Life is busy. Work, family, church, volunteering….we know our health is important but finding time to exercise and eating healthy is nearly impossible.
Lack of time is the #1 reason given for not exercising. We make time for the activities we value. Most of us have a choice to make: make time to exercise or make time for doctor appointments. I love how Edward Stanley addresses this, “Those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.” Wouldn’t you rather put the time in now?
Do you believe exercise and a healthy diet are critical to you finishing life well? Do you believe that a healthy lifestyle will reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke, Alzheimers, diabetes or other life threatening illnesses?
The Facts:
“People who exercised during their workday were 23 percent more productive on those days than they were when they didn’t exercise”, says a recent study from the International Journal of Workplace Health Management.
Another study concluded, if you give 30 minutes to your exercise routine you actually gain 90 minutes because of increased productivity.
Don’t let your age or lack of exercise intimidate you from getting started. At 52, I feel stronger than I did at 22, and regularly hear the same thing from others who consistently exercise.
Start Off Slow: Before starting a new exercise plan it’s important to begin by getting approval from your doctor. Once approved, start slowly, listen to your body and be consistent. If you do this you will get stronger!
Multi-Muscle Workouts: When you’re ready to move on to a more challenging workout the best way to get the most from your scarce workout minutes is to incorporate multi-muscle exercises. Multi-muscle moves are exercises that incorporate both lower and upper body muscles into one movement: squats with a shoulder press and lunges with bicep curls are just two examples of multi-muscle exercises. Because multi-muscle exercises utilize so many muscles you will achieve an elevated heart and breathing rate which will give you the health benefits of a cardiovascular workout too.
Another effective and efficient way to exercise is to strength train without taking breaks. Once again you will strengthen your muscles and get a cardio workout.
“Re-Use” Food
Making time to plan your menu every week will not only save you time but prepare you for success. One of my favorite time saving techniques is to “re-use” food. What I mean by re-use is when I cook something I make extra to get multiple meals out of it. It takes the same amount of time to grill 4 lbs of chicken as it does 2 lbs.
Ready-To-Go Snacks
Another tip that will save you time and calories is to make ready-to-go snack bags. I always have something to eat in my purse (like dried fruit, raw nuts, carrots or even a sliced apple and cinnamon). If you snack when you start to get hungry, you will decrease the risk of overeating or eating something unhealthy (like fast food). Research shows eating smaller meals more frequently is better for our digestive system and overall health.
We hear often about tithing our time, talent and treasure and now it’s time to include your temple! You now have exercise routines to get you moving and a 5-day menu plan to make healthy cooking a snap. Get started today!
Written by: Michelle Spadafora
