A full-time job can be an exhausting part of life, often leaving us too tired at the end of the day to even cook a meal, let alone get to the gym for an hour or two. This has become a major detriment to the overall health of the workforce, as longer hours at the desk and more sedentary lifestyles are leading to poor diets, obesity, and heart disease.
It can be a defeating feeling to notice that you are falling out of shape due to your day job. However, there are several tips you can follow to get yourself back into shape while maintaining success at work.
1) Exercise Before Work
Yes, it can be difficult to set your alarm for an hour or two earlier than you already have it, but morning is the best time to exercise if you work a day job. Even a brief morning workout will provide a spark of energy and get your day started off on the right path.
Your mental acuity will improve, and your metabolism will be increased, helping you to burn calories throughout the entire day. It’s also much easier to get yourself to go to the gym before work than it is to convince yourself to go after a long, tiring day.
2) Engage Your Core
If you only have time to get to the gym 2 or 3 days a week, you should be focusing on exercises that strengthen your core. As the central point of your body, having a strong core will contribute to strengthening the rest of your body. You’ll also enjoy stronger joints which will lead to better functionality and mobility.
Core exercises such as crunches, planks, and Supermans can be done at home, so even if you can’t make it to the gym, you can get a quick workout in at pretty much anytime at home.
3) Buy a Set of Dumbbells or Kettlebells
Even if you have a gym membership, it can be beneficial to have some compact weights at your home or in your office. When you can’t make it to the gym, there are many excellent HIIT, strength, and cardio exercises that can be done with nothing but a few dumbbells or a kettlebell.
A high intensity session of just 15-20 minutes of kettlebell exercises can greatly contribute to muscle building and fat reduction.
4) Workout on the Weekends
Many people want to use their weekends for relaxation and entertainment, but if you have the free time, you should be using it to work out. Because you may get more sleep on the weekends, you will have more energy and thus experience a more productive workout.
Choose the workout that is best for you and try to get at least 60 minutes in. If you can get two sessions of 60 minutes in during your weekend, then you only need one 30 minute session during the week to reach the recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise.