Blogging isn't my full time biz right now - in fact, I work your classic corporate hours in a pretty classic office.
Meaning I get how hard it is to maintain "healthy" habits during the work week.
Between team lunches - or like, shit, just my OWN lunches - commuting, sitting at a desk all day...it's hard to be on a health kick. Corporate America makes it incredibly easy to sit behind a desk for eight hours, snack all damn day, and head on home (to continue the sitting and snacking on your own couch). I've done it. I do it. I'll continue to do it (lol).
BUT - after gaining some serious poundage (probably at least 20 pounds since entering the work force) and just generally not feeling as strong, I decided it was time to hop on some healthier work week habits.
I'm not a nutritionist, dietitian, health coach, or health provider - I'm just a human! But I did want to share a few of my healthy work week habits and hopefully hear from you guys in the comments some of the ways you keep it "healthy" during the busy work week as well!
Let's do it.
Start an at-work walking club.
I get it, walking seems lame, but it's actually incredibly good for you and a completely valid form of exercise. Did you know that walking reduces the risk of cardiovascular events by 31%? Given that heart disease is the leading cause of death and about 630,000 Americans die from heart disease every year (every 1 in 4 deaths) - walking is a perfect, easy way to invest in your own health.
Sorry to start off so seriously - but like, you're on board now, right? Walking is the shit and it's crazy important to step out of the office and get your steps in. On days I don't make an effort to walk, it's entirely possible I won't even break 5,000 steps in a day! Not cute.
I started a walking club at work to encourage not only myself, but my coworkers to get to steppin'. And it's a thing! We walk every other Tuesday from 12-12:30, just enough time to get in some exercise, but allow people to still enjoy lunch.
Wear cute athletic/athleisure sneaks for some inspiration.
Another way I inspire myself to stay active during the work day is to dress in athleisure. I can already here the "BUT"s in my head, so let me acknowledge a few things right off the bat:
★ Office dress codes may prohibit you from wearing not just sneakers, but potentially even jeans and a tee. That's okay! I get it. Get that #paper. BUT, you can always keep a pair of sneakers at your desk so that you see them and are reminded to pop out for a lunchtime stroll.
★ Even if you do have a lax office dress code like myself (thank you, San Francisco), it's sometimes hard to find sneakers that are that perfect combo of both comfortable and chic. Adidas sent me a pair of Nite Joggers a couple months back and I think they're the perfect solve. I'm obsessed. I now have another pair in this gorgeous robin's egg blue color. The Nite Joggers are streamlined and clean enough to suit an office appropriate outfit, and they're comfy as all hell (the Boost midsole is why this bad boy has all day comfort).
My workweek wardrobe is typically a pair of clean black ankle jeans, my fave sneaks, and a basic tee - the perfect combo for days of meetings and a midday walk.
Pick up healthy snacks to stash at your desk at the beginning of the week.
If ya'll follow me on Instagram you have probably seen my Instagram Story trips to my local Safeway on Monday mornings. I pick up obnoxious amounts of fruit to take back to my desk and snack on throughout the week - and this little habit has saved me hundreds of calories every single day.
We have a little snack corner in our office, but having plenty of fresh delicious fruits that I actually enjoy eating at my desk helps me avoid the junk food.
Or like, just have a little less of it. 😉
Invest in a work water bottle.
I'm a water bottle fiend - it drives KB insane lol. We have SO MANY WATER BOTTLES around our house. I can't help it! Cute bottles encourage me to drink up.
I'm a big fan of both bkr and Hydro Flask for bottles - and they both fit into my water bottle collection in different ways. bkr I prefer for working out/travel and Hydro Flask I prefer to use as my work water bottle.
The "work water bottle" is major key, you guys. I have a big, bad ass Hydro Flask with a straw lid that camps out on my desk 24/7. The current IOM recommendation for daily water intake for women ages 19 or older is 95 oz (or about 9 cups). My giant work water bottle Hydro Flask is 40 oz, meaning if I can get through two of them in a single work day I'm pretty damn close to the daily recommended amount!
Get strategic about your water intake and allow yourself to be lazy by having a dedicated desk water bottle - if you have to cart one to and from home or refill a small little cup nine times a day, you're probably just going to NOT.
Plan work week workouts when you have the most energy.
Exercise and I have a love-hate relationship. Mostly it's just hate lol. I'll seriously search for any excuse to cancel a work out class. Don't believe me? One time it was just like, a little bit windy outside, and I cancelled my pilates class.
My pilates studio is two blocks from my apartment.
So yeah, there's that. LOLZ. So what I do now is get VERY strategic about when I schedule my workouts. If I got into bed early that night, I'll schedule a 6 am work out for the next day knowing I'll probably be awake anyway. If I have a busy day filled with meetings on the horizon, I'll opt for an AM workout instead of PM because I know I'll be tired (or a meeting could run late!).
Take a peek at your calendar and get strategic! This might mean you can't take the exact same class at the exact same time every week - and that's okay! Make your workout schedule work for you.
What are your healthy work week habits? Share in the comments below!