Thank you to our guest blogger, Natalie! Her contribution in the wellness industry, particularly for women, is awesome. Natalie helps remind us how easy it can be to stay fit in spite of a packed schedule (see below).

When you have endless tasks and days, it can be hard to find time to focus on your health and fitness. It needs to be a priority for everyone, but finding the time to go to the gym or make healthy meals can be difficult with thin margins. Sacrificing time with our family isn’t the right choice every day. Staying up late to exercise isn’t a good idea either; sleep is crucial for fitness. So, how can ladies stay fit when we are so busy?

The answer is preparation and focus. Staying fit just doesn’t take place during certain hours of the day. Staying fit is a lifestyle that should encompass our entire day. Also, healthy living should be a goal for our children. If you have kids, you want to make sure they understand living a healthy life and are exercising on a regular basis. Start them off early so living a healthy life becomes the norm.

Here are some great tips for staying fit as a busy lady:

Take the Stairs: So long as you don’t need to climb 50 flights of stairs, take the stairs instead of the elevator. It is an excellent way to get your blood pumping and burn some calories. Plus, taking the stairs is a great way to increase your number of steps per day. This is just a simple strategy.

Plan Quick Workouts: There is no rule that workouts have to be one session per day. You can break up your workouts throughout the day to fit your schedule. Make a quick, cardio workout for when you first get home. You will want to sit down and rest, but if you get it out of the way, you will feel even better. Another idea is to keep your gym bag with you. If you find yourself with extra time, you don’t need to run home for clothes. You may find a day a week when you can take a longer lunch break for a quick workout. Being prepared will give you more opportunities.

Meal Plan and Prep: Part of staying fit is eating the right foods. There is no way to stay healthy and eat candy and chips all day, every day. One of the best ways to combat this is to make a weekly meal plan. Decide ahead of time what to make for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Meal prepping can cut hours of cooking out of your week and makes eating healthy easier. Select one day out of the week when you can invest two to three hours in the kitchen. One tactic I use is pre-making slow cooker meals in freezer bags. Later in the week, I can dump the bag in, turn the slow cooker on, and come home to a great meal. For easy lunches, one idea is to cook up a large batch of freezer meals. You need some containers that are freezer friendly. Cook salmon or chicken breasts. Then add a rice or potato side with a vegetable.

Invest in a Home Gym: When your time margins are thin, going to the gym will be the last thing on your mind. Instead of spending money each month on membership, consider investing in a piece of equipment or two so you can workout at home. Don’t forget; you can count things such as sweeping and vacuuming into your daily workout!

Carry the Right Snacks: Throughout your day, you are going to want a snack or two. Instead of grabbing something out of the vending machine, bring a few snack foods with you. They will help keep away cravings and eating junk food. Try things such as portioned out trail mix, granola bars, or fruit like apples or oranges.

Drink Water: It is important to drink water every day. Your body needs water to stay healthy. Set a daily goal and try to reach it. Keeping water on hand will curb your desires for soda and other sugary beverages. Eliminating those drinks will decrease your calories each day. Plus, staying hydrated is one of the best ways to stay awake and energized.

Workout Schedule: Besides your quick, sporadic workouts, it is a good idea to make an exercise plan. Going to the gym or spending an hour working out each day won’t work when you are a busy lady. However, if you make it a priority and pencil it in on certain days, you won’t have to find the time to make it work. One idea is to head to the gym in the morning instead of after work. Bring your work clothes and change at the gym before going to work.

Try Interval Workouts: When you are short on time, you need the most efficient way to workout. You want to work all of your muscle groups while burning as many calories as possible. An interval workout is the best way to accomplish this goal. You do a movement for a given period, take a short rest, and repeat. Intervals can burn more calories than steady cardio in the same amount of time, if you really give them full effort and intensity.

Thanks again for sharing these tips, Natalie! Now ladies, get your game face for working out ON! 

Guest Bio: Natalie Michele is a busy lady who is balancing parenting two toddlers and working as a pregnancy consultant. You can visit her blog at http://Maternityathome.com or follow her on Pinterest(http://pinterest.com/maternityathome) and Twitter(http://Twitter.com/maternityathome)