Overcoming Obstacles to Good Health: Obstacle 1, Time

OBSTACLE 1: TIME

“I JUST DON’T HAVE TIME!”

According to the Bureau of

Labor Statistics, Americans

age 15 and older spend about

2.8 hours per day watching

T.V.

Most adults will say they

“don’t have time” to exercise.

But couldn’t you easily replace

30 minutes of T.V. time with

exercise?

THE PROBLEM ISN’T TIME

The problem is

priorities.

You will make time

for those things you

believe are a

priority.

So why isn’t health

a priority?

YOU HAVEOTHER PRIORITIES

Career/Work

Money

Significant other

Kids

Family and Friends

Philanthropy

Leisure activities

Down time

Vacation/Fun

BUT WHERE’S HEALTH?

Fun

Down Time

Leisure

Philanthropy

Family/Friends

Kids

Significant Other

Money

Career/Work

Your good health should

be viewed as the

foundation that makes

all the priorities in your

life possible. Without

good health, you can’t

work, make money, play

with your kids, or have

a better quality of life to

spend with your

significant other.

GOOD HEALTH IS YOUR TOP PRIORITY

When you make

your good health a

top priority, it then

becomes easy to

make time for it.

THE TOP THREEAREAS TO MAKE TIME

GROCERY SHOPPING

Don’t make your grocery list when you’re hungry; make it after a meal when you’re full and clear-headed

Ditto on the shopping—don’t do it on an empty stomach

Do meal planning for the week, then make a grocery list based off your meal plan

Stick to your grocery list

Leave yourself plenty of time to shop—we all tend to make bad food decisions under pressure

Shop the perimeter of the grocery store, where fresh food is

Read the food labels when shopping—when possible, avoid fat-free, sugar-free, and saturated fats

Don’t buy the snacks and treats at the register

FOOD PREP

Set aside one day a week to do your week’s worth of cooking for items like chicken breasts

Set aside one day a week to do your week’s worth of vegetable and fruit prep, including cleaning, cutting and stacking in containers

Align your week’s worth of food to your schedule—have to-go snacks ready for days you’re on the go, and refrigerated snacks for days you’re at home

Pack your days worth of food the night before

Buy food storage containers, to-go bags, snack size baggies, sandwich baggies, water bottles, and freezer packs

Keep healthy snacks in your purse at all times

EXERCISE

Make your workout an official appointment in your schedule

Have the kiddos? Exercise with them by riding bikes or swimming

Do lunges and sit-ups while you watch T.V.

Use a stand-up desk—or a counter—while you’re surfing the Internet; bonus points if you do side steps

Hold yourself accountable by tracking your workouts

Park in the back of the lot (during the day!) and get an extra walk in

Take a 10 minute walk break every hour (set an alarm at your desk!)

Take the stairs instead of the elevator every chance you get

OTHER TIME TIPS,TRICKS, AND ADVICE

Don’t apologize for taking time to exercise

Ask your friends and family to join you in healthy eating and exercising

Combine fun and leisure with exercise—taking a vacation in the mountains? Schedule a hike on the trails. Headed to a local restaurant? Walk, if you can, park further away for a little extra calorie burn.

Reward yourself for sticking to a regular diet and exercise program

Workout first thing in the morning, if possible, when you still own your time—before it becomes your boss’s, your kid’s, or your significant other’s time