It can be a real struggle to stay fit when you work 9 - 5. We went to personal fitness trainer Eve of Flourish-ious.com for her tips on fitting in fitness!
Eve is a native of San Francisco, and now a London based blogger and fitness trainer - for more help on how to stay fit when you work, visit her blog at Flourish-ious.com and shop wellbeing supplements to help you stay fit here at allbeauty.
It’s no lie that a fair amount of us work a desk job *sigh. And I’ve recently joined the ranks after working full time as a personal trainer for over six years. The transition has been a challenging one since I’m used to being very active with training clients, teaching classes and working out twice per day. I haven’t officially said goodbye to the training world, but more that I’m expanding my horizons. As a result of my change in lifestyle, I’ve had to start taking the advice that I gave my clients for years and am now experiencing some of the challenges many of them face on a daily basis, like going to the gym after work when you’re exhausted...
HERE ARE MY TEN TIPS FOR STAYING FIT WHILE WORKING A 9-5FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU
And be honest. If you know you’re not going to wake up at 5:30 so you can be at the gym for 7am, don’t try it. If you know you hate the gym then don’t sign up for a gym membership that you are going to waste your hard-earned money paying for. Instead, find what you like and what you are honestly going to work towards. I know I don’t like working out after work so I get my workouts in before I get to work. The last thing I want to do is come home, eat dinner, and then have to trek out to the gym after I’ve gotten comfortable. It’s just not my hour of power.
SCHEDULE YOUR WORKOUTS
This will prevent you from skipping out on them entirely if you treat them like an actual appointment. You can also sign up for an actual fitness class (if your schedule permits) to keep you from making excuses. This can also be social, where you meet other people with similar goals.
LEAVE THE OFFICE FOR LUNCH
I know things can get busy but I feel terrible if I don’t leave the office, even for just a little bit to get some fresh air, move my legs, and stretch.
SCHEDULE TIME FOR YOURSELF
Being fit isn’t just about making time for the gym, it’s about wellness. Are you making time for things that you want to do? Read the next step to find out what that is.
WAKE UP EARLIER THAN YOU NEED
Ok so you may think I’m crazy but I wake up an hour earlier than I actually need to so that I can read! Oh yeah and workout ha! I do get some reading done on the train sometimes but most of the time it’s in audio format since I do tend to get motion sickness.
MEAL PREP + PLAN MEALS
If you are conscious of your meals and don’t feel like coming home and having to figure out what the heck you’re going to eat for dinner, plan ahead! I hate coming home and staring into my fridge for ten minutes (not really ten) trying to figure out what to make. It’s tiring and a waste of time. So about once a week I’ll go through some of my fav recipe blogs and pick out recipes I want to try.
FOCUS ON FLEXIBILITY
If you don’t it will come and haunt you later with back pain or a potential injury from the gym or just in general. Weak hip flexors, glutes, and tight hamstrings can lead to some pretty painful injuries if you let your muscles get tight.
NO MORE FOOD SHAMING!
I’m a big fan of the anti-diet. What’s the best diet to follow? One that you can actually stick with and if you’re like most of us diets don’t really stick anyways. Which is why I’m a huge supporter of eating a balanced diet and not labeling certain foods bad, or a “cheat meal”. Food is just food. Some food just needs to be eaten more sparingly. Don’t shame yourself too much over your food choices or guilt trip yourself, it just leads to more psychological problems.
KEEP YOUR ROUTINE FRESH
But most of all have fun! Try new workout formats or sign up for a new event - or even hire a trainer.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO IT ALL
Ok, this is going to be a hard one especially for someone like me who is always on the go. They don’t call me the pocket rocket for nothin’. Many of us millennials are all about the hustle and the side hustle. We tend to do the most A LOT. We want to do it all and we just can’t. Some things just have to be left for tomorrow. Focus on what’s a priority.
