Healthy Living for Busy People
From the moment your feet hit the floor in the morning until your head touches the pillow at night, do you feel like you’re always on the go? Life gets busy, but for some of us, it can feel like a perpetual hamster wheel. When our days and evenings are filled with endless activities, commitments, and responsibilities, it’s not uncommon for our personal health and wellness to take a backseat. Unfortunately, poor diet, lack of exercise and stress are all consequences of a busy lifestyle – and can take a toll on our minds and bodies over time. If you’ve found yourself doing one or more of the following because your life is “just too busy,” it’s time to hit pause and make some changes to put your health and wellness at the top of your priority list.
You skip annual check-ups
You’re good about scheduling the appointment … but not so good about keeping it. It’s easy to push off annual wellness exams with your doctor or dentist when you’re feeling good and have no pressing health concerns. However, these visits are essential in identifying and addressing potential health problems before they become serious. The same goes for annual screenings, like mammograms and colonoscopies, which can detect cancer before symptoms start. If you can’t remember the last time you saw your healthcare provider, it’s time to make (and keep!) your appointment.
You eat too much fast food
Fast food restaurants are all about convenience, which is great when you’re on the go, but not so great for your health. Over time, a diet rich in highly processed foods can lead to obesity and double your risk of health conditions like heart disease and diabetes. If cooking a meal every night is impossible with your schedule, find one night a week where you can meal prep for the next 7 days. Meal prep can include pre-preparing snacks that can be grabbed on the go, chopping up fruits and vegetables ahead of time or cooking meals in bulk, such as soups and casseroles, that can be portioned out and heated up throughout the week. Fast food is fine in moderation for days when your meal plans fall through but try to limit those drive thru excursions to just a few times a month.
You don’t get enough sleep
When it comes to sleep, quality may matter more than quantity. While the general recommendation for adults is 7-9 hours of sleep a night, some can get along just fine with 5 or 6 hours if their sleep quality is good. How do you measure sleep quality? Ask yourself this: Are you sleeping straight through the night or waking up every few hours? In the morning, do you feel alert and refreshed, or groggy and irritable? Your answers will determine whether you need to adjust your bedtime to get more rest. This may mean saying no to activities that keep you up late into the night or require you to wake up before sunrise. The bottom line is to never sacrifice good sleep, as it can increase your risk for diabetes, heart disease and depression.
You don’t exercise
Just because you’re busy doesn’t necessarily mean your active. Sure, you may be running from place to place (which can feel like a workout!), but exercise should leave you feeling energized and rejuvenated, not exhausted. The good news is exercise does not have to involve an hour-long trip to the gym five days a week. Instead, aim for just 30 minutes of activity each day (you can even split it into 10- or 15-minute blocks if that works better for your schedule). Walk in place, do jumping jacks, ride your bike – anything that will get your heart rate up and your blood flowing. Your body will thank you for it, and you’ll have more energy to tackle your to-do list.