Is it time for a re-set? Thoughts from a Personal trainer
How do you feel right now? Take a few minutes to reflect, perhaps ask yourself these questions.
How are your stress levels?
How are you sleeping?
How often are you exercising and how do you feel before and after you move?
How are you eating? Are you enjoying your food and feeling energised?
Are you feeling well fuelled through the day or are you having energy peak and dips?
We are (hopefully) coming through lockdown. There is still a long way to go in our fight against Covid but I hope the days of complete lockdown are gone. I know that for many, myself included, the last few weeks have been a time for self-reflection. I acknowledge that I have not been feeling my best, physically and mentally, so want to make some changes. Working as a personal trainer in Tunbridge Wells, I often have these kinds of conversations with clients, and now is no different. If you are in a similar state of mind, please read on for my how thoughts on how to make some changes in a nourishing and positive way. If you’re not feeling you want to make changes or don’t feel the need to, then that’s cool. No pressure, we have to do what feels right for us as individuals.
We have all been under a huge amount of stress and this has probably meant certain elements of our lifestyles have been a little out of control. Perhaps we are sleeping less than normal, eating more food that might taste wonderful but doesn’t make us feel our best or perhaps we have been drinking more alcohol than usual. No doubt we have been doing what we need get ourselves through each day. Many of us probably now have a niggly inner voice that is berating ourselves for ‘over-indulging’. There is a lot of chatter in the fitness industry at the moment and if you were to believe certain personal trainers, we should all have been smashing fitness goals and getting uber fit whilst in lockdown.
It is perfectly reasonable to feel that now is the time for a little re-set. To stop or reduce the things that aren’t serving us well and to start doing the things we know will make us feel good. We are very good at beating ourselves up and wanting a quick fix to get us out of feeling like this. But, as always, I encourage you to be cautious before signing up for a £200 three day juice cleanse or body transformation diet. I strongly believe programmes like these don’t help us in the long term and end up reinforcing negative feelings and behaviours. This is the kind of fitness BS that needs calling out, it preys on our insecurities and exploits us.
Living a ‘healthy’ life is complex. There is no one size fits all and it is certainly not all about ‘clean eating’ and challenging exercise programmes. Particularly when we have already undergone significant mental and physical stress. Starting a strict diet and intense exercise regime is only going to increase the stress our bodies are coping with. So, whilst I think it is great to make some changes if you’ve decided now is the time for a re-set, I believe in doing it in a kind nourishing way, not a way that increases the stress we are already under.
There are three elements I think it is important to consider. They are all closely interconnected and making small improvements to each of these will mean that you have a really positive impact on your health. Likewise, if one element is not serving you well but you only make changes to the other elements it will be harder to have a positive holistic outcome. I suggest looking at each one, perhaps asking yourself the questions I mention above, then work out an action plan that is right for you.
Sleep
I really believe that sleep provides a solid foundation for other elements of our mental and physical health. We have all had times when we are not sleeping well and can recognise how much harder it is to exercise, to make positive food choices and to feel productive, calm and focused, if we aren’t sleeping properly. A good nights’ sleep can totally transform our energy, our mood, our productivity and lay excellent foundations for enjoying movement and eating well.
I know there are times we really don’t have any control over how much sleep we have. But if you are struggling with your sleep, and you don’t have any external influences (kids, puppies, noisy neighbours etc) waking you up, then you could try giving some of my favourite sleep tips a go.
Cool down – your body temperature drops just before you fall asleep, so taking a shower or bath before bed is not only relaxing but subsequently lowers your body temperature and aids the process of falling asleep
No devices an hour before you want to fall asleep – bit of a no brainer this one but so many of us are so bad at it!
Wake up and go to sleep at a similar time each day, using a natural light alarm clock.
There is so much more to learn about sleep, it’s a fascinating subject. If you’d like to find out more, I recommend listening to this fascinating podcast by sleep expert, Matthew Walker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwaWilO_Pig
Food
In my opinion, food and our relationship with it, is a very complex thing. There is definitely not a one size fits all solution and we have to work out what principles work for us. If the way you are eating (or drinking) is not serving you well, then perhaps a few small changes might help you feel better. Here are a few of changes I make when I want to feel better.
Eat mostly plant based – fruit and veg is good for us, this is undisputed and the one bit of food science that everyone agrees on. Eating colourfully, with a mix of fruit veg and whole grains is going to serve you well on so many levels.
Plan ahead – you don’t have to actually prepare your meals in advance. But knowing what you’re going to be eating and having your fridge and cupboards stocked accordingly really helps us make great food choices.
Enjoy your food – food is a pleasure and if you banish the foods you enjoy you’ll be setting yourself up for quite a challenge. If you follow the first two principles you’ll find you’re able to feel good whilst also eating some of the foods that you love.
Exercise
Mindful, intuitive movement is often underrated. I think it’s a great way to be thinking about exercise at the moment given the stress we are all under.
Intuitive Movement - listen and tune in to your body and move in a way that feels good for you.
Personalise your exercise - find your level and slowly progress from there. Don’t be enticed into exercise that isn’t right for you because it’s sold as the kind that will ‘burn fat’ or help you drop a dress size. If you’re not going to enjoy it or you’re not physically ready for it, you won’t keep it up consistently. Find something that you can enjoy consistently and progress from there.
Find your community – sociable exercise ramps up enjoyment and commitment. There are so many benefits, other than the physical ones, when working out with others.
If you feel you could make improvements across all three elements, then perhaps pick one thing in each group to change. Be kind to yourself, make small changes and build on them so the impact in the long term is significant. You will know if the time feels right to make some changes and a bit of self reflection can help you work out what those changes should be.
I’d love to know what changes you are going to make and how you get on. If you need any help please just get in touch. I’m always happy to chat.
Written by Carole Dowling. Personal Trainer Tunbridge Wells