Working women are more likely to be overweight and less active than their male counterparts. This is because working women may have less time for physical activity, not only because they spend more time on the job but also because they often take care of children or elderly parents at home. Working mothers in particular tend to be much less physically active than stay-at-home moms.
But staying active is essential to ensure they maintain their health. Here are some tips for women who want to stay healthy and fit while continuing their professional careers.
- Make time for physical activity.
- Schedule regular exercise sessions into your day planner just like you would any other meeting or appointment.
- Make sure to take the time to eat healthy meals.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible.
- Protect your skin when outdoors.
- Take a multivitamin every day.
Make time for physical activity.
Whether you can only spare 15 minutes to half an hour for physical activity each day, every little helps. Whatever your usual workout is, you must make time for it. If you don’t already have a regular workout routine, try taking up yoga or pilates classes or take walks at lunchtime instead of sitting in the break room munching on high-calorie snacks.
The key is to find the activity that you enjoy doing, which will ensure that you stick with it. If you’re already exercising but don’t feel like it’s enough, try adding more activities to your routine. For instance, if you work full-time and go to the gym at night, you might want to try taking an evening dance class or a Muay Thai kickboxing class.
Schedule regular exercise sessions into your day planner just like you would any other meeting or appointment.
Some employers even offer health coaching or wellness programs that focus on increasing employee physical activity. These services are usually free to employees and members of their immediate families. If your employer doesn’t provide these kinds of services, look into local fitness centers that offer affordable memberships.
To encourage you to work out, you should buy a set of women’s bodybuilding t-shirts or workout attire. When you have these items, you’ll likely want to use them and engage in regular physical exercises.
Make sure to take the time to eat healthy meals.
Maintaining a healthy weight means eating a healthy diet. That doesn’t mean cutting out all your favorite foods; it just means that you should eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, lean meats, or alternative protein sources like beans or tofu, dairy products like low-fat yogurt, and cheese, nuts, seeds, and oils.
If you don’t know how to cook, now’s the time to learn. Check out online tutorials for healthy dishes and practice making them at home or ask a friend or family member if you can cook with them.
Make sure to bring your lunch to work as often as possible and try not to eat too much junk food or drink soda that contains sugar. If necessary, ask your husband, boyfriend, or older children to help out with the household cooking.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible.
You don’t have to spend hours every day in the gym. Simply changing your daily routine by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, for example, can help you burn more calories and lose weight. You can also vary your approach with interval training, which involves alternating periods of intense activity with less strenuous periods of rest or recovery between sets, or by doing circuit training, which involves performing exercises at a fast pace with little break in between sets.
For women who work in an office setting and spend most of their day seated behind a desk, getting up for even short breaks every hour can make a big difference. Try standing up and walking around the room or taking the stairs to get some exercise during your lunch break or while you’re waiting for the microwave to heat your coffee.
Protect your skin when outdoors.
Working women spend a lot of time outdoors whether they’re commuting, talking a walk at lunchtime, exercising, or just hanging around outside with their children when they get home from work. Protecting your skin from the sun is important because skin cancer is preventable.
Make sure to use sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 15 every day, even if it’s cloudy or you’re at work all day where you don’t get much direct sunlight. In addition, wear sunglasses and a hat with a brim or visor that shades your face. You can also wear long sleeves or other light clothing that covers your skin when you go outside.
Take a multivitamin every day.
Your daily multivitamin replenishes the nutrients you don’t always get from your diet, which can help keep you healthy while also making it easier to lose weight and have healthy body weight. A good multivitamin supplement is as important as a healthy diet and regular exercise.
Working women have a lot of responsibilities, but that doesn’t mean they can’t also find time to stay healthy and fit. There are many things you can do to make it easier for yourself and doing them allows you to achieve your goals of staying healthy and fit.
