How Busy People Stay In Shape

Work is really busy. Life is demanding.

Your kid is going through a “phase.”

The new year has been “off schedule” on many days.

Any number of obstacles, distractions, and competing demands can make it so easy (and understandable!) to put your fitness, nutrition, and health goals on hold.

Most of us have done this. We tell ourselves, “I’ll start that new habit when life calms down a bit.”

💥 The truth is: The strongest people aren’t doing it all.

💥 They’ve just learned to do something—even on the messiest, busiest, temptation-filled days.

Things never really slow down permanently.

And so, we continually delay improvements to “another time.”

Occasionally, life does offer a tiny, ideal window, and we try to do it all—all the food prep, all the fitness classes and all the meditating.

But it’s just a window.

When it closes, we’re stuck again, struggling to make progress.

👉 Just turn the dial down a little.

The "all-or-nothing" approach NEVER works long-term!

Don’t think of your health habits as an “on” or “off” switch; imagine they’re on a dial.

When life is sweet and smooth, you can turn your exercise, nutrition, and sleep dials way up—if you want. Bust through your reps at the gym, eat all the arugula and meditate.

But if life is bumpy and crunched, you don’t have to switch off completely.

If you can’t do the whole workout, go for a 30-minute walk. If you can’t make healthy, balanced meals at home, pick healthy food takeout options.

👉 Another way to “turn down the dial” is to FOCUS on what you can control to minimize stress levels.

When life shifts suddenly and duties at home and work pile on top of each other, it's easy for your routine to "get out of whack."

Or, you may not have a set routine. Either way, there’s opportunity to improve and thrive, even in highly stressful times for you.

👉 Tips you can use now…………..

✅ Plan your day, the night before. Things don’t always go as planned but at least you will be able to “get the train back on track” sooner when you start the day organized.

✅ Write in your gratitude journal every morning for 5 minutes or "say it out loud." You have much to be grateful for. Focus on these thoughts. This will help you focus on positive, optimistic situations and outcomes rather than stressful times (or people who stress you out).

✅ Do “calm-down breathing” (box breathing) whenever needed! How to do: take a 4-second inhale (through your nose), hold for 4 seconds, exhale (through your mouth) for 4 seconds and hold for 4 seconds.

✅ Plan your eating to control food intake and maintain energy during the day. Healthy eating habits also help you burn fat and lose/manage weight loss.

✅ Stay hydrated with water and unsweetened drinks.

✅ Get 7-9 hours of deep sleep each night to rest/recover and release growth hormone (youth hormone).

✅ Fill in nutritional gaps with dietary supplements. No one eats perfectly.

Bonus: Don't check your phone/email/social media every 5 minutes. Life doesn't have to be on full-tilt, all the time (it can be unless you manage it).

Whatever the goal, there’s a range of improvements to make—it’s never “all or nothing.” Just ALWAYS DO SOMETHING!

Mark Dilworth, PN1-NC, CDS, NMH, LWM

Nutritionist, Dietary Strategies Specialist, Specialist In Nutrition For Metabolic Health and Lifestyle Weight Management Specialist

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