HOW TO PLAN HEALTH INTO YOUR WEEK

The morning alarm is blaring and, you only hit the snooze button six times this morning. But, this was going to be the morning to start my workout plan again. Does this sound familiar? We have all done something similar. The question is why and how do we stop this cycle.

Time: The Big Regulator

The challenge we face is obvious. Time, time, time! We all need more time. The society we live in is fast paced and our schedules are jammed packed. Would you agree? Yet, let’s challenge that notion and ourselves. Are you game?

For the next week, track all your minutes in your specific activities. Track the minutes you work, eat, work again, engage in social media, have screen time unrelated to work, sleep and so on. There are 1,440 minutes each day. Are you using them all to be the best version of you?

Let’s look at this challenge from another angle. There are 10, 080 minutes in a week. Can you find 150 minutes to spare for your health benefit? Or, can you spare about 1.5% of your minutes yearly to bolster your health? If you can, you can reap the reward of an additional .5 to 4 additional quality years to your life. For you naysayers, 150 minutes of exercise per week would take 65 years before you have used about a year of time. The math is in favor of being active. Prep those walking shoes; it is time for life and health improvements.

Your Playbook

Have you ever started a maze without looking at all the possible routes? You likely hit many dead ends. Conversely, if you start by evaluating the routes and the end of the maze before you start drawing your line, your opportunity for success is bolstered.

Similarly, to build health into your week, you need to visualize how your week will look. Simply, jot down your schedule in a calendar or planner, of sorts. And, yes, adding exercise or other health related item you intend on implementing in your life is part of that equation. Remember these action steps need to be derived from your goal or why. This will certainly give your plan more impetus for success.

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!”

― Benjamin Franklin

Let’s look how we can add in some micro wins into our days and week.

• Visualize your day. See how you successfully completed all your task and health goals.
• Restore your body’s water content. We all have to use the restroom throughout the day. Take that time to refill a bottle of water.
• Add more movement in your day. To move more, take the stairs or use the furthest parking space. Let’s not forget that workout you put in your calendar.
• Get more vitamins and minerals. Easily, you can add more color to your life by adding a green smoothie or greens shake.

Evaluate, plan, execute

It is typical to get a call as a health coach or a fitness buddy that sounds like this, “My day has been crazy; the workout is just not going to happen today.” There are times that this is true. Life events do happen. However, in the end, we choose our actions. Or, in some instances, we choose our inaction. No one is judging you except for you. We all get one body. Are you choosing wisely to maintain the health of that vessel?

Look at each day as an opportunity to make good for your body. That is the insides and outsides of your body. To do this, task yourself with looking at the choices you make throughout your day. Then, ask yourself, “Will this benefit, hamper my health, or neither?” In the end, it is all about making choices that will improve your health each day, week, month, and year.

Plan to make your week great. Choose to act on that plan. If you have several micro wins each day, think how much success you will have accomplished in a year. We will spare you the math, but trust us it is a lot. Rise and shine, my fitness friends!