Monday 23 August 2010

Fitting it all in

The city life is a busy life ... long working days, client entertaining and busy social schedules ... add into the mix some kids and a commute and free time becomes a thing of the past.

Healthy eating, exercise and taking time to relax also easily becomes a long distant memory contributing to the post baby spare tyre in many a male banker and the stressed out over tired working mother.

Whilst it can sometimes feel like there's no time for anything other than working, eating and sleeping (or not sleeping if you also have young children to care for) it is rarely totally impossible to find some time to take care of yourself, and the value of doing so shouldn't be underestimated.

There are two key approaches to fitting it all in:
(1) Establishing a routine
Establishing a daily routine that allocates time for exercise, relaxation, healthy eating and sleep is extremely beneficial. It needs to be practical so you can stick to it (trying to fit in one hours exercise, 30mins relaxation and a three course home-cooked dinner every day may be tricky) and you need to accept that there will occasionally be days when the routine has to go out the window.

Important items to schedule are:

- establishing regular sleeping hours

- allocating some time for daily exercise, even if it's just a twenty minute walk to work

- make sure you fit in ten minutes to unwind each day, either when you get home, just before you go to bed, or if you have a full house maybe a ten minute break during your workday

- try and make time to eat un distracted and slowly. Even if you can only take a 15minute lunch break try and eat away from the desk, or whilst you eat turn off your screens so you can eat without distraction. Stop thinking about work or anything else and just enjoy your food.

- try to get 20minutes sunlight exposure each day, this might be whilst you wait for a bus, walk to the train station or during your lunch break. This is particularly important during the winter months for vitamin D synthesis.

(2) The second technique to fitting everything in is to break down tasks into bite size pieces:

- If you can't fit in an hour at the gym don't worry, do 20minutes exercise each day, rather than one or two long sessions per week. Body for Life interval training is great for this and I've heard rave reviews of the Davina dvds for a twenty minute home work out. Get some dumbells and alternate cardiovascular exercise with a short weights/toning routine.

- Don't spend hours in the kitchen, especially on a week night. Instead of planning over ambitious cuisine make simple quick dinners and add some salad to leftovers for quick lunches for work. Keep your fridge full of salad vegetables, smoked mackerel, organic chicken breasts (which cook in 6 minutes on a george foreman grill) and eggs. Stock your freezer with frozen veg, frozen fish and seafood and frozen fruit and your cupboards full of tinned pulses and tomatoes, sardines and healthy snacks (corn, rice or oat cakes, nuts, seeds, whey protein for smoothies). That way you can always rustle up a quick healthy meal or snack without eating into your evening.

- Sleep is an under-rated health aid that is often sacrificed in the face of a full schedule. Try going to bed just ten minutes earlier or setting the alarm ten minutes later to get some extra sleep, it might not sound like much but over a year it adds up to 2.5 days extra sleep!

- Practice switching off mentally, even just for a few minutes each day. Work up to ten minutes of complete zoning out. If you struggle read 'The Power of Now'

With a bit of planning you'll be surprised what healthy activities you can fit into your busy day and you'll be doing yourself a big healthy favour.
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