Activities like cooking at home and exercise can oftentimes seem impossible to fit into our daily routines when work, shuttling the kids to and from school, after school activities, and weekend plans are thrown into the mix. If you fall into bed at night exhausted and realize you yet again have to push your workout and cooking plans to the next day's schedule, try making these five simple tweaks to your day's routine that will help your body, heart, and mind sleep a little easier.

Get a Standing Desk
Sitting for long periods of time at a desk has been linked with increased risk of such health issues as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. To combat this concern, there are a lot of exercise tools designed for desk workouts at the office. Unfortunately, most, if not all, require some level of concentration, which can result in a decrease in productivity. The good news? Did you know you could burn up to 170 calories each day just by standing at your desk instead of sitting? That's right. Merely standing when you work can make a big impact on your day's calorie burn. Moreover, there is evidence standing can give you other health benefits such as lowering your blood sugar, reducing back pain, improving your heart health, increasing your energy level, and helping your overall sense of well-being.

Take Short Walks 
A walk does not have to mean getting sweaty during work hours. Not everyone has the option of taking a quick run and hitting the shower before returning to work at lunch. That said, a 10-minute walk up and down the stairs or around the block can burn up to 50 calories. If you take a 10-minute walk before and after work plus a third walk at lunchtime, you may have burned up to 150 calories that day without breaking a sweat or skipping a beat in your work-life routine! Plus, studies show several short walks provide the same health benefits as one long walk. So, stash your trainers in your bag or car to ensure you fit your daily walks into your hectic schedule.

Eat Your Veggies First
You may have heard your mom say this throughout your children. But, loading your plate with a variety of vegetables and eating them before the other food items ensures you receive proper nutrition. Some people enjoy a clean and green smoothie packed with lots of whole food nutrients as a snack or meal replacement. Others prefer to eat a coup of vegetable-based soup, veggie-heavy grain bowl, or salad before tackling more starchy or sugary foods. With so much fiber and added vitamins and minerals, you can experience the difference in your mood, energy level, skin tone, and so much more. Best of all, clean whole food smoothies, soups, grain bowls, and salads are probably sold nearby and many can be prepared at home in under 30 minutes!

Drink Water in Small Glasses
Drinking your half a gallon of water per day may be tough when you are focused on work and rushing to get the kids to school and sports practice. Instead of imagining a half-gallon of water on your desk, break it up into the 8x8 rule where you drink eight glasses of water in eight-ounce cups. Also, skip the ice and use an insulated thermos instead to keep cool. This makes measuring your intake a breeze while avoiding possible contamination from stored ice. It's a win-win!

Shorten Your Workouts
It is perfectly natural to want to hit the gym for an hour or two each day to knock out all your strength training, cardio, and stretching. However, many are too busy or tired to set aside an hour per day. If this sounds like you, never fear. There are plenty of eight to 10-minute workouts you can do with bands, household items, or your own body weight that will be just as effective when completed multiple times during breaks in your routine. For example, try stretching, taking a walk, doing squats and push-ups, or using some resistance bands for strength training, while your child is warming up for soccer practice. For a more complete workout, there are several apps and downloaded or streaming videos that will guide you to better fitness at the click of a button wherever you need them.

In conclusion, there are a variety of ways to greatly improve your health with some small changes that will not keep you from your day's planned activities. Although they do take some foresight to plan ahead for equipment needed or how to incorporate them, the preparation time should be minimal and the results could be amazing! Learn more about your health and get a baseline for your blood sugar and more by scheduling an appointment with Dr. Navarro and his experienced team by calling (863) 949-6541 or scheduling online because your health is too important to wait!