Balancing Work And Working Out
I get it all the time: "How do balance work with working out?" The key is in the organisation!
Now, I'm born and raised Swiss. If you know anything about Switzerland, you'll know that we feel the need to be really really ridiculously on time for everything. If our train says it's leaving at 12:11pm, it's leaving at 12:11pm, and it won't be waiting around for you. It's just the culture I grew up in! I think I've been blessed to be born an organised person though . I've never struggled too much with time management. At school, I used to always have to have completed my assignments a week before they were due. Paranoid? Yes, probably. But it's done me well so far!
I like to work out, a lot. I also like to work. Many would say that the two do not go hand in hand. It definitely can be hard sometimes to find the time. Here are some tips on how I like to stay organised so that I can fit my workout in.
Plan ahead: Maybe I'm really boring, but I pretty much always know what I'm doing every day of the week, a week in advance. I'm a bit OCD when it comes to planning my days, but it works in my favour. I work Mondays to Wednesdays, and then Thursdays to Sundays I'm at home working on Atlas. So on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights I do classes or my own workouts. They're easy to fit in, don't take a lot of time, and they're on a schedule. If you can, keep tabs on your week with an agenda. I like to use the calendar built into my iPhone... because it's always on me!
Book in: booking into classes means your far more likely to go! I also find classes a really motivational environment because you're surrounded by so many other people who are probably just as tired as you are, and you get a really good "we're all in it together" feel. And I feel guilty if I don't turn up.
Meal prepping: this is why I do so much of my baking on the weekends. I won't have time to do any of it during the week! I personally don't meal prep full meals for the week, because I don't like eating food that's not fresh, or the same thing every lunch and dinner. But if you don't mind, and you're really stuck for time, prepare your meals ahead of time on your weekend.
Cook quick and easy meals: On work nights, I stick to dinners which are quick and easy: salmon baked in the oven with sweet potato fries and peppers. Brown rice and chicken with green beans. Prawn, quinoa and mixed veggie stir fry. Healthy meals don't have to take long to prepare.
Do a HIIT workout: HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. It is THE way to get fit at the moment, and rightly so. HIIT workouts are quick to do and the best part about them? You carry on burning calories and building muscle for hours after you've completed them. So if you're really short of time, HIIT is perfect. No idea where to start? A really easy one is to get on any cardio equipment in the gym and do 30 seconds flat out with 15 seconds rest in between. Repeat that for 20 minutes. It will feel easy at first, but I promise you'll be exhausted by the end!
Keep your longer workouts for weekends: I do my PT sessions and longer workouts on days where I have more time. This simply means that it's less stressful for me, and I can plan my day around my workout.
Don't beat yourself up: If you get home from a really crappy day at work and you're just too tired, take a day off! It's great to plan and be organised, but sometimes life gets in the way. It's ok to take a day off!
Do you have any other tips for me on staying organised and balancing your work/workout life? I'd love to hear your thoughts, and what you do.
