It’s 6:30 pm and you’re still looking for workout time. You’ve been up since 5:30 this morning when you prepared lunches, went off to work, met with clients, checked your email, wrote a report, ate a bag of chips for lunch, got yelled at, missed your child’s school meeting and you still have to draft the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting.
Sound familiar? If so, you are among the millions of professionals around the world who swear they do not have enough time to take care of themselves.
There are those who have learned how to maintain a balance and develop healthy habits and mindset. They know the key to being fit is not reactionary — seasonal diets and quick fixes get you just so far. It’s about LIFESTYLE.
A study by the Journal of Labor Research revealed professionals who stay fit earn nine percent more than their couch potato peers.
So what are the professionals who are also lifestyle champions doing right? Here are some techniques I’ve shared with my clients that have helped turn things around for them. Do you think you could apply a few to your own life?
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They Listen to Their Bodies
After you finish your workout, you should feel joyful and healthy. If working out is just another cause of frustration, leaving you with a feeling of unease, it’s time to change something. Either your food choices or workout routine are not agreeing with you. It’s fine to experiment, but once you get to a decent fitness level, you should know what’s affecting your body. Fit people let go of whatever it is that’s causing them not to perform at their best. Take the time to listen and interpret the constant messages your body is sending you so that you can take care of it responsibly.
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They See Each Day as a New Opportunity
Even the fittest professionals fail to meet their health goals once in a while. What do they do? They move on, quickly. Every day is a new opportunity to make a better decision. When you wake up, rededicate yourself to your fitness goals without beating yourself up. After all, you can’t change what you did yesterday. All you can control is right now.
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They Prioritize Eating and Sleeping
Countless medical studies show the benefit of eating whole, unprocessed foods. These provide energy, help you feel full throughout the day, and make your time in the gym as fruitful as possible. Getting proper sleep is equally as important, as it keeps all of your body’s systems in rhythm. Pay attention to these two key components — they are often the first to be neglected.
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They Document and Manage Their Progress
Look at documenting progress as a necessary task, like managing your finances. The most successful professionals and entrepreneurs pay attention and document their money. Managing your fitness and health is the same thing. Once you get into a routine, you’ll quickly see the benefits of tracking your progress. I recommend documenting and tracking your body composition, workouts, strength (when lifting weights) and agility. Documenting progress raises your awareness level and can be used as a reward system or to tweak anything that’s not moving you in the right direction. It’s fun to see how those hours in the gym and healthy food choices accumulate quickly and lead to a healthier you.
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They Are Intentional About Their Workouts
It’s common to see folks at the gym mindlessly run on a treadmill with terrible form. The fit ones avoid this. They are intentional and stay present during their workout. If you want to increase your fitness level, put some thought behind what you do in your workout and how you perform each movement. Focus on form, muscle, and breath. Approaching every rep with clear intention increases your overall workout benefit and potentially reduces the risk of injury.
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They Have a Coach/Trainer
These people are busy, and they have no time to try different things to see what sticks. They trust someone with experience who can quickly get them into gear. Having a coach/trainer increases your success rate in achieving your goals because they keep you accountable. I don’t know what I’d do without mine!
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They Turn Potential Excuses Into Reasons
Does being fit escape you? Have you ever wondered why you couldn’t get into a routine and stick with it? The successful professionals do not give into excuses why they shouldn’t exercise or eat right. Being fit is the priority simply because they are busy, stressed, overworked, have children, travel a lot or are tired.. They find reasons why they should go for more walks, hit the gym, eat greens or get more sleep—even if that means their workout is shorter than usual.
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They are Self-confident
Confidence is vital and it’s the key belief in your ability to succeed. Confident thoughts, behaviors, and actions can lead you to better health and feelings of well-being.
Self-confidence develops from even the smallest act, such as ditching dessert or going to bed 15 minutes early. Embrace it!
Are you ready for change? If you’d like to boost your fitness and productivity in the right direction, let’s have a conversation. If you are ready, contact me to schedule a complimentary consultation at http://maricarmenpizarro.com/contact-mari-carmen/
