“I am busy!”, “I don’t have time”, “I want to rest after a day of loaded work!”. That’s the most common excuse you would hear from people who you invite for a gym session.
Well, staying fit while holding down a full-time job takes a lot of effort and determination. Working full-time can eat up more than forty hours per week for most workers and after family and other responsibilities, there’s not much time left to take care of you. But no need to worry, as there are ways you can make it easier on yourself!
Most employers today recognize the value of a physically fit employee that regularly exercise and some have even begun programs to encourage fitness throughout the company. These programs can be wonderful tools that include some great rewards for the participants, but the greatest reward is your own accomplishment of physical fitness. If your workplace doesn’t offer anything like this, don’t despair – there are still plenty of options for you to get fit and stay sharp at work.
You may consider organizing an office fitness group that meets once or twice a week to exercise together. Undoubtedly there are other staff members within your office that are interested in staying healthy and fitting exercise into the day.
If organizing an office fitness group just isn’t your cup of tea, then do your best to squeeze in fitness throughout the workday. If you can keep weights at your desk or in your office, take a brief ten-minute break in the afternoon to lift some weights. Walk around the office as much as possible and even go to other floors of the building if possible. By squeezing in as many steps as you can, you increase your overall activity level for the day and boost your fitness. Buy a pedometer to wear during the day and aim for 10,000 steps every workday. You can also use the pedometer at home to monitor your progress.
Check with your Human Resources coordinator as well to see if your company offers a similar program. You should also check with HR to find out if the company covers any kind of gym membership for employees. Sometimes employers will cover a portion of the cost of a yearly gym membership, recognizing the value of an employee that is physically fit and healthy. But even if your company doesn’t cover anything, there are still plenty of other ways that you can stay fit on the job without sacrificing time or dignity.
Some things doesn’t always go together smoothly but that doesn’t mean that you can’t do them together at all. Staying fit with a busy work may sound hard but it is not impossible. As long as you have clear goals, it will cause you to get focused and become mindful when you steer off track.