you want to remain injury-free, particularly if you’re hitting the gym or running any distance. Compression wear, for example, designed by Tommie Copper company is a great way to keep your muscles and joints in check, ensure that your circulation is regulated and control your temperature; fantastic news if you’re discovering a new, healthier way of life. Men’s compression shorts have been designed with health and fitness in mind and, along with a wide range of other compression garments, incredibly popular with fitness junkies and newbies alike – you’ll soon feel, and look, the part all of which can be found by clicking on http://www.tommiecopper.com/men-s-recovery-compression-shorts.
With busy days and hectic evenings, finding that spare moment to do a few jumping jacks, swim a lap, or even go to the gym, can be incredibly difficult especially if you are working from home now and have your kids at home doing virtual learning too. However, getting in shape and staying fit needn’t take all that long, and you may even find it becomes second nature during your every day.
