Busy professionals everywhere can confirm their daily struggles when incorporating exercise into your day. As a busy professional, I had a whirlwind of back-to-back meetings, deadlines, and endless to-do lists that made attempting to factor in some physical exercise quite daunting. I was oblivious to what my body needed. As I began incorporating more exercise and activity into my daily routine, I noticed how impactful it was on my mind and body. In this article, we will delve into the practical and actionable methods you can use to add fitness to your busy professional daily routine. If you’re chained to a desk for hours or constantly on the go, we have some tips that can help you integrate fitness or some activity into your workday that can help you embark on a journey toward a healthier, happier, and more energized you!
Set Realistic Goals
A realistic goal is a type of goal that one can quickly achieve. This can be difficult for busy professionals due to constraints or busy schedules. However, setting realistic goals can help anyone incorporate exercise into their day. These goals can vary based on individual schedules, fitness levels, or preferences. They can also help you prioritize your health, manage stress, and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Utilizing these goals allowed me to slowly work up into a fitness routine where it became second nature to complete daily. Not only was I able to work fitness into my routine, but I was also able to see how important it was for me mentally to incorporate some physical activity into my daily routine. Let’s dive into the top three reasons these goals can help us as busy professionals.
Time Management
The first reason to set realistic goals is time constraints. As busy professionals, we tend to have demanding schedules; I know I did. Many days, I could not take time out of my day to focus on fitness. Instead of allowing my schedule to work against me, I used it to work for me. Typically, while working, we are permitted 15-minute breaks. If you’re anything like me, I never took my breaks before and would sit at my desk to complete all my assigned tasks. To get ahead of work. I stopped doing this and used that time to add a quick one-mile walk. This allowed me to get at least 2 miles daily since a typical 8-hour workday requires two 15-minute breaks. Let’s see what we else can use as a realistic goal while at work.
As a busy professional, sometimes you can be tied to a desk for your whole day. One way to break up the day and use this to your advantage would be to leverage some seated desk exercises. These exercises allow you to continue working at your desk but simultaneously fit in with some physical activity while at your desk. You can always utilize your lunch break if you cannot take breaks easily. Adding physical activity after a meal is always best to help digestion. For me, you were walking after a meal was a complete blessing. Before adding a walk after a meal, I was bloated. After incorporating the walk, I noticed I was less bloated, and my digestive system seemed more stimulated.
Another culprit for the lack of time is the result of back-to-back meetings during the workday. Using back-to-back meetings as an excuse to not fit in any exercise is untrue. Sometimes, meetings do not require being close to your computer, or it’s a team meeting where your team resides in the same office as you. By utilizing these walking meetings, working professionals can fit in physical activity. Another in-office option for physical activity is taking the stairs or parking farther from the entrance. These options allow you to exercise in just about any form while in the office. Try one of these options out next time you are in the office. You’d be surprised how often you can exercise while in the office.
Consistency
Another reason to set realistic goals is consistency. Consistency is the foundation for achieving your realistic goals’ long-term success. You must commit to enforcing the regular actions that, over time, can lead to significant results. Your motivation may fluctuate over time—yes, that may be true—but your habits can become more sustainable with consistency. Let’s delve into the reasons why consistency helps accomplish realistic goals.
The first way we can be consistent is by establishing a habit. Why is that? Establishing habits allows us the ability to see progress over time. These habits as they are repeated over and over, end up requiring less mental effort to perform. This momentum allows you to build confidence and increase your self-discipline. Thus reducing the reliance on motivation. This consistency reduces the chances of you having setbacks. While starting my journey towards a healthier me, I started simply by walking during my breaks. This created a daily habit that, in turn, soon began to get easier over time to accomplish because it became second nature. Therefore, by simply acting repeatedly, you have a realistic goal that becomes a habit.
Quick Burnout
The last reason to set realistic goals is the ability to provide yourself with clarity and motivation. The lifestyle of a busy professional can be daunting and stressful. This added stressor could lead to the damage of our health for many reasons. Realistic goals help maintain work-life balance, enhance focus, and boost motivation. Let’s see how.
Burnout of a working, busy professional can result from long hours, high pressure, or a complete lack of balance. Before incorporating walking during breaks, I felt fatigued, decreased productivity, and lost mental clarity. The symptoms can vary from person to person but essentially are the same. Being able to manage the stressors in your life is the primary reason why most people set realistic goals. Realistic goals can help you focus on prioritizing tasks and reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed. The sense of accomplishment I felt when I finally turned that walking during break time goal into a habit was tremendous and led me to incorporate a sense of work-life balance.
Simply breaking down larger projects or activities into more manageable activities allows you to manage your expectations and become more consistent. Try assessing your current workload. Prioritize those actions and activities which are more important to you. If you have a significant overall goal, try breaking this down into more manageable goals. For example, I would like to lose at least 30 pounds. This is an example of a significant goal. How can I break it down into more manageable, realistic goals? I can start by setting a goal to walk 10,000 steps daily. Then, I move toward incorporating an additional 15 mins of strength training daily while working at my desk. These are more manageable actions that I can do daily.
In conclusion, setting realistic goals is essential for busy professionals to maintain their health and well-being. Focusing on achievable targets allows for a reduction in the risk of burnout, becoming consistent, and proper time management. Remember, success is built through consistency and planning. Not overloading yourself with impossible expectations can also help reduce the chances of setbacks.