GETTY IMAGES
WELLNESS
Staying Healthy Against the Clock
I
’ve been a relatively healthy individual my whole life. Like most people, some periods have been healthier than others. I didn’t eat well in college. I didn’t sleep enough when piecing together five jobs to pay the rent when I moved to Portland. I might have developed tinnitus from playing drums and watching bands too close to the stage, but it made me happy. Would I do some things differently if I could? Of course. Did I need those experiences to learn and grow into who I am today? Absolutely.
As a new dad, I’m trying to balance a new routine with my need to stay healthy. What follows are some strategies I’ve adopted to stay on track with less and less time to stay physically and mentally fit. Use one or more of these ideas to kickstart your journey, whether you’re spending more time in a demanding job, your new work-from-home routine has kept you from coming to MAC, or you have to squeeze in a workout while making sure your kid’s don’t drift from virtual school into YouTube land.
I’m now in a new phase of my health journey, and it’s governed by time. How do I stay healthy with less time to focus on myself?
• Get in short workouts. When I know I have a short window for a workout, but I know it won’t suffice for my needs, I will do multiple short workouts each day.
48 | The Wınged M |
NOVEMBER 2020
I’ll do a 30-minute HIIT circuit before helping with diaper duty, go about my day, and when I have another window, I’ll do one more later in the day. • Use Instacart or grocery delivery. It’s great to mix things up in the kitchen, but if you’re tight on time, make your family’s favorite dinners from familiar recipes, or order a pre-made MAC meal. Ordering food online to pick-up or be delivered also cuts down on random sweets and treats that are easy to impulsively grab in-store. • Accept help. When someone lends a hand, grab on, thank them for the help, and remember their contribution down the line.
