by Jenn Givler

It’s September and the routine is in an uproar. Kids going back to school, new activities start, a whole new schedule is settling in. It’s easy to let self-care and fitness go in the midst of it all.

It’s surprising how easily we put ourselves aside. Aren’t we supposed to put the oxygen mask on ourselves first? Avoid the pitfalls of self-sacrifice so you can steer the ship with confidence this season and take a few steps to make sure you stay on track:

1. Make your fitness functional. Remember, your fitness routine doesn’t have to be shoved into – or out of - your schedule. You can do 3 ten-minute shots of exercise at different points through your day until you can get back to a normal routine.

Walk 10 minutes in the morning, 10 at lunch and 10 in the evening. While you’re waiting to pick your child up, why not take a walk? Or, do a cardio circuit while your watching TV. You can jog in place, jump rope, and do squats and lunges anywhere.
Get a hoop and work those hips while you decompress at the end of a long day.

2. Plan your meals and snacks. Make sure you’ve got plenty of to-go snacks on hand. Good choices are trail mix, portable fruits (like apples, bananas, and grapes). You can even take smoothies in a thermos.

Having things like this available will save you from popping through a drive-through, or hitting the vending machine while running errands or taking the kids to practice. If I know we’ve got a busy evening of running around, I pack a small cooler bag of yummy, healthy snacks.

3. Go easy on yourself. No need to beat yourself up if you miss a day of exercise or your diet takes a nose-dive. Even 1 week of unhealthy behavior won’t undo everything you’ve accomplished for yourself – so go easy on yourself.
Just remember how amazing you feel when you’re nurturing yourself, how wonderful it feels to move, and how fabulous it feels to eat what’s good for you. You WILL come back to healthy choices – it just may not be today.

On the flip side – don’t let a day or two, or seven be the excuse that allows you to slide completely out of nurturing yourself.
Your Self-Care should never be tossed out of your schedule.

These suggestions offer ideas on how to rearrange your schedule so that self-care is still in there. Take a look at how and where you’re spending your time. Are there other things that can be arranged?
Ask the kids and your significant other to pitch in a bit more around the house. Or, save time on dinner by using left-overs, or having everyone create their own sandwich one night (healthy sandwiches of course ).
There are loads of ways you can ease into a new schedule. Plan, plan, plan – and never take “you” out of the equation.

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About Jenn:
Jenn Givler is a fitness and wellness coach. She helps busy women break their fitness hiatus, and shows them how to fit fitness into a busy schedule. You don’t have to be a fitness buff, or live at the gym to feel healthy, fit and strong. Check out Jenn’s web site for exercise ideas, recipes, and insight: