Despite our best intentions, some (or maybe most) of us have gone slightly soft around the edges during lockdown. There are a lot of factors that could be to blame for this: not getting out of the house to go to work; getting over-enthusiastic with the home baking; having to stay home to look after kids; gyms closed; public walking tracks closed; limited access to your favourite healthy foods.
But ultimately it all comes down to one thing: Routine.
Before lockdown you had a routine of food, work and exercise. Hopefully it was working for you and your goals, and now’s the time to get back to it. Maybe your routine wasn’t working, and needs a bit of improvement – now we’re heading into Level 2 with a bit more freedom, you have the opportunity to make positive changes for a healthy body!
Step 1: Have a healthy goal
Research shows that having a clear, achievable goal helps you stay on track to better health. Your goal might be to climb 100 stairs without getting puffed, run a kilometre in under five minutes, fit your skinny jeans, or eat 20 healthy meals a week. Think about what you really want to achieve, and what measurable goal will help you get there.
Step 2: Pen and paper
Get a pen and paper or a whiteboard and write down a routine plan. You could also use a document on your computer, but we find this works best if you can put your routine somewhere you can see it, like on your fridge bedroom wall. Write a plan for every day of the week with approximate times for all your different activities. Don’t forget to put mealtimes and sleep times – some of the most important routine items for good health.
Step 3: Plan your meals
It’s easy to slip into bad habits when you’re at home always near the fridge. Plan your meals for each week in advance, including breakfast, and make sure you have the right ingredients available so you aren’t tempted to bail and get takeaways. Or even better, order a stash of Fitfood meals and incorporate them in your plan for fast and healthy lunches and dinners.
Step 4: Get out there!
Frankly, all this routine planning means nothing if you don’t put it into action. It takes repetition to get into a routine, so you need to avoid making excuses right form day one. Push yourself and reap the rewards of a healthy body. Get up every day and do what you said you would. When unavoidable interruptions happen, roll with them and get back into the routine as soon as you can.
