How To Workout When You Don't Have Time to Workout + BeFit GIVEAWAY

No time to exercise? Use these tips and at home workouts to make being healthy a regular routine + a BeFit prize pack giveaway!

Happy Fri-yay friends!

I don't know about you, but this was one long as$ week. Like mom jean ass long.

And speaking of Moms, I'll soon be on the road again, to hightail it down to NH to celebrate with MJ since her birfday is next week. AKA use her washer and eat of her food. Smooches MJ!

Do you ever feel like the time just goes by, cackling as the time and motivation to exercise slips into its 10PM-time-for-bed grasp?

Maybe it's the shorter daily hours, or the I-can't-feel-my-face temperatures, or the dreaded Are you still watching? of a mid-week Netflix binge. But this winter has proven to be extra difficult in the fitness department.

This post is sponsored by BeFit on behalf of Fit Approach. I was compensated for my time. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make Sinful Nutrition possible!

But now that I'm settled into my new digs, the days are slowly getting longer (but still damn cold), I am starting to enjoy staying active far more than crashing into a slump of HGTV and peanut buttered carrot binges.

Which is why I wanted to share my tips for at home workouts, and staying active in general when time refuses to be on your side.

Be Efficient

 

So I know this is generally the exact opposite of what I usually recommend for staying active (read: How To Instantly Improve Your Health with these 10 Small Changes), but when you are short on time, being efficient in your workouts is key.

Personally, spending more than 30 minutes of a treadmill is torturous, which is why I love interval training, or H.I.I.T workouts. Alternating intervals of high intensity (ie; sprints) with lower intensity (walk or break) spurts is actually more efficient than simply jogging at the same speed for the same amount of time. You can do intervals in all kinds of ways, running on a treadmill, running up a flight of stairs, jumping rope, burpees, etc, etc. Here's a simple example of an interval session I just did for the treadmill:

0-5 minutes: Warm-up with 2.5 minutes walking, 2.5 minutes jogging

5-15 minutes: Alternate sprints for 1 minute, break (jump on sides of treadmill) 30 seconds. Repeat.

15-20 minutes: Cool-down jog

20-25 minutes: Cool-down walk

25 minutes and done! You could even get away with 15 or 20 minutes for a super quick yet effective workout, all in the time it takes for an episode of Friends!

 

Skip the Gym

 

While the fact that my building now has a gym downstairs is highly motivating to use it, I have never once paid for a gym membership. In fact, the mere thought of driving to, dealing with people, and paying for it makes me want to jump into sweatpants and a bottle of Pinot Noir.

That's why I was happy to team up with BeFit to give their 30 Day Burn workouts a try. I've used and abused the BeFit Jillian Michaels workout videos many times before, but I was excited to try the 30 Day Burn since it met the criteria for an Emily workout.

1.) I could do them at home.

2.) They were less than 30 minutes long.

3.) They came FO FREE!

Since none of them were over 20 minutes long, it was an easy way to fit some fitness (see what I did there) into the day even when I wasn't feeling it, or was in the middle of you know..packing up and moving my life yet again. The struggle 2.0.

It also gave me a reason to try my first pre-workout, which I was a little apprehensive of at first. After cutting back on my caffeine, I thought I would have been buzzing stronger than a beehive after I chugged it down, but I was happily surprised to feel a nice boost in energy without a heart exploding, skin jittering experience I was setting myself up for. And the fact that it had no artificial sweeteners or colors despite it's sweet red fruit punch exterior was a nutrition plus for me.

 

Multitask

 

While I struggle to avoid instagram scrolling or Netflix binging while I stuff my pie hole, I know I shouldn't do it. On the fitness hand, I let these kinds of things slide. If you really want to catch up on some tube (Fuller House anyone?!) but have your workout too, multitask!

There are plenty of TVs plastering gym walls in front of treadmills, or if you go the Emily frugal way, you can simple do your workout in your living room. Here's some simple ideas you can do while still catching up on Grey's.

- Run or march in place during the show.

- Do pushups, burpees, jumping jacks, dips, planks etc during the commercials.

Or better yet, you can do like my short attention spanned mind does and watch Friends, read a book, and walk on the treadmill all at once!

Loss of coordination and brain cramps are not my responsibility.

 

Take the Stairs

And if all else fails, work small fitness steps into your daily routine. It's a lot easier than you think to weave being active into your daily life than you think. Here's some ideas to spark your interest.

- Take the stairs whenever possible.

- Park furtherest away in the parking lot.

- Dance around while making dinner. ( mixing spoon microphone optional, but highly recommended)

- Take a 10 minute walk on your lunch break.

- Do calf raises or ab holds while waiting in line, brushing your teeth, or standing at your desk.

Before you know it, you will have built your own fitness routine throughout the day without you even knowing it!

 

Plan Ahead

 

Planning and scheduling your workouts ahead of time, can help you MAKE the time for them. A 10 minute walk after dinner is 10 minutes more activity than not doing it. No matter how big or small you think it is, writing it down on a calendar or in a planner can help you stay committed to crushing your workout every day, and all the more gratifying when you can put a big sweaty cross through it once it's done.

 

And the same goes for meals too! Planning ahead is my #1 tips for eating healthy 90% of the time. Having my meals planned out for the week, mostly prepped on Sunday afternoon, and ready to be devoured throughout the week assures that I have healthy options at my disposal when the hangry times get real.

I always make a point before bed to prep both my lunch and breakfast for the next day. That way once I get up, I already know I'll have healthy meals ready to go no matter how late I oversleep or procrastinate on Facebook.

I put BeFit's whey protein powder through the ringer, and it lived to tell the tale. It was one of the smoothest protein powders I've tried, without any chalkiness or off flavors. And the whole non-artificial colors or sweeteners deal remains true here too.

I like to throw all the non-frozen stuff like almond milk, protein powder, chia seeds, baby spinach, and nut butters into my blender the night before, and add frozen fruit and ice to it in the morning. It makes the smoothie making process run a lot smoother (har har) when it's pre-coffee time.

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Now it's your chance to win a BeFit prize pack, loaded with their pre-workout, whey protein, and weight management supplement!

Since I am doing a lot of body healing and non-weight loss goals, the BeFit Burn is the only product I didn't try in this package deal, but I can say I approve of all the ingredients, such as green tea, and even some pre and probiotics!

Enter for your chance to win below! A winner will be chosen and notified next Friday 3/11. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

U.S only. One prize per person. If you win this giveaway, and have already won another prize from BeFit through another blog, please disclose that you have already won so we can choose another winner. 

Make it a great day!

What's your favorite workout when you're short on time?

Do you love or loathe meal prep?