Your time-management tricks are failing you
Personal trainer April Sutton says a lot of her clients approach her for assistance when they feel like they’ve lost control over how they structure their time due to overwhelming work and family commitments. “They can’t really think for themselves outside of their jobs because they’re so burnt out,” says Sutton. Trainer Michael Moody has clients prioritize exercise, and think about how other habits (how they eat, sleep, and how much they sit at work) can impact how they feel when they exercise. Becoming “human scientists of their body” helps people better understand how their lifestyles can impact their health, Moody says. From there, it’s a matter of correcting bad habits, and continuing to put aside time to exercise regularly. Besides exercise, successful people do these things after work.
You need help resisting temptation
Maybe it’s alcohol, maybe it’s smoking, or maybe it’s candy, but we all have temptations we’re not proud of. Some people find that replacing vices with exercise kills two birds with one stone, so to speak: It helps them get in better shape, while also distracting them from their cravings. Sutton has worked with former drug addicts and binge eaters who have used exercise as a way to replace old habits with new ones. And a study published in the journal Current Neuropharmacology shows the endorphin rush that comes with exercise works on the brain the same way addictive substances do. It’s better to crave the treadmill thansomething less healthy, right?
You’re not sleeping well
If you’re having trouble nodding off or staying asleep at night, you may need to move a bit more during the day. In a study published in the journal Sleep Medicine, researchers at Northwestern University found that insomniac middle-aged and older participants who exercised and were taught to sleep in a cool, dark room and go to bed at the same time each night got 1.25 more hours of sleep nightly than those who did not participate in physical activity. Whether you have chronic insomnia or you just haven’t been sleeping well lately, getting some aerobic activity in during the day will probably help you catch more Z’s at night. Here are some signs you’re not sleeping deeply enough.
