Are you at risk of this new epidemic?

There’s a new epidemic in town and its affecting more than 8/10 people. It’s spreading, it can be debilitating, dream crushing and the cause of much procrastination.

This my friends, is commonly known as ‘busy-ness’.

Often worn as a badge of honor amongst repeat offenders, over scheduling, over committing and just too much hustle each day can frequently mean other areas of life can slide. And unfortunately those ‘other areas’ tend to be the balls we most need in the air; health and nutrition, fitness, relationships and overall emotional wellbeing.

While taking a week of ‘mental health’ leave isn’t always realistic, nor is there hidden extra hours in the day (sorry) why not look at areas of your life and tasks that is stealing precious time.

Move it

Forgot hour + long sweat sessions and streamline that workout to more efficient. Yes that means working harder but also exercising for less time (horray!).

Something like Tabata training is perfect for when you’re short on time but still want the results and energized feeling that a killer workout gives you. This high intensity interval training (HIIT) cardio and strength workout is based on Tabata protocol, created by Dr. Izumi Tabata at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan.

The gist: Four minutes of near max exertion effort which consists of 8 rounds of 20 seconds maximal effort + 10 seconds rest. As legend (and science) has it, those four minutes are worth the equivalent of an hour of steady-state cardio. Do the routine below once, resting for one minute between each round:

Round 1: Jumping Squats (8 sets of 20 second intense effort + 10 seconds rest)

Round 2: Knee Push-Ups (8 sets of 20 second intense effort + 10 seconds rest)
Round 3: Mountain Climbers (8 sets of 20 second intense effort + 10 seconds rest)
Round 4: Triceps dips (8 sets of 20 second intense effort + 10 seconds rest)

Record each rounds and compare each week to see improvements. Download a tabata app from iTunes so the timer automatically goes off for you.

There’s so many options you could do with tabata training to cater for your fitness level ie Skipping, lunges, burpees, sit ups, squats, overhead push press, box jumps, step ups, high knees, tricep push ups etc.

Sprints

Lets be honest, long distance runs aren’t amazing on those joints (or schedule), plus it also can put unnecessary stress on the body and raise our cortisol levels – and nobody needs extra stress in their lives.

Comparison studies between interval and endurance training repeatedly show better cardiovascular outcomes from intervals. Other cardiovascular benefits include a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure. Of course, for the elderly who need to prioritize both cardiovascular health and functional mobility, interval training is preferred because it can help then build the fast-twitch muscles to prevent falls and fractures, while improving heart function. Aerobic exercise should be secondary since it leads to a loss in muscle and explosive power in the long term.

Take Control

Taking control of your nutrition is one of the most important factors for preventing those pesky kg’s creeping on and also ensuring your immune system is tip top to prevent any stress and ‘busy-ness’ induced illness. Eating junk is a sure fire way to make you feel groggy, heavy and generally unwell.

Sure grabbing take-away or ordering Deliveroo may be convenient but you know what is even better? Eating something that is actually going to nourish your body and fuel you for the next 24 hours. All it takes is a little pre planning on the weekend to do some bulk cooking (think soups, bliss balls, quinoa salads) and you have instant work lunches ready to go.

Solve the ‘what’s for dinner?’ issue

Take the guess work out of dinners and try life-saving services like Pepperleaf boxes. Pepperleaf delivers fresh locally grown products with recipe cards to your doorstep each week.

The best thing about this subscription service is that it can still cater to your lifestyle and dietary preferences. Just choose delivery, create meal schedule and cancel at anytime. Dinner stress dissolved, time saved = instant happiness.

And yes, all meals are super quick to prepare while being healthy and family friendly.

Work smarter

Often the main source of stress and ‘busy-ness’, take the time to write down what you’re in control of, and which will free up time. Think delegating unnecessary tasks, writing shorter emails, doing the most important or challenging task first rather than procrastinating, batch similar tasks together rather than spreading it out, schedule less meetings or change them to conference calls rather than timely face-to-face appointments. Typically unnecessary and very time consuming.

The power of no

Potentially one of the most important tips for those suffering from ‘busy-ness’ syndrome; learn to say no. If you don’t want to do it, simply don’t. Instantly feel the stress roll off your shoulders and see that schedule open up so you can spend more time with loved one, friends or find that much needed YOU TIME!! Go on, give it a try.

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source http://fitnessinthecity.com.au/live/health/chances-are-you-too-are-suffering-from-this-too-2