Why Monday workouts are so important

Monday sets the stage for the week. They start the week off with a bang and set you up with good intentions for the whole week. Even if s**t hits the fan during the week, you know you got one workout under your belt.

 

Weekends can also be a time for some slight downward movement in the diet and exercise area, so Mondays can give you that confidence to get back up and start heading in the right direction again.

 

Mondays get the weekly routine back on track. You start with some exercise, then you start to eat better, and of course, you sleep better. When we sleep better we make better decisions. This will usually mean that you choose to continue to workout for the rest of the week.

 

When we miss a Monday, it’s easy to convince yourself to hit snooze and then you miss Tuesday. Missing one day, that’s ok, but 2 days in a row can then create a habit. And if it means your eating goes in the same direction as your workouts, well let’s just say it’s easier to get up on a Monday than tackle that problem a few months later with a less energetic body.

 

And you are not alone, most people want to have a sleep in on a Monday morning, but just know that once you get to your class or the gym, and you see your regular gym buddies, you are reminded why you all got up for this workout. Because Mondays start your weekly routine of being a healthy, happy and fit individual.

 

So let’s do Mondays together! Let’s own this week people!

 

J

Weight loss … why isn’t it working?

When clients come to me, frustrated that they aren’t losing weight I start with the questions:

  1. How much water are you drinking
  2. How much sleep are you getting
  3. How are your stress levels

I then of course ask what are you eating and how much exercise are you doing?

But I find the first 3 questions mentioned above are often dismissed because “when I was 22 I ate what I wanted and played team sport”

Cool, me too. But did you have 2 kids and a mortgage and a full time job? Probably not. Things are different, so our approach needs to be different.

 

When I start to help people lose weight, I start with increasing their water intake (if it is less than 2 litres a day) and adding in 1-2 classes per week (assuming there is no exercise happening at the moment).

 

Why the slow approach? We want quick fixes!

What I also find out in the conversation is the weight has been lost before but it has also come back on, usually in the same fashion – fast. So again, let’s change the approach to change the outcome. Sound familiar?

My approach is ‘SLOW IS FAST’

What do I mean by this?

If we make gentle but sustaining changes, the change is more likely to become a habit. Habits last longer.

So after a week or two of drinking more water (feeling way more energised as well!) and doing 2 classes per week (also feeling energized without super tired), we then start to ask “what are you doing for breakfast lunch and dinner?”

Did I also mention that the weight has started to shift – in a downwards direction. Bingo!

 

I check the food diary, there are some small sustainable changes we can make there too. More protein for breakfast and more veggies at lunch time.

Again repeat for 1-2 weeks.
And so the process continues.

Why do I do the “slow is fast” process? Why can’t I help you lose 5kg in 2 weeks? Well I can, but will you learn anything? Have a taught you how to make healthy choices for yourself? No. I have just told you what to do and then the cycle of loosing and gaining will more likely be repeated. That’s not my idea of success.

 

I have been helping people lose weight for over 10 years. I have tried and tested a lot of methods. And trust me, Slow is fast works.

My job is to teach you, not tell you.

My job is to help you keep the weight off.

 

Need a little help with your weight loss journey? Check out our Ultimate Weight Loss Challenge post COVID-19. Be the weight you have always wanted to be!

To run with or without music?

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A question I get asked a lot “can I run with music?” when people are joining our run club.

While I would rather you mingle with the group, and experience the group atmosphere of run club, here are a few ideas about running with and without music.

People run for a variety of reasons;

  • weight loss
  • fun
  • switch off
  • fitness
  • race preparation
  • and more

Whatever your reason is, it’s totally ok. But if you are wanting to improve your running, either speed, endurance, technique or all of the above, you might consider running without music (at least for the short term)

And here’s why:

  • Listening to your feet can give you a huge amount of feedback to what is happening with your feet and in fact your entire lower limbs. Are you thumping like an elephant? Or do you glide like gazelle? Losing control and landing heavy can mean a loss of energy and therefore costing you time and efficiency. Strengthening your glutes, hip flexors and feet muscles can give you more control and therefore your step will become lighter and faster.

 

  • Breathing – are you sucking all of the air out of your space, or are you a quiet breather? There is no one perfect way to breath, everyone is different, but the key is to get as much air in your lungs as possible with each breath. You want to expand your belly rather than shrugging your shoulders while doing short high chest breathes. Something I find helps is starting your running with a relaxed, full breathing cycle. High stress, or rushed lifestyles shorten our breathing and if you are coming off a stressful day then trying to do some hill sprints, you are already out of breath. Try incorporating some belly breathing for 60-120 seconds before starting your run.

 

So should you run with or without music?

If you want to change your running – speed, endurance, technique or all of the above, it might pay to listen to what is happening with your feet and your breathing and then you can get an idea of what you can work on. Then you can add your music back into your runs later 🙂

 

Happy running!