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6 Tips for Staying Fit While Working Full-time

Updated: May 14, 2022

There are many reasons why a full-time job and a healthy lifestyle might not seem compatible. But with some extra effort, you can manage both without choosing one or the other.

It’s not easy staying fit while working full-time, especially if you’re trying to juggle your work, family and personal commitments. But it is possible, and it doesn’t have to take up all your time. Like with anything in life, you need to make sacrifices and prioritize how you spend your time, including your workouts. So how can you stay fit while working full-time? Here are our six top tips.

Prioritize Your Fitness


Whether you're busy with a carpool or working a 10-hour day, making exercise a priority benefits both you and your own body.

Start slow. We're all guilty of throwing ourselves into some new workout; but then finding ourselves bored and itching for something new, again and again.


You don't want to hit the fitness plateau and give it up together.

Enroll in the Zumba dance class, lift heavier weight and alternate between a light jog and sprinting for your treadmill routine. Fight for your right to be fit and fantastic. Or find a personal trainer who can help keep you accountable (our nutritionist is a certified strength coach who does fitness training).


Sleep Your Way to a Fit Life


Sleep affects people's perception of how difficult it is to exercise.

All you have to do to regain your motivation is to get to bed a little earlier, but not so early that you'll have trouble drifting away.


Go fast in the morning and get heavy at night. Schedule your aerobic sessions in the morning and strength training in the evening after work, say researchers at Appalachian State University in North Carolina.


They found that people who did aerobic exercise at 7 a.m. spent more time in the deep sleep cycle, which is most beneficial to your health, than those who did cardio at 1 or 7 p.m.


A balanced diet


A balanced diet provides the body with the nutrients it requires to function correctly.

Most of your daily calories should come from fresh fruits to get the nutrients you need from fresh vegetables: complete grains, legumes, nuts, and Lean protein.


Your body uses calories from food for energy, thinking, breathing, and other essential organs. People require about 2,000 calories per day to sustain their weight, but the number will depend on their age, sex, and physical activity levels.


A balanced diet provides the foods that your body requires to function efficiently.

Without a healthy diet, the body is more vulnerable to cancer, inflammation, fatigue, and low performance.


Children who do not get enough nutritious food can face growth and developmental difficulties, low academic results, and recurrent infections.

They can also acquire unhealthy dietary habits that can continue in adulthood.

According to the Center for Science and Public Interest, 4 of the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States are food-related.


A healthy, nutritious diet typically includes the following nutrients: vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, carbohydrates, including starches and protein, fibre, and healthy fat.


A healthy diet includes a range of ingredients from the following groups: Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Non-dairy products (grass-fed if you choose to consume dairy unless you're sensitive to it) and Lean Protein. An example of protein sources; is fish like wild-caught salmon, lean turkey or chicken, shrimp, tuna, etc. Try to limit beef unless it's grass-fed.


People who adopt a vegetarian diet would depend exclusively on plant-based diets: tofu, beans, tempeh, and nuts and seeds for plant-based protein sources.

Get Outside


There’s nothing quite like the feeling of being outdoors and enjoying the fresh air. Not only is it good for your mind, but also good for your health. It doesn’t matter if you are a fitness beginner or someone who has been exercising for years; sometimes, a change of track is just what the doctor ordered. Incorporating outdoor workouts into your fitness regime will give you a chance to enjoy nature, but it could also have several health benefits, including increased productivity and stress relief.


Outdoor fitness will help fight off seasonal affective disorder (SAD), depression, and anxiety, as sunlight increases serotonin, a hormone that changes the mood. And exercising itself releases endorphins, another feeling-good hormone that improves your morale and decreases discomfort. It's challenging the body.

Work Out with Friends and Family


One of the best ways to achieve success in fitness is to surround yourself with people who share your goals and understand your passion. Surrounding yourself with like-minded people will help motivate you to be healthier, but you’ll also have fun doing it! Unfortunately, not everyone has a supportive group of friends or family, but it’s never too late to find a new group.


We've all seen it happen: having the drive to make it 6 a.m. boot camp with a friend finally, nailing the last round of squats when you see someone around you going through, or forcing yourself to shave time off your record when you're running a 5k challenge. There's plenty to say about the strength of working out as a group—but what about training with others that motivates us? As we have been told by experts when it comes to workouts, there's some merit to the adage, "There's power in numbers."


The popularity of group exercise is on the rise. According to research, we pick up on other people's good habits. According to a 2016 survey, overweight people who spend time with their fit mates lose more weight. It's just one of the many reasons why being in shape in a pack could be more straightforward (and more enjoyable).


Consistency, length, encouragement, conversation, and inspiration increase as you workout with others. According to a survey, 95% of people who began a weight-loss program with friends finished it. In addition, people who participate in group training activities are less likely to miss classes, which lets them stay on schedule. The peer community was 42 percent more likely to retain their weight loss.


Exercising with a companion will help you get through the plateau you usually reach while working out alone. Physiologist suggests that seeing what people are capable of will motivate you to achieve better. In addition, positive competition can arise in community environments. According to experts, the more ambitious you are, the more likely you will drive yourself further.


Exercising with a mate will alleviate stress. Smiling in a community will boost endorphin levels as well. Having a gym partner will help you switch up your fitness routine. It may also be beneficial to have spotters to ensure that you're doing things correctly. Start working out with someone a lot more intelligent than you while training for a marathon. Consider doing a team workout that entails competition, such as playing basketball daily during the week, to give yourself an extra boost. According to researchers from the University of Southern California, people who exercised with friends (or a partner or coworker) claimed they liked it more than those who exercised alone.


A group exercise will provide you with motivation, responsibility, and shared experience. A group exercise will help you stay motivated when you're feeling down. Working out with others provides a lot of motivation among the participants. The good vibes are contagious and have spread like flames around the class. You get uplifted and motivated to do the best when working out with the right people or in the proper lesson. Participants are relieved to have completed their exercise.


When working out as a club or with a partner, stick to cardio-based courses. If you allow yourself to force yourself too far above your physical ability, the competitive spirit will backfire. If you're new to exercise or a specific form of workout, it's best to continue on your own before going on to a group environment. According to one report, working out in a mirrored space (yoga studios) made untrained women feel self-conscious and awkward. Instead, find a class or a group of people who share your style. If you've never done fitness before, a one-on-one training session before getting into the arena with a group is good.


I do personal training 1-on-1 if you’re interested in starting as a beginner.


Takeaway: If you want to stay fit while working full-time, prioritize your fitness.



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