By: Jason Williams
Whether you’re working a full-time job or are a student, you know that life gets busy. Living a healthy lifestyle with a busy schedule is challenging. Most people want to live a healthier lifestyle, but they don’t know where to start or have the time. With that being said, here are some science-backed health and fitness tips for busy people.
Drink 2 Cups of Water Before Every Meal
In 2015 The Journal Obesity published a study in 2015 that showed drinking 2 full cups of water a half hour before eating can cause moderate weight loss after 12 weeks. Drinking water more often keeps the body hydrated, helps with joint health, headaches, and waste removal.
Eat Frequently
Eating healthy, whole-food options with a lot of protein and nutrients can be integral to weight loss. It can even help keep you full throughout the day and limit your cravings for unhealthy foods. Here are 3 healthy snacks you can add to your diet.
- Mixed Nuts
Nuts can reduce the risk of heart disease and help prevent certain cancers, depression, and other illnesses. They provide an outstanding balance of healthy fat, protein, and fiber, and they don’t require refrigeration, so they’re suitable for taking on the go.
- Avocados
- Avocados are one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Studies show that they can help lower bad cholesterol and help with arthritis symptoms; they’re also high in magnesium, potassium, fiber, and monounsaturated fat.
- Dried Unsweetened Coconut
- Dried coconuts are a very portable snack. It’s high in fat (healthy fats), including medium-chain fats that can increase metabolism, promote weight loss, and increase brain function in people with impaired memory. Check to see if the brand your buying unsweetened type since many packaged options contain sugar.
Resistance Bands
Resistance bands, unlike free weights, are lightweight and easy to carry when traveling. You can also do some quick workouts with resistance bands such as push-ups, curls, shoulder press, chest press, stomach curls, triceps pushdowns, squats, and side leg raise. This tool is amazing for improving strength and flexibility. They’re available in single-loop and tube varieties. Stacking resistance bands or combining them with other equipment increases their usual resistance tension. Adding 1 or 2 bands with different resistance levels equates to adding an average of around 20-30 pounds of weight, and some sets come with door attachments and ankle straps for your convenience. You can find some examples of resistant band workouts below.
- Biceps
- Legs
- Abs/ Core
High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
HIIT training is intense, maximum -effort movements followed by short rest periods. These quick bursts turn your body into a calorie-burning machine that burns calories at a high rate long after the workout is over, making it an excellent choice for days when you’re incredibly low on time. These workouts are 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, for 8-10 rounds of push-ups and sit-ups, alternating between the two exercises. This particular workout is challenging, so I would suggest starting with 5-8 rounds. If done correctly, the body would respond to this workout’s stress by rapidly increasing its capacity to increase oxygen uptake, which is an essential fitness measure.
Health and fitness for busy people with a busy schedule is challenging. It is important to maintain a proper diet chart to gain appropriate energy and nutrition. With such a packed schedule, it’s hard to find time to get food and exercise, making it hard to have a healthy lifestyle but not impossible, and hopefully, some of these tips work for you.