Get More Fitness & Nutrition In Your Day

Join the rest of us who are feeling all over the place and overwhelmed with everything that has been going on during the pandemic! I have felt this exact feeling myself too! I know that on most days, between trying to handle the anxiety, the workload, the family and our general well being, that our fitness and nutrition comes up last in our daily schedule.

There just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day to accomplish everything and it can feel like an added stress when trying to integrate healthy habits in your busy schedule. But I can tell you this, from my own experience, that when I make the time for healthy habits and healthy choices, I find myself with a lot more energy, patience and a much better mood to handle my day and my family. This lowers my stress and helps me get through my challenges.

Here are a few easy things your can do yourself to help improve your overall well being during this time, not just for when you show up for your family.

DRINK WATER - Water is the best thing we can give our bodies. It gives us energy, helps break down fat, improves digestion, improves skin, helps fight fatigue and keeps our whole system working at it's best ability.

STOCK UP ON HEALTHY SNACKS - Bag of nuts, chopped carrots, fresh or dried fruit, hummus with rice cakes or cottage cheese with ready chopped veg or a protein bar are all healthy options to keep at hand while at home or are portable for those of us on the go. Keep your blood sugar levels running smoothly through the day with the right snacks to sustain your energy and also keep your mood swings in check.

CUT DOWN ON COFFEE AND SOFT DRINKS - These type of drinks will dehydrate you and create a rush of energy and then leave you with a crash. Try some healthy green tea instead.

MEAL PLAN - Once a week just take 15 mins to organise some meal plans for the week and keep them simple and easy

CUT BACK ON REFINED SUGAR - By cutting back on these types of sugars, you help reduce calories and weight gain and also avoid unwanted energy drops and crashes during the day. These types of sugars are found in soft drinks, cereals, baked goods, candy, cookies and cakes.

BATCH COOKING - When you whip a meal, try and double the ingredients so you end up with two batches instead of one. Stock one int he freezer. This saves you a lot of time in the following weeks when your pressed for time to cook or when you need an evening off, just grab that extra batch from the freezer, defrost and heat and your good to go

GET ENOUGH SLEEP - I know how tempting it is to stay awake and watch just another episode of your latest Netflix series or film. But try and not give in to that temptation and keep in mind how much better you will be with that extra hour of sleep instead. You will be way more productive and your cognitive functioning will be a lot better too. Running on low amounts of sleep also reduces your immunity levels too, so it is more likely you will get sick.

FIT IN EXERCISE WHEN YOU CAN - By this I mean, even if its just a quick 5 min burn out or 10 - 20 workout video to follow. If you can schedule in a class (online or in studio) in your diary that's even better, but when time is very tight, even just 5 mins of movement will make a huge difference. Make sure it is something you enjoy and can look forward to. It will help to reduce your stress, clear your head and give you a boost of happy endorphins.

GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK - There are going to be just some days that you try and do it all, but will not manage! Cut yourself some slack, sometimes things do not turn out as we plan, or our energy levels that day just do not kick in full gear. Mental health is also something to take seriously and some days we just need a time out to handle the mental health load, so take that time you need and you can get back on track the next day.