How to Balance Work, Life and Exercise - 5 Tips
We’ve all heard the term ‘work/life balance’, but what does it actually mean?
Well it's defined as: A state of equilibrium in which the demands of both a person's job and life are equal.
Now throw a healthy, active lifestyle in there… Not easy, eh?
For true balance, it’s not needed for the exact time spent working and exact time spent socializing, with family or in the gym to be equal. However, it's about spending the required time in those sections of life to reach the goal that you have decided on and are happy with. But if one aspect takes over, the others can fail, leading to life dissatisfaction and potential job failure.
It’s important to keep in mind that your life and work demands are different from the person next to you and the person next to them. When you might have kids in busy sports and they might have an intense training program in the gym. They might have a back injury they are rehabbing and you might be fitting marathon training into your 60+ hour work week. No two people are the same, and neither are their schedules
Tips to improve work life balance with an active lifestyle
Remember that a workout or training session doesn’t need to be an hour or more. Any movement is better than no movement. So, a 30 minute resistance workout, 45 minute yoga class or a 20 minute walk are great options. Even a couple quick movement snacks throughout the day will benefit your health and great a new habit.
Prioritize sleep! Sleep is when your body and brain recover from the day and process information. You’ll be more productive at work, more energized in your workouts and even lower your risk of other health conditions if you manage your sleep.
Bring gym clothes to the office, or if your dress code allows, wear your gym clothes to work. No need to drive from place to place if you have everything with you that you need or the gym. It’s also harder to bail on a training plan if you’re already halfway ready. This goes for bringing anything else you need with you too! Bring your yoga mat, running shoes and water bottle with you.
Find like-minded, active, coworkers and friends. The social encouragement from people you see often will increase your chance of working out during the day. This is when peer pressure is a good thing ;).
Actually rest. Training through grueling work weeks and a busy social calendar can be exhausting. Sometimes a few days or even a couple weeks off can really help. Give your body the rest it has been asking for, you’ll come back stronger than ever and ready to take on new goals and new adventures. I promis you wont lose your progress.
