How To Stay Healthy In These Busy Times.

  In today's busy world, I have days where I'm only home for an hour or two before I have to head back to work after putting in 8 hours already.  Those are the days, I do not feel like even trying to exercise officially.  Those are the days I don't feel much like cooking.  So how does one manage to eat well and exercise when all you want to do is get home, sink into the sofa, and eat whatever is handy.

Fortunately, I know my late days so I can prepare for it ahead of time.  As for diet, that is the easy part of the whole equation.  Although its only me, I still cook enough food to eat over several days.  I might make a Thai Vegetable Curry, a small pan of Lasagna, and perhaps some Shepherds Pie.  I do this on Sunday and package the food in servings so I can microwave the dish to eat later.

This way I have a great meal and I just have to throw together a salad or side dishes or even eat it alone.  I also take the food to work to eat for lunch.  I do not like the choices at work because much of it is some sort of meat served in a sauce over rice, noodles, or potatoes so its very heavy in salt and preservatives.

As for exercise, I try to get it by taking a long walk around town on good days.  For me, a long walk is from work to the post office, back up and around by one of the stores, across the back row over looking the bluff, up the road to the old airport, down it and around back to my house.  Its a couple mile walk so its a good one but on nights the weather does not allow it, I have some short 10 minute exercise videos.

There is a whole set of 10 minute workout videos you can find on Amazon.  I've got several I use at home when I need a quick workout and some of them are quite intense.   Some offer yoga, Pilates, various body toning ones, and some are over all workouts.  Even Jillian Michaels and Leslie Sansone have one.

I just got one of Jillian's 10 minute ones and by does it kick rear.  Its very heavy duty, high intensity and even with the modifications, i felt like I was way behind the video.  On the other hand, Leslie's has some I enjoy that are just right but I'll continue doing both.

Its only 10 minutes and I can sneak it in while dinner is heating in the oven or before I get settled on the couch.  Its not much in the grand scheme but it gets rid of the guilt that grows in the back of my head when i do not exercise. 

If all else fails, head out for a 10 minute walk around the neighborhood before you sit down for the evening.  I have fully embraced Nike's "Just Do It!" saying because I am less likely to skip it is I remind myself of that.

Let me know what you do if you have only a few minutes to exercise.  Do you skip it or do you try to fit something in.  I have a friend who has her stationary bike in front of the television so she can sit there and get 10 minutes of hard riding in.  Let me know your solution.