When you are busy working, sometimes you may find that your levels of health and fitness can take a backseat. Often they take a backseat unintentionally. To regain and take control of your body and your overall health, you have to put in the legwork. Maintaining a healthy and strong body all year round requires dedication to a few lifestyle fundamentals.
- you have to prepare for results – mentally and by keeping your body healthy
- you have to follow a healthy, maintainable diet and nutrition plan
- you have to follow a proven workout routine customized for your personal needs
If you do not have a mix of all of these elements, then you will struggle to get your body looking and feeling how you want it to. When it comes to getting in shape, there is no overnight fix. You need to put in the work, and you need to maintain the work to get visible results that last.
Create a Workout Routine
One of the first things you need to do is create a workout routine. You will not get the strong and toned body you desire without putting in the hard work. A good workout routine needs to focus on all of your body and not just specific areas. You can, of course, focus on specific areas later down the line, but to begin with, you need to focus on an overall workout that builds your strength and keeps you fit and healthy. When you are creating a workout routine, think about what you want to do and how often. For example, if you are hitting the gym three times a week, do you want to focus on running or weight work? Do you want to do the same thing every time you hit the gym?
Building Up Your Time in the Gym
Of course, after some time, your body will get used to your current routine, and you will struggle to see the results of your workout. When this happens, you then need to focus on building up what you do and when you do it. In short, you will need to increase the amount of time you are in the gym. If you do not focus on increasing your gym time, then you will not push your fitness and your body forwards. You may maintain a good figure and physique, but you will struggle to push your body to the maximum. It is always advisable to progressively increase your time at the gym. Do not jump in and ramp up your exercise and activity levels, and instead focus on steady progress and growth.
Nutrition – You Are What You Eat
To truly get the body you want, you will need to focus on your nutrition as much as anything else. If you are not eating a healthy and balanced diet, then you will not be able to build your strength or your muscles. What you put into your body has an impact on the results you get. So, if you want to get the best results, you need to focus on creating and introducing meals into your diet that are full of protein and nutrition. You have to find a balanced diet that works for you, and this may take time.
When you focus your attention and your time on nutrition and good food, you can then ensure that you get effective results each time you hit the gym. If your diet is not as healthy or as nutritious as it can be, then this is something that you need to rectify as soon as possible.
Fitting in Exercise
When you are busy working, it can be difficult to find the time to exercise. You only have so many hours in the day, and when you also need to allow time for sleep and food, you will quickly see how precious and valuable your time spent not working is. To fit in the exercise, you may need to commit to hitting the gym at night, early in the morning, or even during your work break. To get all of the exercises that you want to, you may find that there will be times when you simply have to compromise. If you are not prepared to compromise on other areas of your life, then truly, how committed are you to getting the body you want?
Exercising Around Work
If you have a busy job, such as that of a Family Nurse Practitioner, or if you have a job that works different shift patterns, you may struggle to exercise around work. Fitting in exercise is one thing, but if you cannot build a regular routine, then you will not push forwards and progress with your fitness and body goals. If your working hours are consuming and not overly flexible, then you might find it worthwhile creating a fitness plan that focuses on the periods when you don’t work. For instance, if you work Monday to Friday, then your focus and attention might be getting in your workouts in the evenings or at weekends.
Setting Goals and Targets
When you are busy with workouts, work and fitness can all blur into one, and you can struggle to find the motivation to keep going and get to the peak level of fitness that you want. To help you keep on track and help you achieve your full potential, you need to focus on setting goals and targets. If you do not set targets and goals, then you may struggle to maintain the right level of focus, drive, and determination. When you are setting targets and goals, it is important that they are achievable and sustainable. For example, aiming to get a six-pack in two weeks is not going to happen. If you set achievable or unrealistic targets, then you will feel like a failure, and this is no good for your mindset.
Fluids Matter
What you eat and how you workout is important, but so too is what you drink. If you are not drinking at least 2 liters of water each day, you will struggle to feel good, and you will struggle to get your body looking and feeling like you want it to. Cutting down on the amount of caffeine that you drink is also beneficial too.
To ensure that you drink enough water throughout the day, you need to ensure that you drink regularly. Depriving your body of sufficient water (especially before or after a workout) is not going to be beneficial to your health and overall wellness.
Letting Go of the Snacks
Getting your body to look and feel great needs total commitment. Something that is very hard to let go of is snacking. When you are busy and going around doing errands, sometimes reaching for snacks is easier than anything. Letting go of this snacking habit and replacing your snacks with something such as a glass of water or an ice cube will be beneficial to you and to your diet. If you eat a healthy and balanced diet, then you have no need for snacks or snacking, so remember this when you reach for those chips.
Reaching for Protein Shakes
When you are busy rushing around completing errands or simply working, you may find it beneficial to reach for protein shakes. Protein shakes often contain everything you need to top up your diet. Protein shakes are handy and convenient, and they are ideal as a complement to your existing diet and lifestyle. Of course, protein shakes should not be seen as an alternative or replacement to a well-balanced diet. To find the best protein shakes for you, it is worth investing your time and effort into researching the available products. Taking time to look at the ingredients on the shakes will ensure that you are not consuming any additional calories or any hidden sugars or fats.
Core Strength Matters
When you focus on improving and building your core strength, you ensure that you put yourself in a good position for exercise and muscle building in the future. If your core strength or core stability is not where it needs to be, then this is something that you need to start focusing on. Building up your core strength will help your overall fitness and strength, so do not underestimate the importance of core strength to your overall level of fitness and strength.
Building Your Strength and Muscles
Once you have your core strength in check, you then need to focus on building your overall strength. Once your overall strength is improved sufficiently, you can then begin to shift your efforts onto building muscle. Focusing on strength and building muscle separately is positive because it ensures that your effort and your time are correctly dedicated. If you try to undertake both at the same time, then the results that you get might not be as good as they could be if you focus your attention.
Final Thoughts
To help you stay on track with maintaining a healthy and strong body all year round, you need to make regular improvements to your nutritional habits and exercise performance. Switching up your current regime and then tweaking it will help you achieve a body that you can be proud of. There are quite a few workout routines at Project Swole that you can use to get started such as Swole 3×5 and there are some options to overhaul your routine into a new focus such as HIIT training to focus more on conditioning. Pick a routine, put 3 months into mastering it, and you’ll be thrilled to have put in the time, energy, and focus.
