Tackling the Busy Life and Building a Healthy Lifestyle for 2024 with Kayla Kregel
Let me just say we starting out strong in 2024 with our posts here on RK Complete!
I would like to introduce our first guest writer of the year! Kayla is someone that I have known for a long time (since I was in High School) and she has always been known for her hard work and dedication to whatever she is pursuing. Her ability to live through her faith is also just down right inspiring as well. Kayla is currently using her dedication to inspire the 86 college athletes that she coaches in Cross Country and Track & Field. In her post today she is sharing three tips to help tackle your buys life and build a healthy life style.
I want to encourage you to read her words and take what advice you feel is needed and apply it your life!
Let’s face it, a new year always brings an overwhelm of big intentions, grand New Year’s Resolutions, high goals, colorful vision boards, and a breath of fresh air to tackle so much more than the previous year….until we reach the reality of January 10th and already have failed. Don’t tell me I’m the only one with this problem??
Kayla Kregel posing post morning workout!
As an ex-athlete, a head college cross country & track and field coach over 86 athletes, home-owner, dog mom of two, daughter, sister, and constant go-getter; life is busy to say the least. I find myself always wanting to grow, learn, do more, and impact more every day; but throughout the years I have learned the hard way to take a step back and ask myself:
“Can I conquer all of this or what’s realistic?”
When bringing that to my health and fitness goals, I constantly find myself wanting to conquer all the challenges : 1 gallon of water a day, meal prep, 10 pages read, podcast, 10,000 steps+, workout inside, workout outside, limited screen time, sleep 8+ hours daily…and the list goes on and on. Anyone feel me? All of these challenges are great, BUT if we take on too many, we tend to feel like a failure right away.
So let’s break it down and keep it simple this year with 3 tips:
Daily Movement - Whatever that looks like for you, do it! If you l like to follow a workout program, do it. If you like to get outside and walk, do it. If you like to run, do it. If you like to go to the gym and participate in a class, do it. If you are traveling for work, do whatever is available to you. Don’t let anyone put your daily movement goals into a box and tell you what it needs to be. We all get wrapped up (myself included) in following a program to a T, but when life gets flipped upside down and we cannot conquer the “to do” workout for the day, that tends to be when we fall off the tracks and derail from all our health and fitness goals. Know that it’s okay to just go move in a different way daily and jump back on the train the next day.
Consistent sleep schedule - I know, I know, you already are rolling your eyes because life is not always fair to allow for consistency, but I highly recommend trying to keep your sleep schedule consistent. If you’re a morning bird, consistently be a morning bird 7 days a week. If you operate better at night, stay up later and then sleep later in the morning. Our bodies STRIVE for consistency, so do what is best for you and stick with it. It is only when we stay up late on Friday and Saturday nights, is when Monday and Tuesday mornings suck. If you stay consistent, your body will thank you daily!
Fill your kitchen with fuel - When life gets busy, we are going to eat whatever is in sight. I highly recommend stocking up on the good stuff. Keep extra protein in the freezer, always have fruits and veggies on hand (can be frozen too for smoothies, yogurt or veggies to add to any meal), and stock your cupboards with healthy options. I always have oatmeal, honey, and peanut butter on hand to make mug cookies, homemade protein balls/bars, or just oatmeal for breakfast. I highly recommend meal prepping one time per week to have some food prepped for grab and go. If you have time to make extra, freeze those meals for when life gets hectic (chili at this time of year is perfect to make an entire crockpot and then freeze half). Don’t overthink it, keep your options as real food and get the processed foods out of the house.
Kayla Coaching in action with one of her athletes!
With conquering these three simple tips daily, all your big hopes and dreams for 2024 will fall into place. You will think clearer, be more productive, have more energy, and be able to build a lifestyle that allows your vision board to become a reality. Life is busy and busy is a blessing, but do yourself a favor and take control of the little things with your health for the big blessings to fall into place.
Kayla Kregel