When it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle, we all know that to stay in good health, we need to eat a varied and nutritiously balanced diet and get some form of exercise. However, life can take over at times, and this isn't always possible.

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With parents across the world being stretched even thinner due to the demands of the global pandemic and coping with remote working, remote learning for children or hybrid learning models, our plates have become a lot heavier, and our workload has increased dramatically.

In what ways can busy parents make sure they are focussing on their health even with little to no time to do so?

Meal Planning

Simple but effective, if you find you are constantly running out of ideas of what to make or your food shopping resembles a toddler gone wild in a sweet shop, writing down a meal plan to follow for the week can help you to get back on track and remove the need to worry about what to make.

Whether you want to try something new and cook keto salmon patties, stick to a tried and tested meal the whole family loves, or let everyone else pick a meal each for every day, a meal plan is a great way to not only use up the food you have in the house but make sure you can eat a balanced diet,

Exercise

Shifting your mindset from the dread of putting yourself through a punishing workout can really help you focus more on just moving at first—nothing more, nothing less. Our bodies sometimes need an outlet for excess energy if we are still for long periods. But parents who are always on the find it hard to add exercise on top of an already active lifestyle.

So rewire your brain and look at movement being the first step to getting more exercise into your day. Run around the garden after a boisterous toddler? Exercise. Walked to the store instead of driving? Exercise. It all counts, and it is a great way to be accountable for how much you are moving every day.

Hydration

Water. The holy grail of drinks, yet always overlooked for something flashier, fizzier, tasty. Our bodies need water for many different things, and substituting water for other drinks will leave us feeling run down.

If you don't like the taste of plain water, then consider adding fresh fruit or mint to your water. Chill it if you prefer cold water or sip at room temperature.

As a gauge, if you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. So drinking a glass full of water when you are thirsty won't really help you out. Drink little and often. Buy a diffuser bottle to add fruit to when out and about. Fill a self serve jug at home or use a water bottle that has time markings for drinking your quota of water hourly.

Remember, when you are working out or on a hot day, you will need water. Increase your daily intake and benefit from fresher, clearer skin, more energy and an all-around healthier body.