If you’re a busy person, you’re not alone. Whether you’re a mom juggling her family, a workaholic, or someone who just has a lot going on – we totally get it.
Don’t let your health take a back seat to all of the stuff you have going on. We often cut out meals or choose a fast food meal when we’re in a rush, but our health suffers with these decisions. Planning and timing your meals and snacks can help.
Not skipping breakfast and allocating more calories earlier in the day can help reduce risks of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Preparing menus for the week and grocery lists ahead of time can keep you from making impulse food choices that can often be unhealthy. The weekend is a great time to throw some pre-portioned meals in the freezer for a time and money saving meal!
If you spend most of your hours at work, it could be taking a toll on your health. Instead of sitting during business calls or sending an email to a coworker right down the hall, try marching in place or walking down to your coworker to have a face to face conversation. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or walk around the building during your lunch break. Little activities go a long way when you are too busy to get in a good work out.
Something is always better than nothing and everyone has to start somewhere! Even if you’ve been sedentary for years, today is the day you can begin to make healthy changes in your life. The American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity at least 5 days per week. Try scheduling a walk on your calendar once a week and build your way up from there, set reachable goals and work towards them. We all struggle to manage our time, but inactivity can lead to stress and health problems.
Managing your meals and activity is important, but managing your stress is also a big factor to a healthy heart. Despite what we’d like to believe, we are not superheroes and daily activities can sometimes catch up to us and become too overwhelming.
Fight stress with healthy habits such as engaging in daily physical activity, remembering to laugh, giving up any bad habits you might have, getting enough sleep, and staying organized. These things sometimes seem impossible when you’re busy, but you don’t want to wait for a health emergency to start slowing things down.
We know you are taking care of the kids, or your work, or your never-ending activities, but you need to take care of yourself. Make sure to attend regular doctor’s visits and know your numbers to stay in the best state of health possible. You can be busy and still make your health a priority. If you’re looking to take charge of her health, please visit https://www.goredforwomen.org/ for more information.