Staying in Shape: Tips for Busy Individuals

For many of us, staying in shape was easy at one point in our life. However, everyone has a time in their lives where things just get crazy. If the crazy times last too long, it becomes much harder to stay in shape. Staying in shape almost always requires time and effort, and if your mind is elsewhere and your schedule is packed, exercise and health can be forgotten in the wake of you just being too busy.

Here are ways I have learned to stay loose, limber, and in shape despite being in one of the busiest times of my life:

Sprints

Sprints are exhausting. Sure, a hundred yards doesn’t sound like much, but try doing it a few times. Suddenly, you’ll realize just how hard it is to push your body to its limits, even for just a few seconds. I have learned that doing a few sprints every day can get your body metabolism going without requiring too much of your time. Sure, sprints are not going to keep you as slim as it would if you were a long-distance runner every day, but they do a lot for the small amount of time they take up.

There are proven benefits to doing any kind of exercise in the morning because it gets your body moving and makes everything flow a little better throughout the day. Sprints serve a two-fold benefit. Try doing three or four sprints in the morning. They only need to be a hundred yards or so.

Stretches

Staying in shape is more than just keeping your body weight at a healthy level. Part of staying in shape is also making sure that your joints and muscles are loose and limber. This can go a long way to keep you from hurting yourself and pulling muscles throughout the day. The best part about stretches is that they can be done anywhere, while doing anything else. I personally love to do stretches at work. This does require understanding co-workers, however. Here are ten stretches I do to keep my back and core limber throughout the week.

Punching bag

When people are thinking of exercise, they typically don’t think of a punching bag. This is a mistake. Working out with a punching bag is incredibly exhausting and just giving 5 to 7 minutes to the bag can make a monumental difference. One of the reasons I love the punching bag so much is the fact that it gives me the ability to let off steam. When you get home, spend a few minutes on the punching bag before starting your evening/night to-do tasks, and you will feel invigorated and less stressed.

Walk

Many people do not realize how many times they could opt to walk but choose to drive in a day. If you live within a few blocks of a grocery store, try walking there instead of driving. If you have kids, try to take them walking as an activity. If you are going to work, you can even park in the parking space that is farthest away from your building to force yourself to walk more to get to the office. Walking is an easy way to keep your body loose as well as stay in shape.

Don’t overeat

It is surprising how many people struggle with this. Oftentimes to lose weight or just stay at your current weight, you don’t need to make any huge dietary changes, you just need to stop eating when you are full. We often have the tendency to try to eat an entire second helping of something we really love to eat and then find ourselves feeling obligated to finish it. Buy a few plastic containers upfront and the moment you start to feel like you’re getting full, just put the leftover food in containers and save it for another day. It is surprising the kind of results this small change can bring to your health.

In conclusion, staying in shape doesn’t have to be a daunting task even when life gets busy. By incorporating short bursts of intense exercise like sprints, prioritizing stretching to keep your muscles and joints loose, utilizing a punching bag for a quick workout and stress release, opting to walk instead of drive whenever possible, and practicing portion control to avoid overeating, you can maintain your fitness level and overall health even during the busiest of times. Remember, taking care of your body is a lifelong commitment, and prioritizing your well-being is essential for a long and healthy life.