Time management for a healthy body

In the last blog, I mentioned that one of the first areas to control when you want to get your health into shape and also create a healthy business is time management. You’ve heard this before. But what are you doing about it? Maybe this will help give you some ideas. I’d like to hear if any help.

I started my business in 1996 and still one of the biggest excuses I hear from people who struggle with their weight and health is they have no time. No time for exercise. No time to cook and eat healthy meals. However, if this is an excuse YOU use, I challenge you to re-think the time you have.

And I’m going to stop here to explain why I say this. ALL business owners have time challenges. People often ask me how I do all that I do, and I have to say that I HAVE to manage my time very carefully, otherwise these things would not get done. And not getting things done is NOT an option.  But eating well and getting my exercise in is as a high priority as offering excellent customer service and care, and continually creating new programs and services. Oh, and doing well in school…  Get the point? Free time has to be MADE in my life, it doesn’t just appear…

One thing I have clients do is fill out a schedule I provide them with. It breaks the week down by hour, for the entire week. They fill in all the commited time, such as seeing clients/customers, commmute time, family time, sleep, and prep time, such as showers, making meals for the family, etc. Then we look at what is left over. For many clients, often there isn’t much time left over! However, this is an excellent exercise that helps them realize how they can allot some of this time differently.

I challenge you to do this. It’s sort of like a food diary, but it’s a ‘time diary’.

For fitness, research has shown that if you can find three, 10-minute slots for some type of cardio, it is as effective as one, 30-minute slot. And, if you’re not doing ANY cardio, even if you only got one of those three slots in, it’s STILL more than you’ve been doing! So, that’s an increase!

Do you have errands to run this week? Why not park much further away than you would otherwise. Check your watch and see how long it takes you to walk to where you’re going. Granted, if you have a lot of shopping, and bags to carry back to the car, this won’t work. But what if you parked and walked the parking lot, first? Or walked the mall, first???

Another tip would be to set a timer or your phone. When it rings, stop what you’re doing and walk! Too ugly outside? If you don’t have some type of fitness equipment inside, put some music on and dance for 10 minutes! Not only will you get those 10 minutes in, but it will actually HELP your productivity for your work!

For meals, a great strategy, that perhaps you’ve heard before, is to prepare some meals, or parts of meals, or some foods, in advance. In one of my Twitter posts, I mentioned that I had just finished cooking some brown rice. It was after breakfast and before lunch, and I did that while working so I could put it in the refrigerator and have it for other meals. Then, if I wanted to serve it for dinner (which I do), it’s done and just needs re-heating!

Do you struggle to eat more fruits or veggies? You can do the same thing! Another staple in my house is broccoli. It’s one of my favorites to cook up and re-heat for lunches (I can’t eat it raw because of a history of TMJ). Quick and healthy, and the prep is all done. What about fruit? Same thing! Wash or cut it in advance. Another favorite of mine is a fruit salad. I cut up half a pineapple and two mangos, put foil on the top of the container and just scoop some out for breakfast. I add a small handful of pecans on it. Yum!

You can do the same thing with entrees, too. Nothing says you have to slave away OR pick up take-out (that generally is less healthy than you’d really like). Any meats or fish can be cooked without a lot of effort from you; it just needs some seasonings and you can pop it into the oven to bake! If you already have the starches prepared and the veggies ready, the family will actually have a healthy meal generally in an hour. Don’t have an hour? Then cook the meats ahead of time and let everyone heat up what they want to eat! Or, for that matter, any type of protein will work. Examples are peanut butter, cottage cheese, yogurt, even canned tuna!

That’s the health part. Next blog will discuss some time-zaps that kill the business side of life..

Margie