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All in all, exercise may take a lot of work, a lot of planning, and a lot of repetition, but I’m the end, it’ll all pay off! Keep working and, taking your breaks, watching what you eat, and caring for your body! Like my parents told me, ‘quality over quantity’. Don’t rush yourself and don’t do too much too soon. Take your time and make sure you’re doing it right!
Happy exercising!

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Like I said, many of us have jobs. Some may be more demanding than others. So if your plate is full, how can you stay fit within this busy schedule? Here are just a few ideas to help out!
Working out effiently is important. Effienct workouts you can do almost anywhere, anytime. Maybe you run to your job, bike or run to the bus station or maybe you hop in your care and take a flight of stairs? The thing is, effienct workouts don’t have to be time consuming. They don’t need preparations. They just need you, your creative and determined mind, and somewhere to be!
Experiment with different exercises! Not all of use will like running, or yoga, or swimming, and so on. So know your own tastes. Choose and exercise that fits to your personality, lifestyle, and liking! And, don’t be afraid to try different things! Maybe that new Goat Yoga will be your new craving?
Now, I don’t know about other people, but I’m fairly competitive. If you’re like me, use that to your advantage! I honestly don’t like working out, but when I see my mom and step-brother working out and pushing each other to do their best, I step in and try and show the, what I’m made of. Maybe you need a bit of competition to help you get going, no matter your level! Ask a friend to go jogging, or ask the, to record your running time around a block! Maybe you compete with yourself? See how many pounds you can squat on Monday, record it, then try again next Monday. Have you improved? If so, congrats! You did more!
Track your activity levels! If you know what time and days you work out more or have more time, use that time and day to work out. Remember, work outs don’t have to be long. When tracking your activity, it helps to write it down so you can watch when you see yourself slipping. Maybe you go hard on Monday, and when next Monday comes around, you go easy. Are you sick? Tired? Busy? Figure out why your work out tracking went down hill and see how you can build it up!

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A lot of people wonder about finding time for their work outs, when they should really wonder about making time. You can do workouts and stretches anywhere if you have the time to do so!
What many people think is that they don’t have time, they try and find it. Really, they should be making it. Make it work for you if you can’t find the time. Such as doing squats when you’re office, or lunges while taking a phone call. Be creative when making time for a work out, work out, for you!
Make an appointment! If you find yourself making time for a work out during certain times or events that happen, mark it on your calendar or put it on your phone! If you keep repeating the work out during that time, you know it works!
Now, most you probably have kids. If so, you might wonder what to do with those energy-balls when you want to work out! Some things you can do are...
- find a gym with a kids room
- work out where the kids are
- involve the kids into your work out if they’re old enough
- put younger ones in a stroller and take a run with them to the park.
Making your work out fun is a huge priority for me. If it’s fun, I don’t think of it as hard work, and I do it more often! There are also plenty of sports out there for fun that you could try out for a work out if you feel you have the time! Personally, I’ve done boxing and horse riding (which is also a hobby, but hey, it counts!). There’s also soccer, fencing, capture the flag, football, swimming, and more!

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Now, we know what to eat and when, how long we should work out, and when you know it’s for a break. It all seems easy and put together now, right? Well, not exactly. You have all your information, so are you going to jump right into working out? Or do you need to know when?
A lot of people have jobs or are students, or both. Maybe they have activities they need to do, or maybe they don’t. The thing is, not a lot of people have time for a work out. So, how can you fit your work out into your everyday life?

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- nestle-family.com
- telegraph.co.uk
- verywellfit.com
- mayoclinic.org
- dailyburn.com
- vitals.lifehacker.com
- greatist.com
- “Maintaining a Healthy Weight.” Teen Health and Wellness, Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., June 2015, teenhealthandwellness.com/article/516/maintaining-a-healthy-weight. Accessed 25 May. 2018.
-“Guide to a Healthier Diet.” Teen Health and Wellness, Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., March 2017, teenhealthandwellness.com/article/177/guide-to-a-healthier-diet. Accessed 25 May. 2018.
- Photos are student owned

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The first sign to taking a break is soreness. Especially to people who are starting their new work out routines, or those who have done multiple hours and days of working out, muscle soreness can signify a break. Also note that persistent muscle soreness, getting sick more often, or frequent injuries are all physical symptoms of overtraining. All you need to do it take a few days off and you’ll be ready to go again!
Many of us had heard that “exercise is supposed to make you happier”, while it’s true, too much exercise can make you tired (obviously) or moody. Thanks to the stress horomone, cortisol, your mental health may take a hit because your cortisol levels are too high due to extreme exercise.
Gauging your heat rate is a better way to see if you’re overtraining. If your heart rate is too high, you may need to take it very slow, or none at all. Same goes for a low heart rate. The heart is one of the most important organs in the body, and you don’t want anything to happen when you’re working out.
You’re stiff all, or most, of the time. Mobility is important in work outs as you need to be able to move around and lift things. So if you aren’t exactly mobile, try stretching it out. Stretching will help loosen your muscles and get out your kinks.
Urine is an easy way to identification if you’re dehydrated. It takes at least 45 minutes for your body to recover from mild dehydration, and you can’t exercise if you’re dehydrated. You could pass out or worse, plus your body needs fluid to stay healthy and flowing.

Knowing these signs can help you become more aware of your body and it will then be easier to realize when you need a break!

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How Long Can I Take A Break From Exercise?

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How Long Can I Take A Break From Exercise?

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Again, taking a break is important. You may need a break because you're tired, injured, extra busy, taking a vacation, sick, or maybe you're bored and desperately need a break. What ever reason you have for taking a break is fine! But, how long should you take a break?
Now, you may be thinking, taking a break isn’t necessary. Well, it kinda is. Many serious athletes also take a break for around 8-12 weeks! Taking a break is fine. It can help you in the long run when you really need it. If you’re wondering about losing fitness, no need to worry! It takes about 2 months of inactivity to completely lose the gains you've made, although it depends on if you really need a break, or your doing it by choice. The important note is to listen to your body for signs of overtraining and listen to your mind for signs of boredom or exhaustion.

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Working out takes a lot of work, and time. Maybe you like working out for a long time, or maybe you don’t. So, when is a good time for a break? Taking a break is a must for everyone. You could not even feel tired, but maybe your body is. Taking a break helps relax your mind and body for a while before you get up and go again.

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There are many different workout exercises and stretches out there. Some are high-intensity, some are medium or low. So how long should you work out for which exercises?
For aerobic activity, 150 minutes is good for a moderate work out, and 75 for vigorous activity. Aerobic activities include brisk walking, mowing the lawn, swimming, running, and dancing. These will help exercise your cardiovascular systems.
If you want to do strength building exercises, aim for at least 30 minutes of working out your major muscle groups. Resistance exercises is a good strength building as well! These exercises can include weight machines, your own body (like push-ups), rock climbing, or resistance paddles in the water!

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Generally, people want to start a work out program because they want to stay fit, look good, and stay healthy. But many others want to work to lose weight. So how many hours would you need to lose weight and stay in shape?
Well, 150-250 minutes per week is ideal to lose weight. If you want to lose weight fast, the more exercise the better. Although if you try high-intensity work outs you shouldn’t have to work out as much. Maybe you want to take it slow? Around 40 minutes each day is a good easy-day work out. It’ll help your mind and body relax while you just take it easy.

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Working out takes a lot of energy from you and your body, and it become quite exhausting if you exceed your own limit. The next few sections can help you figure out how many hours you should work out!

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Lucy Fry made a great eating schedule to help give people general ideas on what to eat and when! Check it out!
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8am-10am

Eating carbohydrates earlier in the day will give your body more time to convert them into energy.

1pm-2pm

You should have eaten 55 per cent of your carbohydrates by now. Eat more protein by adding chicken or eggs to a salad or drinking a shot of whey protein.

45 minutes after exercise

Drink a protein shake and eat a small amount of carbohydrates. Your muscles will be more “open” during this window to consuming fuel and absorbing nutrients.

7pm-9pm

Eating turkey, salmon, cottage cheese, nut butters, almonds, bananas and Montmorency cherries will help you sleep. Avoid starchy carbohydrates such as potatoes and rice, if you are trying to lose weight.

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Staying fit is what most people want or need nowadays. Some people love to do it, others don’t. Some have a reason, some need motivation. No matter who you are, or what you do, exercise is a lot of work. So how can you still get in shape without overworking yourself?

“Starting to build healthy habits now will help prevent a sedentary lifestyle and diseases in the future.”

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Food! People all over the world love it! There’s so much to try and so many different tastes, but some aren’t as healthy as others, and living in a world where most things are genetically processed, it’s hard to find pure healthy foods.
But no need to fret! You can still eat whatever your into, but consider how much you’re eating and how it can help you become energized for a work out! To help you with your food decisions, check out the next section!

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When staying fit, you can’t just focus in on one type of food. You need to have a variety of foods to help different parts of your body. Eating from the six food catorigies (grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, meat and beans and oils) is a great way to start!
Along with what you’re eating, knowing how much is also good. You should base your serving sizes off of your age, body type, and how much you’re doing physical activity!
Choose healthy foods from each groups! Whole grains are rich in fiber and they also contain important vitamins minerals as well as fresh veggies, and a variety of yummy fruit! Consuming lean beef and low fat milk helps as well, as they don’t contain as much fat, and the milk has less calories while still maintaing the same amount of calcium!
Lastly, avoid sugars and sweets. I know, it’s tough, but in the long run it will help! If you really can’t resist, try some of the “healthier” sweets, like dark chocolate or some chocolate chips here and there!
And don’t forget, try and exercise daily!

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So, you know the general idea of what to eat, when and why should you eat those foods? How do you know they’re “the right” food? Well this section is here to help answer those questions!
Can you pronounce the ingredients? My mom ALWAYS tells me this when we go to the grocery store, I never really paid attention to her helpful tip when I was younger, but now I understand why. Our foods are filled with many GMO substances to taste and look good, almost always destroying their healthy aspects. But the reals foods that are unprocessed don’t have a label and you can see what you’re eating. Would you want to buy something that you have no idea what it is? I don’t think I would!
Eat proteins and carbohydrates! Not only will they satisfy your appetite, but they will help your body regulate its metabolism and it’ll help your body use “food fuel” more efficiently rather than storing it as fat! On days when you are not doing any exercise, you should replace carbohydrates with good fats such as avocado, seeds and nuts.
Lastly, stick to your diet! Most people toss their healthy food plan out the window when they don’t start seeing results, but it takes time for your body to accommodate to your new foods and exercise plan!