As we get busier and busier with our lives, it seems as though there’s zero time in the day to take care of ourselves. Starting from the minute that alarm goes off, to pass out to the 45th consecutive episode of the office you’ve watched after getting off. But I’ve got some tricks of the trade to keep you active and healthy through the work grind 

Morning

When I say I'm not a morning person, I am not exaggerating in any sense of the phrase. That’s why I like to streamline my morning routines and make it easy while staying healthy, starting my morning off right.    Of course, when you wake up, the easiest option is trudging off to Starbucks for a caramel frappe and bagel. But this will never be the most cost-efficient or healthiest option. Instead of reloading 24$ onto my Starbucks card every morning I like to prep for the entire week every Sunday by making 7 days worth of rolled oats and getting my coffee pre-made. (I normally go for an Unsweetened Roast, and having good detox water to drink through the day.) Here’s the breakdown:  

Rolled Oats Recipe

You will need:    7 Mason Jars Chia Seeds Vanilla Extract Steel Cut oats  Agave Fruit - ( I recommend strawberries, blueberries, bananas) Coconut shavings (optional) Walnuts (optional) Almond Milk Greek Yogurt   Instructions:  

1. In a Mason Jar, Combine: (½ cup) Steel Oats, (½ Cup) Almond Milk, 2 spoons of Greek Yogurt, (2 Teaspoons) Vanilla Extract, (1 tablespoon) Agave Syrup, (¼ cup) Chia seeds in a Mason Jar and shake 
2. Put jars in the fridge and let sit overnight
3. In the morning, just top off with your desired and grab and go!

 

Detox Water

Infuser Water Bottle Cucumber Lemon Ginger Mint

At Work

After starting off your day, the real battle begins. The real stress of the day comes with the deadlines and back to back meetings. At this point, it’s easy to go reach for the M&Ms in the breakroom instead of taking an actual break. But NEVER, I repeat NEVER, get into the habit of working through lunch. This tip serves as a corporate, mental, and physical health rule. In terms of your health, go for a meal prep you made before, or stopping and stretching your legs to go get a healthy meal from a cafe if your company has one is. In terms of the corporate tip, if you leave this article with one thing let it be this. The work will always be there. I know, I know, you think it’s just one more email, or if you just work through lunch you can leave early. Spoiler alert: there’s always work, something will always need your attention, there will always be a reason to stay signed on. Trust, giving your brain the break it needs in the middle of the day will leave you a lot more productive than just powering through for another 3 hours    Speaking of which, another major corporate faux pas when trying to stay in shape is the constant snacking. A major tip here: cut out the third or fourth cup of coffee and go for green tea, almonds, or kombucha for that burst of energy without the extra jittery side effects. For a better snack option, swap out those potato chips for a piece of fruit or, my personal favorite, veggie sticks, and hummus.   

After Work

So now, you’ve finally made it through the 8-hour grind. It's normal that after a long day the only thing on your mind is to lay sprawled out on the couch. While it’s imperative we give our bodies breaks when we can, it’s always important to move your body and stay mobile in any way you can. Especially after clocking a total of 20 steps on your fitness tracker by the end of the day. Even if its a 25 minutes full-body workout from youtube or skipping rope outside, anything is better than nothing.    If you need some motivation to get up and active I recommend the following accounts: @melissawoodhealth @kirastokesfit @blogilates   And last but not least, the final, important, tip. Turn off the electronics, relax, meditate, and get your 8 hours of sleep, and be ready and charged to take on another day!