body connection

Apr

2023

New Year, New… Blue?

It’s the dawn of a new year. The internet is flooded with articles about how to make this year your best yet - how to achieve all of those goals that you’ve had in the back of your mind for years, and how to finally break free of negative habits and feel complete in yourself.

Now, I don’t know how you feel at this time of year, but I know that for me, all of this pressure to suddenly self – actualize can paralyse me into doing absolutely nothing. Then, I feel awful about it.

I struggle in January. The days are gloomy, it’s cold, and all I want to do is curl up with a good book and drink hot chocolate. I’m a personal trainer, yes, but I’m also human. Personal trainers go through cycles of motivation too! And I know how challenging these cycles can be to handle.

I used to beat myself up terribly during winter, because I struggled to get myself going with ANYTHING, let alone kickstart an ambitious training regime, or the pursuit of a lifelong dream. As I grow older and hopefully wiser, I’ve realised that just because the world is telling me that it’s the right time to set goals and achieve them, it may not be the case. You are an individual, and what works for you will be unique to you and where you are in your life.

It’s important to accept where you are at all times. Sometimes you are ready to take on the world, to set goals, and to achieve them. Sometimes, you need to rest and take a break. Taking a break doesn't have to mean complete inaction, though. There are actions that you can take if you are finding that your energy is at a low ebb, in preparation for when you are ready to take things further. Here are a few gentle ideas for gradually preparing yourself for more energised times.

Scribble out what you want to achieve

This is a simple way of kicking off a goal setting process, but without putting any pressure on it. You can sit down with a pen and paper, get comfortable, put on some relaxing music, and simply scribble out what it is that you want to do in the future. There’s no right or wrong way of doing this – you just let yourself be truthful, and scribble out absolutely everything that comes to mind. No one will ever see this, it’s a process purely for you, so let yourself be completely honest about what you want. It can be a really cleansing experience, allowing yourself to really consider what you want to be, or do. Enjoy the process and remember, there’s no pressure on it!

Scribble out what you feel frustrated with

This is the opposite to the above in some ways. The method is the same, sit down with a pen and paper, make sure you’re alone and have some headspace, and scribble out whatever comes to mind, but this time focus on what is really frustrating you. This could be things that you feel get in the way of you achieving what you want (this could be lack of time, too many other priorities, a specific person or responsibility), or frustrations that you may have with yourself (do you feel that you just can’t get going, that you have too far to go, that you don’t know what to do?). Just anything at all that makes you feel frustrated, because once it’s on the page, it’s out of you, and you’ll feel better for it.

Stretch, stretch, stretch!

So many people neglect stretching, because it can feel like “light” work that isn’t going to have any major effect. The fact is, stretching is ESSENTIAL if you want to have a well trained, functional body. Flexibility allows you to perform far more effectively when you are ready to do more intensive training, so use the downtime to work on gentle stretching work to get those limbs ready for a more high energy period of training. I personally advocate a mindful approach to training, where you focus in on your body and breath with no distractions, but, if it gets you moving, do some stretching in front of the TV! You will feel brilliant for it, and you won’t get bored!

Learn to Rest

This is a tough one, sometimes. It’s a skill to be able to rest in a way that is recuperative. I still struggle with this, because even when I’m on “holiday”, I’m often still beating myself up about what I should be doing, and making plans for how to do better once my holiday has finished. Perhaps you spend evenings sitting watching Netflix, enjoying chocolate biscuits and feeling guilty – or you spend time feeling anxious about not getting enough done, or an incomplete to-do list that you are pressuring yourself to complete. None of those things are resting. Your mind and body are in a state of turmoil and you will gradually wear yourself down and then feel terrible that you don’t have a great deal of energy to do the things that you want to do so much!

Spend some time learning to really rest. It’s easier said than done, I know, but learn to be kind to yourself, and develop this essential skill. If you’re relaxing with a TV programme, really go with it. If you’re logged off work and your brain needs to decompress, let it happen! If you combine rest with the brainstorming above, you’ll be doing plenty to help yourself to prepare for a more active process of setting and achieving your fitness goals when you’re ready.

Trust yourself

Finally, I can testify, from personal experience, that slow and steady is the way to achieve lifelong, sustainable change. I’ve been letting myself grow and develop new, healthy habits for years, and now, winter isn’t a time for my health and fitness to fall by the wayside. Exercise is a way of life, and I don’t need to kickstart anything in the cold, dark of winter. It’s part of the day to day, business as usual, because I do the hard work of making change and improving at a different time of the year – a time that works well for me and my personal rhythm. You will find your way – trust yourself!

So, there you go! That’s my alternative take on how to take advantage of the dawn of a new year. Take it easy on yourself. January may be peak time for your productivity, or it may not – just listen to your own body and work with it. There’s no forcing long term change, so believe in yourself and the process of preparing the ground for the time that you are ready to take the next steps to achieving all of your health and fitness goals 🙂

Mar

2023

Three things I’ve learned from children about movement

On my fitness journey, I’ve had the privilege of learning from many wonderful people. I am often surprised by the wealth of wisdom and knowledge that we hold, and can share with one another. Nothing, however, surprised me more than what fantastic teachers children are, in the art of movement and body confidence.

Here are 3 key lessons that children have taught me so far!

It’s not about how the body LOOKS

When a baby is developing the core strength to hold themselves up, or a toddler is using all available furniture to climb up to a tin of biscuits, or a 5 year old is climbing up a huge wall using a rope, they are NOT concerned with how their body LOOKS. Nor are they motivated by whether that particular motion will tone a specific part of their body. They are completely focused on what they want their body to DO, and they put all of their physical energy into achieving it. There is absolutely no concept of making themselves ‘look’ better, and this enables freedom and abandon as they explore the world.

To a child, the body is a vessel, one that is fun to explore with, and to USE. Somehow we lose that sense as we get older. The body becomes about the external, the aesthetic. We forget how to embrace it’s power to learn, how to appreciate the way that it deepens our experiences, and how to live through it. Seeing the relationship that a child has with their body is a wonderful lesson in how to embrace being alive through physicality.

If at first you don’t succeed….Try again. And Again. And Again!

One of the things I admire about really young babies is their ability to keep on trying the same thing, over and over. For example, when my daughter was tiny and learning to crawl, she would go through an entire lifetime of emotions in a few minutes. She’d be focused, then frustrated, then exhausted. Hopeful, inconsolable, and most of all.. TENACIOUS. She wouldn’t give up! She would ride the wave of emotion rather than fight it and the rewards are clear. She is now a walking, talking, running, climbing, tantrumming toddler!

As adults, we tend to want to get things ‘right’ first time. We are brought up on the notion that perfection is aspirational. If you can be ‘perfect’ quickly, you’re somehow innately talented. You’re superior to someone who has to toil to learn something. The truth is, if we had those egotistical ideas as babies, none of us would get anywhere. We’d paralyse ourselves into inaction with self criticism, because there isn’t a baby on Earth who is born and gets up and just starts walking!

There is a wealth of positive experience, and reward, in the PROCESS of learning. Kids remind me of that every day.

Our bodies are FUN

Have you ever been around a baby who spends AGES lying on a playmat, trying to hit the singing cloud that’s hanging down? Or a toddler who will NOT sit down because they keep on trying to climb up onto a chair to reach something that they want? Or a 5 year old who climbs up the same rope ladder 10 times without a rest and won’t stop? Kids appreciate the enjoyment that their bodies give them. They don’t mind being out of breath, or taking a risk, or experimenting. They get frustrated when they can’t do something, but they don’t let it stop them. They find it too damn tempting to get up and try again because it feels so GOOD to move!

Kids appreciate their bodies and know how to love them. They USE them, rather than judge them.

Disclaimer

So, there you have it! 3 lessons that I’ve learned from hanging out with kids. As a disclaimer, though, I’m not suggesting for a minute that it isn’t kind of annoying when you want to settle down with a Netflix show after a long day and your toddler wants to play the ‘I’m going to climb something REALLY dangerous’ game 😊 But, they do have a lot to show and teach us about how to really enjoy and use our bodies, in a way that we seem to have forgotten. I'm very grateful for having a little human being around as a free movement teacher!

To your body confidence!

Apr

2019

I never feel like I have enough energy to exercise

Ah, we've all been here. You have the best of intentions, but when your alarm goes off in the morning, your bed is heaven. Or you get home from work, exhausted, and a takeaway and Netflix seems far more therapeutic than a workout.

First things first. If you're feeling low on energy and at all out of sorts, go to the doctor and talk about it. There could be medical reasons for how you're feeling, and the first thing to do is to make sure that it isn't the symptom of a medical ailment.

If you've been to the doctor and there isn't anything medical, and you're struggling to get going, it may be time for a change in perspective on exercise.

The trick is to look at exercise in a new way. It isn’t something that you have to do, that’s hard work and exhausting. It’s a pleasure, good for both mind and body, and it gives you energy.

Easier said than done, I know, but this is the ticket to a healthier lifestyle. Somehow, we have become a society that feel that an evening in front of the telly is better for us than a walk outside. That a bar of chocolate can heal our psychological exhaustion from the trials of day to day life. That exercise is a looming cloud over the day, when in reality, it's the sunshine that gives your body nourishment and energy and just so happens to ensure that you stay in shape.

The first step, is to make an appointment with yourself to do your workout. Mark it in your calendar. Treat it like you would any other appointment. It is like a couples therapy session between you and your body! It's IMPORTANT.

Now keep reminding yourself that you have a workout in your diary. Make sure you know what workout you are doing. Keep reminding yourself that you don't miss workouts. Self-perception has the biggest role to play here - if you perceive yourself as someone who sticks to their workout schedule, that is the person you will become.

Now, I'm not saying that feeling low on energy is an easy one to fix. But if you have been to the doctor, and there isn't a medical reason why you're feeling low on energy, it's worth seeing if working on your self-perception helps.

Don't limit yourself. Believe in yourself. It's important that you look after yourself. Exercise will give you energy. It's a way of showing yourself love. It's a way of reminding yourself that you're worth the effort.

Give it a go and see how you get on. Remember, you don't miss workouts! You are active! You work out, and radiate health and energy! You are the picture of wellness. And every so often, you enjoy a takeaway, Netflix series and bar of chocolate and feel absolutely NO guilt whatsoever, knowing that you look after yourself and your body.

That's a good way to live.

Oct

2018

Making Space: The Power of Intention

We all have busy lives. The demands placed on that most valuable commodity – Time – are getting increasingly pressured and unrealistic, and we spend much of our time frantically prioritising the various obligations that we have to fulfil.

Something has to give. If we don’t consciously intend to make space for something, it will be pushed to the bottom of the pile, and eventually forgotten. Often, the things that are pushed to the bottom of the priority pile are the things that are focused on ourselves; the novel we’ve always wanted to write, the art class we’ve wanted to join, the exercise regime we’ve been thinking about...

It’s easy to lose sight of these aspirations in the pace of the daily grind, and without realising it, our lives become a series of obligations. We don’t realise it consciously; we simply carry on, an inexplicable sense of dissatisfaction lingering, until we’ve forgotten what we actually want to do, and can’t quite understand why we’re feeling a bit rubbish.

It’s easy to sail through life without setting intentions. Which is a shame, because when you do, you find yourself making space for the things that you actually WANT to do – the things that are focused on you and your wellbeing. Gradually, that lingering feeling that your life isn’t your own fades. You regain a sense of control over your life.

It’s important to set conscious intentions. Without them, it is almost impossible to sustain any activity, however well intentioned. More pressing, short term obligations will always take precedence, and although you know that your workout will feel good, yield amazing results and most importantly, is time for you, and you alone, you are always likely to fall prey to the many demands that life puts on you, neglecting yourself and your own needs in the process.

The challenge of exercise is, first and foremost, the challenge of adherence. Of making space for it in the landscape of your life. Of prioritising yourself and your own wellbeing. Set the conscious intention to put yourself first, and to make space for exercise. It’s the first step to integrating exercise into your life, and, before you know it, it will be an immovable part of the various components of your lifestyle.

Make the conscious decision to give yourself priority a few times a week to reconnect with your body. Set the intention. Let yourself come first! You’ll be amazed at the progress you make.

Aug

2018

What are the benefits of training outdoors?

I encourage outdoor training as much as possible. I’m often asked about the benefits of this approach, so here are a few of my thoughts on the key benefits of training outdoors.

Training outdoors means you’re spending time in nature

This may well be the primary benefit of training outdoors. Gyms may be full of snazzy equipment, loud music, and trendy people in cool outfits, but none of those things are necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle. We live in a world that encourages us to sit in front of screens, completely sedentary, for hours at a time, and we spend little time nourishing our bodies with fresh air, and the sensations of the elements. Training outdoors gives you the opportunity to give your body the time in nature that it craves. Everyone feels good for spending time outdoors. Our bodies need it.

The environment will challenge you

Whether it’s hot or cold, sunshine or rain, the weather will present different challenges for your body. It will be forced to regulate itself and adapt to the environment (something it is designed to do!) rather than false conditions (such as air conditioning in a gym) managing your temperature artificially. The ground will make you balance yourself – if you are running outdoors, the terrain will constantly be changing, and your body and mind will be alert and present as you adapt to those changes. If you are running against the wind, your muscles will be forced to work harder to push you forward. If you are doing burpees in slippery mud, you will have to work doubly hard to make sure you don’t slip. All of this is powerful functional training that will increase the benefits of each move that you’re performing. You’ll also feel invigorated for spending time connected to the elements.

You can get creative!

The image on my post is from a session I did with one of my clients recently. We went to a kids playground and she climbed, jumped and slid her way through the workout. She had a wonderful time getting back in touch with her inner toddler, and she knew she’d done a solid workout because her muscles were speaking to her loudly the next day! I’m sure you have a park close to you, where you can climb the climbing frame, tackle the monkey bars, climb up the slide over and over, or push the roundabout. There may be benches close by that you can use to perform step – ups, or a tree to use for balance as you do a set of lunges (or for climbing practice if you’re feeling particularly adventurous!). There are plenty of options, and training outdoors gives you a wonderful opportunity to get creative with your exercise.

You won’t ever have to wait for a machine

We’ve all been there. You’re pumped for your workout, in your training gear, water bottle at the ready, earphones plugged in… And there’s nothing free, except maybe a complicated new machine that no one understands enough to use. So you spend ages wandering around the gym, trying to look like you’re not lost and frustrated, and by the time a treadmill becomes available, all of the enthusiasm has been drained out of you. So you do a perfunctory 10 minutes, shower, and go home, feeling dejected. That will never happen when training outdoors! There’s plenty of space for everyone.

You will meet people & inspire them!

One of the biggest fears that you may face when thinking of training outdoors is the idea of people seeing you. A gym is a contained environment which can make you feel like you have a bit of control. I completely understand that. What I’ve found, is that training outdoors, and doing something a bit different, makes people feel comfortable with saying hi and making positive comments about what you’re doing! It’s a really wonderful thing. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been out training, myself or with a client, and people have stopped to say well done, or that they know they should be doing the same thing. Often a dog will come along to explore what is happening (often a welcome break for a client!). It’s a lovely way to connect with people, and you are inspiring them to think about their own health and fitness. Every time you get out there and show the courage and commitment to do your workout, you’re showing everyone around you that it’s possible for them too. What a wonderful thing to share with the world.

It’s completely free

Forget crazy joining fees, extortionate monthly costs and a membership card that fades and eventually gets lost. Training outdoors will cost you nothing. The pressure is off as far as clothing is concerned – you know you’re getting dirty, so you don’t need any snazzy gear – and you are doing your body so much good by getting fresh air rather than being stuck in an air-conditioned gym. All for NOTHING! Pretty good, right?

Training outdoors ticks all the boxes. It’s challenging, it’s good for your wellbeing, and promotes excellent functional training. It doesn’t cost you a penny, and it will benefit you in many ways. Not just physically, but mentally, and creatively.

Give it a go! You won't regret it!

To your success!!

P.S If you need a few tips on getting started on your fitness journey, my e-book, “Getting Started” is free to download. Click HERE to subscribe to my mailing list (no spam, I promise!) and download your free copy 🙂

Jul

2018

Dare to be different

In today’s world, we’re born into an inescapable social system where judging the human body is the norm. We are a society obsessed with how our bodies look. Social media has created a platform for us to judge each other and pass comment, and actively encourages us to broadcast ourselves and measure our self worth in terms of how many likes we get on Facebook in response to our latest profile picture, or how many followers we have on Instagram. It takes a lot of courage and strength to dare to be different, and to refrain from negative self judgement, or the judgement of others.

From the moment that we come into being, we observe and absorb the stimuli surrounding us on both a conscious and subliminal level. On one hand, this is a wonderful thing; the capacity to learn and absorb so much through our senses is part of what makes us the amazing creatures that we are. But, if what we are taking in is riddled with negative imagery and messages that encourage unrealistic expectations of ourselves, it can lead to negative outcomes.

Nowhere is this more apparent, in my view, than in our confused ideals around our bodies.

We are encouraged to look at our bodies as manifestations of our social worth in the world. The value of the body is often reduced to the external. The prevalent questions we ask ourselves are not around the issue of how well our bodies function and move, or how we can look after them, but how well they match up to the images that you see in the popular media.

“If only I had a body like that”, we say, looking wistfully at the imagery of so – called perfection that we see on the cover of the latest magazines, or on our Facebook feed, “I would love my body. My life would be wonderful.”

Except, it wouldn’t be. You wouldn’t feel better about yourself. As soon as another fabricated “ideal” of the perfect body is created by the media, you will feel completely inadequate again. And, here’s news for you – that “perfect” model you were looking at so wistfully? They will be feeling inadequate too, because their spell in the artificial warmth of the media sun has ended, and their body is no longer beautiful enough. It’s tragic. The whole system is designed to make sure that we all feel rubbish about our bodies, so that we’ll keep aspiring to something else. We’re rarely encouraged to truly step back, develop a relationship with our bodies, and to love them. There are fringe movements, claiming that they are all about empowerment, but even these can be purely based on the aesthetic. Proponents of a well intentioned “Love Your Body” movement can still be advertising their 6 pack abs and defined biceps in carefully angled photos posted on Instagram, potentially making others feel inadequate in comparison. It’s a difficult system to escape.

Our bodies ARE beautiful, yes, and exercise can help us to maximise our natural, aesthetic gifts, but far more importantly, our bodies are incredible vessels which allow us to do wondrous things. Things that we have come to take for granted. They allow us to experience the wonders that nature offers us. They allow us to play. To dance. To LIVE. How often are we encouraged to stop and really thank our bodies for keeping us alive? For working tirelessly, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for decades to keep our hearts beating? For allowing us to experience life through our senses? In contrast, how often are we encouraged to shame ourselves, to subject our bodies to a barrage of experiments testing cosmetic products, fad diets, and punishing exercise regimes just so that we will conform to some arbitrary ideal of human beauty? Try watching an advert break and really pay attention to the messages that each advert is sending you. I’m positive that you won’t see a single one that encourages you to simply appreciate yourself. Why would you? That’s not a product. It doesn’t make money. If you were happy with your skin, your face, your hair, your body, your life, you wouldn’t need to buy anything to make you feel better about it. The first step to selling is to make you feel like you don’t match up to an ideal so that you'll consider buying whatever is being sold to get you closer. It’s cruel.

When the barrage of media stimulation that surrounds us is so relentless, it is challenging to take a step back and consider what our bodies actually are. We are taught from a worryingly young age that the value of the body in society is based more on how the body looks, than what it does.

The body allows us to experience life through our senses. Everything we feel, we feel through our bodies. When we embrace that, appreciating it for that rather than simply focusing on how it looks, and develop our relationship with our physicality in a loving, nurturing way, we begin to radiate beauty. True beauty, that shines from the inside out. Beauty that will stand the test of time, and the ever changing fads of fashion, because it’s not about what anyone else has ordained as beautiful. It’s your true beauty, and no one else’s.

It’s hard work, undoing old ways of looking at yourself and creating a new relationship with your body, but you will be stunned by the liberation that you experience when you are free of old habits, and learn to appreciate your body for the wondrous miracle that it is.

Your worth is not defined by what apps, adverts, or mob movements spread via social media decide. Your worth is decided by YOU. Next time you stand in front of the mirror and speak to yourself negatively, remind yourself of how hard your body is working for you, and dare to appreciate yourself. Dare to love yourself enough to make a change, to develop your relationship with your body through balanced eating and nurturing exercise, and discover your beauty. Yours. No one else’s.

Dare to be different.

body connection

New Year, New… Blue?

Scribble out what you want to achieve

Scribble out what you feel frustrated with

Stretch, stretch, stretch!

Learn to Rest

Trust yourself

Three things I’ve learned from children about movement

Three things I've learned from children about movement

It’s not about how the body LOOKS

If at first you don’t succeed….Try again. And Again. And Again!

Our bodies are FUN

Disclaimer

I never feel like I have enough energy to exercise

I never feel like I have enough energy to exercise

"The trick is to look at exercise in a new way. It isn’t something that you have to do, that’s hard work and exhausting. It’s a pleasure, good for both mind and body, and it gives you energy."

Making Space: The Power of Intention

Making Space: The Power of Intention

What are the benefits of training outdoors?

What are the benefits of training outdoors?

Training outdoors means you’re spending time in nature

The environment will challenge you

You can get creative!

You won’t ever have to wait for a machine

You will meet people & inspire them!

It’s completely free

Dare to be different

Dare to be different - love yourself

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