A Quick Workout! A Way to Love Others

A quick workout.  Most busy women think they don't have time to squeeze it in.  One reason may be that they're busy taking care of family and friends and/or working over time at their jobs. You may try to give your very best with love and dedication by giving all of your time to your family, friends and job. But can you really give your best if you don’t take time for yourself and improve your own health. There is a misconception that if you give ALL of your time towards the needs of others, you're showing love. But that often leads to burn out, exhaustion, irritation, frustration, and poor health. To be a healthy example to children, coworkers ,or employees, your own health must come first.  You may feel selfish at times and struggle with a little guilt, but think about how much more you have to offer when you're at your best physically and mentally. In my own life, I've had to make this a realization.  When not giving myself time each day, my attitude and energy level for my family, children, clients, and friends, was not something they'd want to be around….even though I'd be “giving”.

Here's a challenge.  Write down your schedule on MOST days, from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed.  Is there any time that is scheduled for you to focus on improving your health and fitness?  If not, I'm guessing, burn out is right around the corner.

The good news is that taking time to improve your fitness does not have to take a ton of time.  More and more research is showing that short bouts of exercise when done properly can be just as effective as long endurance activities. Another popular work out is the HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) program, which pairs quick bouts of high-energy exercise with low-effort rest intervals and can be done in 30-45 minutes. Exercise scientists have demonstrated that HIIT can...

• boost the performance of competitive athletes
• improve the health of recreational exercisers
• provide the benefits of continuous-endurance training with fewer workouts

You'll have more energy to love those you care about once you begin taking care of yourself.  Once you connect with that reality, you can design a clear program that works for your lifestyle. And as a bonus… you're setting a good example to the ones you love.