Thursday, March 28, 2024

Don’t let back to school mean back to old habits

And just like that, it’s back to school time again. Schedules get more hectic, kids’ sports, band practices and other extracurricular activities take priority, and the excitement level kicks up a few notches.

If you’ve lost weight and become more active over the summer, this is no time to slip back into old habits just because life just got busier. You’ve worked hard to make positive progress; let’s make sure you maintain, and continue, your health and fitness journey.

Here are three simple strategies to keep you on the right track.

1.    Sleep! One of the best things you can do to maintain your energy level and keep yourself on track is to sleep. A good way to hit the hay earlier is simply to keep the TV off.  You’ll find you have more time to unwind and let your mind relax. Shoot for eight hours of dreamtime each and every night. 

2.    Eat healthy and stay hydrated! What does that mean? Concentrate on eating a protein with a carb, always. Keep healthy snacks and water bottles in a cooler in your car. The kids will benefit from this also. Sliced carrots, almonds and apples are just a few examples of fit foods you can keep in your cooler. Of course, I’m a proponent of everything organic. Avoid fast food stops at all costs! You and your kids need real food, not the food imposters available at the drive thru. Real foods do a body good!

3.    Keep on moving! Taking your scheduled workouts seriously is a must. Do everything possible to stick to your exercise times. Hey, I’ve raised four kids. I remember the last-minute “emergencies,” the real emergencies and the many unpredictable issues that arise in our daily lives. You just have to roll with it. Use your time wisely. When you find yourself taking your kids to their practices and you’re just sitting there watching, be the parent that walks, does push-ups, or climbs up and down the bleachers. Invite your fellow parents to join you! Remember that with regards to fitness, all movement counts. Park at the far end of the lot and walk in to the store. Just keep that body moving!

One last word of encouragement: Forget the all-or-nothing mindset. No one is perfect. We all have days where we didn’t eat like we had hoped. Or one of the kids threw up in the car and there’s no way we’re making it to the gym. Small slip-ups here and there happen. 

Just get up the next morning and get back right back on your healthy lifestyle wagon. Remember, just three simple strategies can go a long way: Sleep, Eat healthy and keep moving. That’s really all it takes!

Chani Overstreet is an NASM Certified Personal Trainer and owner of Strada Fitness & Wellness Center with her husband, Luke.  Strada is a state-of-the-art fitness studio located at 3041 Churchill Drive, Suite 100, in Flower Mound, across from Lifetime Fitness.  Call 972.330.4300 or visit www.StradaFitness.com for more information.

 

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