Wellness is a big concern for many adults, but it’s a struggle to achieve and maintain for some. In Alberta, 29.7% of adults were obese in 2021, and obesity rates in Canada as a whole have been steadily increasing over the past few years. As such, pursuing nutrition and exercise is vital to ensure proper health and avoid the development of obesity-related conditions. For working adults, it can be a challenge to stick to healthy habits due to various factors, whether it’s lack of time, genetics, health issues, or even a matter of socioeconomic status and income; however, it’s not an impossible feat. Here are a few nutrition and exercise tips for Cochrane’s working adults:

Make the suitable adjustments to your diet >

Healthy eating is the pillar of wellness for adults, but it’s something that working adults often struggle with. High food prices in Cochrane can make healthier food options pricier, which not many working adults can work into their budget. It can also be challenging to find time to cook nutritious meals while on a busy schedule. However, making small adjustments to your diet instead of doing a complete overhaul of your eating habits can make it easier to get into the habit of eating nutritiously.

You don’t have to cut off carbohydrates, but you can swap out your usual bread, pasta, or rice for whole-grain varieties with more nutritional benefits. Adjusting your portion sizes to include balanced servings of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and protein can also improve nutrition. You don’t need to completely give up processed, sugary, or salty foods, but save them for special occasions and limit your intake. Batch-cooking meals or buying food in bulk can also help solve time and cost issues when pursuing nutrition. These small changes can make a difference in your nutrition and will help you integrate more healthy eating patterns into your lifestyle.

Join a weight loss workshop >

Pursuing healthy habits can be difficult to do on your own. As such, finding a like-minded community of people can help you stay accountable and make the journey more enjoyable. Though you can get support from family and friends, joining a workshop is also a great way to meet and connect with people with similar goals and struggles.

Coaches provide guidance and support so you can get the direction you need to push you toward your goals. You can also find a sense of solidarity with other people looking to improve weight and health. You can search for “weight loss workshops near me” to see if there are any locations in or near Cochrane that hold these meetings. If you’re on a busy schedule and don’t have much time to stop by, there are online options that still provide high-quality advice for weight loss and wellness.

Integrate physical activity into your daily routine >

As a working adult, exercising might be the last thing you’d want to do on top of a busy workday. It’s also hard to find time to work out, which can dissuade you from working out. To ensure you get enough daily physical activity without sacrificing too much time, you can incorporate exercise into your daily routine.

Instead of driving to work, you can try cycling or running. Cochrane has been making the town more cycle-friendly by adding more legal trails. Small changes like taking the stairs instead of the elevator at the office can also get your blood pumping. When ‘running’ errands, you can take that literally by intentionally making it a more active endeavor. You can brisk walk through the grocery store, or jog to the post office for more physical activity. Doing these things and many more can also help you add variety to your exercise routine. Variety enables you to break through weight loss plateaus, keeps exercising exciting, and builds new muscles, among other things.

You may have a lot on your plate as a working adult, but caring for your well-being should be a top priority. Starting with slight adjustments to your routines and patterns can help you get into the habit of eating healthier and exercising regularly. Community also plays a role in helping you find your footing in your health journey. By committing to these changes, you’re on the right track to improve your nutrition and exercise.