Routine

Routine really is important in SO many ways. It's important not just in health and fitness but life in general! If you have kids you are probably reminded of it every day!

So what role does routine play in your life as it pertains to health and fitness? Let's start with nutrition and eating habits! Most people know the importance of quality and quantity when it comes to nutrition. What are you eating and how much? But what about WHEN? Do you know the significance of WHEN? Our metabolism functions better when there is a routine. I, personally, set a meal schedule on my phone to remind me! I can't tell you how many times busy people say they forget to eat! Not only are you depriving your body of necessary fuel, but you're also causing your metabolism to be sluggish! Did you know you should eat every 2-3 hours? Yes! 2-3 hours. Call the meals in between breakfast, lunch, and dinner "snacks" if you'd like, but call them something and make sure you eat them! I know you're busy, and I have so many people tell me they absolutely can't eat every 2-3 hours. My question is - why not? I Homeschool and have 3 kids under age 6, and I schedule all meals (5 meals total) right into our daily schedule every day! It takes 10 minutes to look over your schedule and find a place to schedule a 5-10 min meal break in! Maybe it's some fruits or veggies, a handful of walnuts, or a protein bar - it doesn't have to be elaborate, but you have to make it count! You'll notice you'll have increased energy, better focus, and if you've been struggling with losing a few pounds you'll notice it comes off easier! So take some time to make a meal schedule!

Here is my meal schedule (as an example - do what works for YOUR schedule!)
Meal 1: 8:30am
Meal 2: 10:30am
Meal 3: 12:30pm
Meal 4: 3:30pm
Meal 5: 6:00pm

As with anything there are "off days" like tomorrow our youngest son has a Dr appt at 8:30am, so we will have to eat (and wake up) sooner. I still keep it as my guideline, though, because most days it works for us! So if you don't have a current meal schedule I encourage you to take some time to make one this week - and please share! :-)

So what about a fitness routine? Maybe you prefer to workout before work, before the kids wake up, in the middle of the day, after the kids go to bed, etc. You will hear many people comment on advantages and disadvantages of working out at certain times. THAT is a different topic. I would rather know I've made a schedule I can stick to rather than trying to squeeze my workouts into a perfect box of a time frame that just doesn't work for me! But the one thing I encourage you to do is get it on the calendar! If you're doing one of Beachbody's awesome programs you can log into your Team Beachbody Account and they can be pre-scheduled in the WOWY Online Super Gym! Voila! Your schedule is all laid out! Even if a pre-schedule isn't available or perhaps you're doing a different program or routine you can still schedule your workouts in advance to the calendar on your Team Beachbody Account! (If you don't have one you can set one up for free from my page - or just ask me how! No matter how you choose to make your fitness schedule just make it! It's easier to commit when it is there! Don't just let it be a "task" on your to-do list - "workout today." NO! Give EACH workout a day & time scheduled right into your daily calendar!

Do you see where I'm going with the keeping a daily calendar thing? Why? Because it is good for your life all around! Get your meals on track, get your workouts scheduled in, and know what is happening when so you can commit to that schedule! If you know you work from 9-5 every week day that is in your calendar and doesn't change! Commit to your physical wellness like that and you'll be glad you did! Be blessed!