Looking after yourself as a business owner

Sue Watson shares her tips on keeping healthy

As an owner of a new fitness business I know all too well the benefits of keeping fit and healthy.

It is important as a trainer to not only look the part but to feel it too, but this still applies to any business you may have.

When working for yourself, you need to be sure you are in tip-top shape or you could find not only yourself suffering but your business too, as your business is a reflection of you.

So here a few tips to help take care of YOU:

Get a good night sleep! This can be difficult when you first start up a business so I recommend a good meditation or go-to-sleep app to help you get that six to eight hours of restful sleep.

Eat a healthy breakfast. This replenishes the overnight loss of glucose and other essential nutrients to keep your energy levels up that you will need for the day running your business.

Pencil in some exercise time in your calendar at least three times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes.

There are some great boot camps or clubs around that offer sessions to cater for the busy person and can condense a workout for you that will give you the best 30-45mins of your day.

Be sure to drink plenty of water daily – keeping yourself hydrated helps you to think clearly.

Avoid too much caffeine, as this can cause insomnia.

Large amounts have been known to cause headaches, anxiety and irregular heart beat and can affect your digestive system.

Keep your gym gear in your car so that you can’t find excuses to go straight home because you forgot your gear. Eat regularly throughout the day. If you don’t have time to sit down for lunch, make sure you have plenty of healthy snacks such as fruit, veggie sticks, tins of tuna, rice or rice thins.

If there is time in your day then be sure to add a nice meat and salad for lunch along with your snacks.

Eating at least every two hours helps prevent those big hunger pangs between meals and overindulging at main meals.

Skipping meals will not help you lose weight and you’re more likely to make up for it by eating more than necessary at your next meal.

Make time to read. This can be very beneficial to help you improve your health and life on many levels including your business.