“I WANT TO BE FIT, BUT........” Striking the right life and fitness balance!

People who use the word ‘but’ often have a big one!! Sorry to put it so crudely ‘butt’ it is often the case!! 

Let’s get rid of the excuses today and look how we can logically and efficiently improve our life / fitness balance!

Finding the right balance between life and fitness / health isn’t easy - there’s no pretending that it is! However, it does become much easier once you get in a routine, a sequence and work to a plan!

We all have responsibilities, hobbies, time restrictions, and issues - that’s life, and it ain’t about to change!

I don’t proclaim to have more or less of these than anyone else, however these are mine:

- Dad of 3 amazing kids, aged 9, 6 and 10 months.- Business owner - GymWolfPT - Other top secret business ventures (shuusshh!)- Husband - Quality Assurance Manager - Football and boxing fan- Kids clubs: football, Cubs, Beavers, swimming.- Fitness fanatic.

Therefore I’ve had to balance these over the years - and it takes some doing!

At times it can be a really tough squad to manage!

Do I get stressed? Of course! I’m not going to lie and pretend that it’s easy and everything grows perfectly in my garden - there are certainly plenty of weeds and bugs around!!!

However, it is possible when we are realistic with ourselves, and our time! And the rewards, both short and long term, mean that it is definitely worth it!!

Whilst I don’t know your individual situation and circumstances, there are certain processes that can be applied to everyone which will benefit them and strike a better life/fitness balance.

So, without further grande build-up, here goes!

1. PRIORITISE TO MAXIMISE YOUR LIFE: Time is the most precious commodity we have, and it’s also our biggest constraint. So, wemust set out our priorities.

We can’t do everything so we must get our priorities straight!

It’s a big challenge determining what are the worthless things that take up our time but that don’t add value to our life. However, it’s a challenge we must undertake, and review regularly.

Once this is done you can see what is important, and then structure out a plan.

I always start very vague and then focus in deeper and deeper on the details. For example my first phase priority list is as basic as this:

PRIORITIES:1. Family (most important)2. Health and Fitness 3. Business 4. Social 5. Work 6. Hobbies

2. MAKE A PLAN: Life without a plan is like playing a game without the instructions. How can you get to where you want to go without knowing where you want to go!

Having a plan keeps me focused and makes things happen. Your plan doesn’t need to be a work of art - it could be scribbled on one sheet of paper. However, once you know where you want to go your mind will start heading in that direction!

3. Devine Meal Time: You may be nailing all these other processes, but if your eating and drinking isn’t on track you will not be fit and healthy! Simple as that!

The right diet is so much more than just how we look physically, it plays a massive part in our internal health and wellbeing!

Perhaps more so than with other things, there are numerous barriers to having a good nutrition plan and diet - we must break these down!

These barriers range from food availability to time restrictions and even limited cooking utilities!

For this reason it is key that meal preparation and planning are added to our lifestyle!

Seriously, if I failed to plan my meals, I’d flit from eating anything I can find (often junk) to not eating at all. I’ve done this in the past!

Whilst working to a very strict and regimented diet plan isn’t something most people want to do, you can apply simple tips like:

- make large portions of healthy meals and separate into numerous containers (freeze if required) - review your shopping list and remove the unneeded processed nasties! - prep certain meals if you don’t want to do all (e.g. breakfast, lunch)- have healthy snacks prepared for when hunger comes knocking - Drink water before meals to reduce the chance of overeating - Buy smaller plates/bowls again to reduce the chance of overeating.

4. THE BALANCE - WORK, TRAIN, PLAY, RELAX: We are working hard, we are working out hard, we are eating right - what else is there? Well ‘life’! Finding time to enjoy, to play and also to relax is key to a balanced and happy life.

Having some ‘me’ time is super important for our physical and mental wellbeing. Unfortunately may people fall into one camp or the other - they work all the time or they party all the time. The balance needs to be found and stuck to!

By planning time to relax and enjoy life makes us more productive, more work efficient and much happier long term!

5. ENJOY THE WORKOUTS: If you hate training, running or going to the gym you’re not going to stick to it. However, you have options!

Firstly - change your mindset! Many people never give exercise the chance it deserves - they see it as hard work and enjoy moaning about it. By changing how you describe and talk about your training will gradually see you turn the corner! Eventually you may prefer the gym to the pub!!!!

Secondly - if the exercise you are doing really isn’t for you, change it! There are so many options these days!

Don’t like running - cycle! Don’t like the gym - play a sport! Don’t like weight training - do a circuit class! Don’t like training amongst people - train at home.

There is always a solution if you want to find one! The key is ultimately to enjoy your physical activity.

We all lead busy lives so you’re only going to make time to get fit and healthy if you’re doing something you enjoy. Say your working 45 hour weeks, the last thing you’re going to do is head to a circuit class if you hate circuits!

Thank you for taking the time to read this article and I hope you have found it of benefit. If you have any tips or advice that I didn’t mention I’d love to hear them.

As usual, any questions fire them over.

Ian David Worthington Creator, Owner and Coach at GymWolfPT.com