Life is unpredictable, and sometimes that means schedules and priorities can shift. Whether it's a new job, a change in routine, a busy period in your life or all of the above, maintaining your fitness and keeping healthy nutrition habits can become challenging and frustrating. What was once a routine, gets upended as you adjust to a new normal. However, with a bit of planning and flexibility, you can navigate through these schedule changes while still prioritizing your health and fitness.
As a mom of 6 and business owner, adjusting to changes is part of my life and I know a part of everyones! The last few years after we brought our daughter and son home from Haiti have been particularly challenging in that way. Besides what I’m going to share below, one thing that has helped me more than anything else is to be kind to myself without letting that get in the way of my deep belief that fitness and nutrition HELP me more than interfere with my life. I am better at all my roles when I take time to pay attention to those areas also. It’s not easy to do some days, but it’s definitely worth it to both be kind AND not let myself off the hook for those things.
Adjust, yes. Quit, never.
Here are 7 ways that have helped me stay on track and may help you too!
- Ask for Help. Over the years, you go through countless changes and shifts in your lives and we love to help you navigate the changes that you’re going through. It can be challenging, but we’ve got lots of options, strategies and experience to pull from to help you through this shift! I hired a nutrition coach and started therapy in the last 2 years. Both invaluable in helping me navigate changes and remember I’m worth the time to take care of too. It's ok to ask for help!
- Assess Your New Schedule: Adapting to a schedule change requires you to assess where new pockets of time may be available that weren’t before. Take note of your available time slots and identify when you can fit in your workouts. This might mean waking up earlier (HELLO 515am class :-), utilizing your lunch break, or squeezing in a workout in the evening. Finding 3 pockets of time a week is enough to keep your fitness rolling!
- Prioritize Your Workouts: With a busy schedule, it's essential to prioritize your workouts. Treat them like important appointments that cannot be missed. Take a look a week ahead and schedule in your workout time. That may mean a 515am one day, a noon another day and a 6:30 pm session one day. Three times a week can do wonders for consistency! Being open to new times and rhythms will help with this transition!
- Be Flexible: While consistency is crucial, it's also essential to be flexible. Understand that there may be days when unexpected events arise, and you might not be able to follow your planned workout schedule. Instead of feeling defeated, find alternative ways to stay active. This could mean going for a walk during your lunch break or during a break between games, pulling a quick workout from our app and modifying it for a home workout or coming during class and doing a quicker/shorter version of the workout if you’re short on time!
You can always shoot us a message for ideas if your plan gets disrupted! We love helping you figure out ways to keep moving!
- Utilize Technology: Take advantage of technology to help you stay on track. Use Sugarwod to pull workouts from and record what you did that day, even if it wasn’t class! Use a wearable device to track steps on a day you couldn’t get into the gym, set reminders for things that are important to you (Eat breakfast, drink water, move 30 min, etc…). We can help you decide what some good daily goals would be for your current life!
- Focus on Nutrition: Nutrition plays a significant role in your fitness journey. With a busy schedule, putting a heavier focus on nutrition can reap significant benefits. If getting to the gym is only happening 1-2 times a week, this may be a good time to include nutrition coaching into the mix as you can work on daily habits everywhere you are! With check-ins every 2 weeks, the accountability and problem solving with a coach is so valuable! This was one thing I did this last year. I hired a nutrition coach. She has been a vital part of my support system as I managed change after change after change!
- Practice Self-Compassion: Lastly, be kind to yourself. Remember that it's okay to have setbacks and deviations from your planned schedule. What's important is that you continue to make an effort and prioritize your health and well-being. And remember you’re not alone! We’re here for you!
Navigating a lifetime of fitness through schedule changes requires a combination of planning, flexibility, and determination. Not always easy, but always worth it. Get creative and reach out for help if needed!
