It’s no lie that a fair amount of us work a desk job *sigh.

And I’ve recently joined the ranks after working full time as a personal trainer for over 8 years (more about my personal training background) The transition has been a challenging one since I’m used to being very active with training clients, teaching classes and working out twice per day. I haven’t officially said goodbye to the training world as it’s been a big part of my life.

As a result of my change in lifestyle I’ve had to start taking the advice that I gave my clients for years, and am now experiencing some of the challenges many of them face on a daily basis (back pain), like going to the gym after work when you’re exhausted : (

Related: 41 Effective Exercises to Relieve Lower Back Pain

 Ten Tips For Staying Fit While Working a 9-5

(from a former full-time fitness girl)

Find What Works For You

And be honest. If you know you’re not going to wake up at 5:30 so you can be at the gym for 7 am, don’t try it. If you know you hate the gym then don’t sign up for a gym membership that you are going to waste your hard-earned money paying for. Related: Tips on Choosing a Fitness Routine

Instead, find what you like and what you are honestly going to work towards. I know I don’t like working out after work so I get my workouts in before I get to work. The last thing I want to do is come home, eat dinner, and then have to trek out to the gym after I’ve gotten comfortable. It’s just not my hour of power.

Schedule Your Workouts

This will prevent you from skipping out on them entirely if you treat them like an actual appointment.

You can also sign up for an actual fitness class (if your schedule permits) to keep you from making excuses. This can also be social, where you meet other people with similar goals.

Related: Ten Fitness Mistakes You Must Avoid

Leave the Office For Lunch

I know things can get busy but I feel like crap if I don’t leave the office, even for just a little bit to get some fresh air, move my legs, and stretch.

Schedule Time for Yourself

Being fit isn’t just about making time for the gym, it’s about wellness. Are you making time for things that you want to do? I wake up an hour early so that I can do something that makes me feel happy. Read number five to find out what that is

Wake Up Earlier Than You Need

Ok so you may think I’m crazy but I wake up an hour earlier than I actually need to so that I can read! Oh yea and workout ha. I do get some reading done on the train sometimes but most of the time it’s in audio format since I do tend to get motion sickness.

Meal Prep + Plan Meals

If you are conscious of your meals and don’t feel like coming home and having to figure out what the heck you’re going to eat for dinner, Plan ahead! I hate coming home and staring in my fridge for ten minutes (not really ten) trying to figure out what to make.

It’s tiring and a  waste of time. So about once a week I’ll go through some of my fav recipe blogs and pick out recipes I want to try. I also recently signed up for Hello Fresh As well.

Related: Ten Ways to Reach Your Fitness Goals

Focus On Flexibility

If you don’t it will come and haunt your later with back pain or a potential injury from the gym or just in general. Weak hip flexors, glutes and tight hamstrings can lead to some pretty painful injuries if you let your muscles get tight. You don’t have to do yoga either.

Related: My Guide for Designing your Workouts

No More Food Shaming!

I’m a big fan of the anti diet. What’s the best diet to follow? One that you can actually stick with and if you’re like most of us diets don’t really stick anyways.  Which is why I’m a huge supporter of eating a balanced diet and not labelling certain foods bad, or a “cheat meal”. Food is just food. Some food just needs to be eaten more sparingly. Don’t shame yourself too much over your food choices or guilt trip it just leads to more psychological problems.

Related: Why I Won’t Make Meal Plans for My Clients

Keep your Routine Fresh

But most of all have fun! Try new workout formats or sign up for a new event, or even hire a trainer.

Related: Five Types of Personal Trainers You Must Avoid

You Don’t Have to Do It All

Ok this is going to be a hard one especially for someone like me who is always on the go. They  don’t call me the pocket rocket for nothin’. Many of us millennials are all about the hustle and the side hustle. We tend to do the most A LOT. We want to do it all and we just can’t. Some things just have to be left for tomorrow. Focus on what’s a priority.

Related: How I Gave Myself Clinical Exhaustion

How Are You Staying Fit While Working Full-Time?