It can be hard to maintain physical fitness when you're always out and about. However, there's no excuse for falling behind with your physical fitness – no matter how busy you are! There are plenty of ways to make sure that you always get good workouts, proper nutrition, and adequate rest. You've just got to apply some good time management and a few key tricks. Here are five of the best strategies for keeping up with your physical fitness routine.

1. Cook in Bulk

Nutrition is the most important part of staying fit, but cooking and eating the right foods can be a serious hassle when you're busy. To ensure your dietary success throughout the week, set aside one or two days per week when you'll cook ten to fifteen meals' worth of food in advance. Store in individual containers if necessary, and you'll always have your meals ready to go – no stopping for fast food!

2. Rethinking Meal Frequency

You might have heard that you need to eat every few hours to "stoke your metabolism." Simply put, this is a load of bull! Your body certainly has survival mechanisms, but it's not going to go into "starvation mode" if you wait six hours to eat instead of three. In fact, eating three or four times per day – instead of five or six – allows you to eat larger, more satisfying portions. Save yourself unnecessary stress, and stick to just a few meals per day.

3. Shift your Sleep Schedule

Even if you get eight hours of sleep per night, you might be able to make your days much more efficient by going to bed and waking up earlier. You might not think you're a "morning person," but the early hours are some of the best for getting things done. Start your day with necessary rituals like cooking and cleaning, and you'll be amazed at how much time you'll free up in the afternoons. If you feel especially energetic in the mornings, this may also be the best time for you get your workouts in.

4. Train Efficiently

There's no hard-and-fast rule about how much time you've got to spend in the gym. Whether your physical fitness program takes thirty minutes or ninety, you should aim to be as efficient as possible. No chit-chat, no long breaks to stare at the news, and no long rests between sets. Keeping a focused mindset in the gym is important, whether you're a bodybuilder or just someone trying to get in to better shape.

5. Eliminate Distractions

If you're struggling to fit all of your meals and workouts into each week, take a hard look at the things that really take up most of your time. You might be surprised at how much time you actually spend watching TV, surfing the internet, or doing other unproductive activities. Pick the hobbies that matter most to you, and use the rest of your time for more important things. Remember – what you do outside the gym is even more important than your actual workouts when it comes to physical fitness.