Daily life tends not to leave much time for people to take care of their health. Between rushing the kids to school and activities, working long hours, running errands, helping with homework, and managing homes, there’s hardly time to breathe. Take heart, though, as there are ways to sneak in some healthier habits without sacrificing a great deal of time.

Prepare for Lunch

One of the healthiest things you can do for yourself is to avoid the drive-thru. It’s no secret that fast food is not the healthiest thing for you to eat. However, you’re probably in a bit of a panic right now thinking, But fast food is all I have time for! If I skip the drive-thru, what will I eat for lunch?

Fortunately, there is a pretty simple answer to this: find some easy lunch ideas to prepare. Take some time over your weekend to make a menu of the ingredients you need for the recipes you like. Then, take a little extra time to prepare any ingredients you can, such as cooking any hamburger meat, chopping vegetables, and so on.

You can then freeze them, thaw them out the night before, and throw your lunch together in the morning. Yes, it takes a bit of a time investment. However, if you add up all of the time you sit in line at a drive-thru, you’ll realize that it’s not much different. And by making this investment, you’ll find that your body and your wallet thank you.

Fit In Fitness

Exercising doesn’t require hours at the gym. Even short spurts of physical activity can make a big difference and there are many ways to fit them in. For example, as you are running errands, park farther away from the entrance and do a short power walk. You can also try the following:

• Keep some hand weights at your desk. When you get a few seconds here and there, do a couple of reps.
• If you regularly pick your kids up from school and live close enough, stop driving. Instead, walk to pick them up – both you and your kids will experience some benefits.
• Stop bending over to pull clothes out of your dryer. Try doing squats instead.
• As you wait for the water to boil for dinner, do some walking lunges around your kitchen.
• Ride an exercise bike, do sit-ups or push-ups, or walk around your living room while streaming your favorite show.
• Get involved with your kids’ playtime. If they’re jumping on the trampoline, playing ball, or even having a pillow fight, join them for a few minutes.

Being healthy isn’t about carrying out a specific activity or living at a gym. It’s about making decisions every day to improve your health. It’s a lifestyle and a mindset. Once you begin putting the tips above into practice, you’ll likely find that being healthier is easier than you ever imagined and find even more ways to fit it into your life.

Maksim Bogdanov