food

How I Stay Healthy

31 March 2015

Eldwick, Bingley, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16, UK
Now that I'm working and busy nearly all the time, it's not as easy to stay in shape. I have never been and will never be a gym person. Swimming isn't my favourite thing to do as I'm too lazy. However, I am extremely competitive which is the only way I can encourage myself to actually work out. I'm lucky to live in in area with a lot of hills, quiet areas and enormous landscapes so there's plenty of places to run or walk. Playing netball with friends every week is the one thing I look forward to. There's plenty of opportunities to run around and increase my fitness level without going overboard and being surrounded by friends. Taking long dog walks or hikes are the typical weekend workout activities which help me to stay in shape.

The app, RunKeeper has become a favourite when I chose to take a jog in the evenings. The app keeps track of everything you need to know, from distance to heart rate and average pace while helping me reach goals and remain motivated. The application includes an area to log your motivation, including photos as well as your goals and training plan. There' s also the option to share your achievements which RunKeeper keeps a track of once you make an account.
PumpUp is an app I used to use after school in the evenings to see if I could squeeze in extra exercise after walking home. The app creates workouts for you based on equipment available and level of fitness. This was helpful as a beginner, but after learning which moves I prefer, I created my own workout schedule complied of positions I find more comfortable.
My Fitness Pal is a great app I used to use to keep track of what I ate. Unfortunately, logging everything I ate wasn't as easy as it sounds and I found it much easier to just note down what I have eaten rather than keep track of calories and fat.

I drink herbal tea throughout the day which has helped my skin a lot, but also settled my hunger habits. Taking a packed lunch or planning what I'm going to eat for work has helped me keep my diet in line. Eating large meals in the morning is impossible for me, so smoothies are the best bet to keep me awake and ready to go. Working in a big city means there's unhealthy food on every single corner, from Subway restaurants next door and the train station being lined with Starbucks and KFC stops. The high prices are enough motivation to stay away, but on a busy day it's easy to give into temptation. When I bring my own food to work and actually take time to eat it, I've found that I'm less likely to nip into a corner stop and buy an unhealthy snack to settle the hunger. Making a salad in the morning doesn't take too long, and I like to bring a piece of fruit along if I get peckish during the day.
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