Health and Fitness Tips to Help You Prepare for a Race on a Tight Schedule

Introduction

When you’re in training for an upcoming race, renewing your focus on health and fitness is more important than ever.

Whether you’re training for a charity race in New York or an ultra-long marathon in Canada, some lifestyle shifts can help give you a crucial boost.

First, Create a Schedule That You Know You Can Stick To!

When preparing for a race, sticking to a schedule is essential. Having a plan of action in place is key to making sure you’re at your best on the day of your race.

You should create a detailed schedule that notes the things you need to do each week in order to reach peak performance, such as nutrition and training regimes, recovery times and anything else necessary to make sure you’re ready on the day.

By following this plan closely, it can help reduce stress levels and give you a sense of control over your physical preparation so that you can have confidence in your performance.

Using a free online schedule maker can be a great way to create an achievable plan you’ll actually want to stick to. These tools help by taking some of the variables into account and making sure that the time you’ve allocated for each activity is realistic and doable.

Plus, with many online schedulers, you can also choose if and when you receive notifications that remind you of upcoming tasks, making it easier to stay on track. If you’re looking for an efficient way to create a running or fitness schedule, give this a try.

Five Simple Health and Fitness Tips to Help You Prepare for a Race on a Tight Schedule

Even if you’re on a tight schedule or on a fixed budget, these five affordable tips from EverydayFitness.tips could help you prepare.

1. Make Fitness and Wellness a Fully Integrated Part of Your Workdays

One issue that many people who work demanding jobs face is not having enough time to fit in extensive workouts outside of work hours. Although you may not have space in your busy schedule to drive to the gym after working overtime, you can still get fit by incorporating wellness directly into your workday.

For example, instead of always taking the elevator, start using the stairs at the office. During work breaks, squeeze in a few push-ups or a walk around the neighborhood. You can even ask your boss for a standing desk, or begin standing instead of sitting during company meetings.

2. Skip Long Commutes and Bring a Full-Service Gym Into the Comfort of Your Home

According to one study cited by Harvard Medical School, having a home gym can make working out more convenient, and may even increase your levels of motivation. If you’re tired of dragging yourself to health clubs and you want to skip gym commutes, consider bringing a full-service workout center to your home.

For a complete gym, make sure to get:

• • A treadmill or elliptical
  • Resistance bands
  • Ankle weights
  • Free weights
  • Dumbbells
  • A training bench

When training at home, you want to make sure your space is free of negative energy. Clutter can be a major contributor to bad energy, and it can make your workouts more difficult as well. Work to declutter your living spaces. If you want to take your energy cleanse to the next level, think about smudging with sage as well.

3. Renew Your Focus on Nutrition by Growing Your Own Food and Planning Your Meals

When you’re trying to train for a race, eating healthfully is crucial. If your diet isn’t currently well-balanced, you can renew your focus on nutritious eating in a few different ways.

If you have a green thumb, you may want to consider getting some herb planters or starting a backyard garden for fresh vegetables. Eating at home rather than eating out can help you avoid excess sugar and sodium. Additionally, meal planning at the start of the week can take the guesswork out of well-rounded meals.

4. Find Enjoyable (and High-Tech) Ways to Stay Hydrated Throughout the Day

Keeping your body hydrated is one of the most important and fundamental steps you can take to preserve your health. If you’re not already in the habit of chugging eight glasses of water per day, there are a few hacks that can help change that.

Make drinking water fun by:

• • Downloading apps that send you reminders to drink water throughout the day
  • Purchase a special water bottle with motivational quotes on it
  • Use zero-calorie water flavors to enhance the experience
  • Ask a friend to check in and remind you to stay hydrated

5. Take Your Training Outdoors to Absorb Vitamin D and Breathe in Fresh Air

Lastly, you can make your workouts pull double duty by taking them outside. Training for your upcoming race outdoors allows you to build strength and resistance while taking in the fresh air, lowering your stress levels, and helping your body to naturally synthesize more vitamin D.

Some fun outdoor workout ideas include:

• • Going for local hikes
  • Playing volleyball on the beach
  • Practicing yoga in the park
  • Jogging on the community track

The Bottom Line

When you’re gearing up for a big race, you may be looking for quick, flexible ways to get healthy on the cheap. Remember to create a schedule that you know you’ll be able to stick to. These affordable tips, you’ll be ready to face that upcoming challenge head-on.