As anybody with a full-time job knows, finding time for yourself can be incredibly difficult. Balancing work, a social life, staying fit and healthy, and childcare is no mean feat, and finding even one day a week to do some proper exercise is some time management worth celebrating.
Staying healthy is not purely about exercise, however. This guide will run through improving health using a number of different tricks and methods that will allow for better living to fit around your various commitments.
Making time
It isn’t always as simple as setting aside an hour a day for exercise, be it a home workout, a run, or a trip to the gym. Life gets in the way, especially long working hours. Around 42% of Brits say they don’t have enough time for exercise, with almost 25% believing they stay at work too late.
This is not an easy problem to solve, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer for making the time to exercise, or even to ensure you cook healthy dishes. Negotiating with your workplace could be a good place to start. A good boss listens to their employees’ needs, and if you and multiple colleagues were to inform them that their working hours do not permit you to live healthily, there is a chance they might act upon it.
Otherwise, look at the rest of your schedule and consider what could be sacrificed or shortened in favour of a quick 30-minute workout. You should not be giving your diary a complete overhaul, more devising a small reshuffle in your mornings or evenings to help you feel and look better.
Getting the gear
With expenses often going on your children’s lives and wellbeing, your commute and your home, it’s time to save a penny or two for yourself.
Gym equipment can certainly be expensive, but splashing out on the high-end workout clothes is usually worth it for the quality and comfort they provide. In order to save money to justify these purchases, consider working out from home more to remove the cost of a gym membership.
Everyday household items can be used as part of a fitness circuit, such as stairs, chairs, and books. This is another way of getting the gym gear you need for a satisfactory workout without the expenditure. If you did want a quality set of weights – or if you cannot justify the cost of some nice gym wear – one solution is always to make it your next requested birthday or Christmas present.
Working out around work
Working out at home is one solution, but fitting it into a work schedule is quite another prospect. As mentioned, discussing this with your boss or manager could be a wise move, but there is, of course, the chance that they disregard your request outright.
If that is the case, having some alternative suggestions or solutions up your sleeve is vital. You could request, if your job allows it, to work from home one or more days a week. Working from home gives you more time in the day, due to not having a commute, and would allow you to do short workouts on your lunch break, for instance.
If this is not possible, consider running or cycling to work if there are shower facilities you could use when you arrive. Otherwise, look for opportunities to be more active when you are in the workplace, such as taking stairs between floors.
Eating and supplementing
Being aware of the importance of eating well while working out is a huge step to being able to stay healthy as a working mum. Many workers returning home after a long day in the office are susceptible to a stop at the corner shop for some chocolate or an unneeded bag of crisps, which is wholly understandable.
That said, having a generally balanced diet and finding the time to take in the nutrients and vitamins you need to boost the effects of your exercise is critical. Protein blends, vegan snack boxes, and other plant-based sports nutrition are available from Myvegan and will help you on the way to a healthier lifestyle.
Cutting down on meat intake in general – while maintaining the appropriate levels of the nutrients lost by doing so such as protein – is a worthwhile endeavour that will not require any extra time or effort, aside from a little meal planning.
According to PETA, adopting a vegan diet can improve your skin, as well as having the more internal benefits that such a lifestyle brings you, such as increased energy levels.
Friends and family
Involve your friends and family in your quest to be healthier as a working mum. Whether it be exercising more, eating less junk food, or even switching to a vegan diet, these are all fun and productive challenges and activities that those close to you might want to join in with. Some ideas to do this are:
Organising a running club might take time and commitment, but you would be benefiting yourself while providing an exciting service for others.
Challenging your friends to lose or gain a few pounds - depending on your need - over the course of a couple of weeks might be the healthy competition you need to motivate yourself.
Ask your children (if they are of cooking age, of course) to prepare one healthy meal per week. Meals could be scored to create a fun and friendly competition.
Involving your children
Getting your children invested in a healthy lifestyle is perhaps the most important step for improving both their and your lives. If you are finding it hard to exercise enough or eat healthy food often because of commitments to your children, include them in your health journey instead.
You should not force particular diets or exercise regimes on your family, but encouraging them to support you as you try to find more time for yourself and your body should not be too difficult. After all, it will benefit them just as much as it will benefit you.
