Category Archives: Motivation

Bikini Ready??

Bikini Ready

 

At this time of year, I see a lot of articles explaining how to get your body “bikini ready” and, of course, the obligatory adverts selling products which (allegedly) help us to lose weight and get toned faster. Now I’m sorry to rain on your parade here, but I really don’t believe in quick fixes for either weight loss or getting fit (with the by-product of toning). As with most things in life, we usually need to work hard and have a consistent commitment in order to get the results we want, and weight loss, and fitness are certainly no exception. Quick fixes for either can be brutal on both body and mind, and the results may be disappointingly short lived. So why not adopt a “bikini ready” healthy eating and fitness habit all year round, and then you’ll never have to worry about removing the heavier winter layers when the temperature rises ever again – job’s a good ‘un  :-)

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Believe in yourself and you will achieve

AchievementIs it true that if you believe in yourself enough, you can achieve? In some ways it sounds a bit like a trite sound bite doesn’t it. For starters, how do you believe, and also is it really possible for everyone to achieve absolutely everything they want to? I would say that it depends on what you want to achieve, but you’ll certainly have the best possible chance of success by ensuring that your goal is realistic.

For example, if I decide that I want to climb Kilimanjaro then it may or may not be realistic because a lot of factors would be involved, not simply my physical ability to do it. But if I want to improve my half marathon time then it would seem to be very realistic because it’s completely within my control to train at the necessary level to succeed.

Having said that, even with a realistic goal, other factors can affect our ‘Va, Va Voom’. For example, exercising outdoors during the long, cold winter of 2012/13. And, so even when you’ve been able to get yourself out of the house and are doing your best to get on with your training, you just may not be ‘feeling it’. The session then seems so hard and even demoralising to the point where you think that you just can’t do what you’ve set out to do.

Sometimes all it takes is one small ray of hope, and a smidgeon of confidence to jolt you out of a  spiral of self-doubt, and then you will be free to move onwards and upwards towards success. As a Personal Trainer, I will certainly challenge you to succeed in your goals, but I am also one of your biggest supporters and advocates, and I will help you to see what is possible.

Your goal may sometimes seem unattainable, but one thing always holds true, and that is that our bodies are stronger than we think they are. But our minds are equally powerful, and I spoke of our conscious and subconscious mind in my last article Give yourself the power to make changes. So we need to conquer and overcome the limitations placed on us by what our minds believe we can or can’t do, overcome obstacles, believe in our abilities and feel that most wonderfully visceral emotion of achievement.

Perhaps Kilimanjaro is possible after all :-)

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Give yourself the power to make big changes ….. one small change at a time

The power of the mindMany of us started the year with good intentions and resolutions. And, in the spirit of being ‘a work in progress’, I was one of them.   

As a Personal Trainer, I design exercise programmes that will work for my clients. There is also invariably an element of ‘homework’ for them to do so that fitness can be maintained between our sessions. However, my programmes can only be truly effective if they are incorporated into an overall healthy lifestyle. I can confirm from my own experience that the adage which says ‘you can’t out exercise an unhealthy diet’ is definitely true.

We need to control our behaviours in order to ensure that our attempts to change are not prematurely sabotaged. This is where the power of the mind comes in, and it’s one heck of a powerful piece of kit! We have a conscious and subconscious mind, and in so many ways the subconscious mind, which processes thoughts and learning from past experiences, dictates everything we do in the here and now. So when we eat that bag of sweets, even though we’re trying to lose some weight, something in our head tells us that it’s ok because, in that moment, the pleasure of eating the sweets outweighs the need to lose weight.

But the need to keep eating bags of sweets won’t change without some amount of reprogramming of our minds. The good news is that it’s really quite easy to change the way we think – but the bad news is that it’s just as easy not to change. And it may seem strange, but sometimes the fear of making a change can stop us in our tracks.

But I don’t believe that we should simultaneously change all of the potentially damaging behaviours in our lives. So for example, I would never ask a client to give up smoking, watch their eating and give up drinking. That would equate to complete deprivation, and if we feel deprived we will eventually rail against it, and possibly resort to extreme ‘payback’. As with most things in life we need to find our way to equilibrium, a balance that is sustainable and overall moderation. So I ask my clients to make one small change which, when repeated regularly, will not trigger feelings of either deprivation or fear.

Then when we can see the benefits of making one small change, we will be more open to making another. Small but very important steps towards an overall healthier and fitter life rather than huge, sweeping changes – and I’m living proof that it’s possible :-)

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Training’s Fun, Right?

Training is funYes, training’s great fun, and even more so when all you want to do is to get out there in a bid to take on your personal best and smash it. That positive, go getting feeling is great, and when a new PB’s in the bag, it’s even better. But on the days when you’re physically depleted, or the weather is rubbish (or worse, a combination of the two) then it’s very definitely not fun!

Such a day happened to me last week. I’d had some sort of pesky virus that knocked me off my feet the week before - it went something like a throat that felt like I’d swallowed a lighted torch, lungs full of green slime, a high temperature, and a banging headache……..lovely, NOT!! But, the temperature subsided and the Doc had given me a foul tasting bottle of fluid to gargle with which he told me was not only an anti-bacterial, but also contained a local anaesthetic. And so, given that I subscribe to the school of ‘kill or cure’, and thinking that I felt quite a lot better, I hit my local running track to try to put my 10k training back on the radar. Mmmm, perhaps not the best move because the cinder track was water logged with melting snow, and so it was like running on sand (energy sapping, even when you’re on top form). But I’d also seriously over-estimated my post-virus energy levels. The result: 15 minutes of sheer persistence, but I felt as though my lungs had been surgically removed without anaesthesia, and I was making the most unholy racket in an attempt to breathe! I was grateful there was no one else there to witness this very sorry sight.

Ah well, lesson learned, but I still have a 10k to do on Easter Sunday, so I’d best get back out there and try again :-)

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Don’t let the past hold you back

Don't let the past hold you back2013 is in full swing and, I don’t know about you, but 2012 seems like a really long time ago; and I’m totally absorbed in what I’ve set out to do this year. That’s a good thing, and my focus is the future, not the past, but for many of us the past can come back to haunt us, and sometimes we can even use it as a way to punish ourselves.

For example, we may look back and remember how fit we were when we were younger, and what we used to look like, and there’s nothing wrong in looking back because it can provide impetus and motivation for present goals. But it’s also important not to linger in the past to the detriment of what you’re trying to achieve in the present. We all looked and felt different in our youth, and we may have been significantly fitter. But, as we age, we must accept that no matter what we do, there is never going to be a way to go back in time, so it’s important to focus on being the best you can be in the here and now.

I must admit that I have no desire whatsoever to go back in time, no matter how fit I used to be at school, and in my early 20’s. For me, I have accepted that that was then and this is now. I now need to put in more effort to achieve my physical goals, but then again what I set out to do would be challenging for someone of any age. I don’t see my age as a barrier to any form of significant physical achievement, and I’m also glad that my profession means that I have the necessary understanding of how my body needs to be worked in order to achieve.

As I mentioned in my Age is Only a State of Mind article, age is only number, and far more important to me is a positive attitude, and a willingness to accept that, in many ways, I’m not the person I used to be. But that’s not a bad thing because, on so many levels, I’m a vastly improved version of who I was in my 20’s – although I’m still, and always will be, a work in progress :-)

The moral of my story is to remember the past, and if it causes you to smile then so much the better, but don’t dwell on what you used to be or what you perceive as mistakes or failures. We are all composites of our experiences both good and bad, so use them to fuel your hopes and dreams for the future. 

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Getting Back on Track

train tracksHere we are over half way through the month already, and I don’t know about you, but Christmas seems like a very long time ago.

How are you doing with your new year resolutions? Are you still working on them, and making them a reality?

This can be both a very positive time of the year, but also potentially disheartening. It’s positive because the New Year always brings with it the possibility of new beginnings, and a chance to start again. But it can also be disheartening if you’ve gained a bit of weight, lost some of your fitness mojo, and feel that you have a lot of work to do to get back on track.

The first thing I would say is don’t beat yourself up because it’s a strategy that’s bound to fail!!  If you’ve made a start and are getting back into your exercise routine then great, keep going and keep your goals in clear view (also don’t forget to factor in some rewards on the way :-) ). If you’re feeling as though you can’t get started, then try making a plan – sometimes just the act of planning can be enough to ‘jump start’ your motivation and enthusiasm. It will also help you to see exactly what it is you want to achieve and the steps you will need to take.

The key things are ‘Keep Calm and Carry on’ moving, even a few minutes a day can really boost your mood and energy levels; I don’t know about you, but the less I do the more tired I feel. Keep drinking the water, or non-alcoholic fluids, to maintain a good level of hydration. Also make sure you’re eating, don’t starve yourself, but just try to make your meals light and healthy. And finally, keep your eye on the future; we all over indulge sometimes, and it’s allowed, but take steps to achieving your goals, and re-discover your health and fitness mojo :-)

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That was the year that was

I have to admit to shedding a tear while watching the fireworks at midnight on New Year’s Eve. I felt sad that we wouldn’t have the Olympics to look forward to in the coming year, and I was mourning the fact that I would never again see another Olympiad in this country. Silly I know, but the Summer of sport in 2012 left an indelible mark on me like no other; and, while I’ve seen many wonderful sporting moments in my life, I think last year will be at the forefront of my mind for many a long moon.  

But at the dawn of the New Year I also wondered whether our fabulous, joyful and at times downright gob smacking Olympic Games inspired a nation to be fitter and healthier? And in fact would anything meaningful or lasting come out of the Games in a sporting sense at all? Or would London 2012 prove to be like the magnolia which flowers in the Spring, and whose beauty is admired by all that see it, and yet it is so ephemeral.  The proof will be in the pudding, and some of the effects may not be easily quantifiable.

For women, there were some truly great role models in Jessica Ennis, Nicola Adams, Ellie Simmonds, Victoria Pendleton, Laura Trott and Katherine Grainger…..the list goes on. And it was so good to see young women at the peak of physical fitness, rather than the ‘heroin chic’ fashion models from glossy magazines. I hope these outstanding athletes prove to be inspirational role models for our youngsters.

I read an article which said that over five million more British adults were inspired to take up exercise following our bumper Summer of sport in 2012, and that a fifth of them were aged 45 or over……. yay! If this was true, then it’s good news indeed, and I hope those people have been able to maintain their enthusiasm and are still enjoying the benefits of being fitter.  

As is usually the case at this time of year, I have certainly seen an increase in people joining me to ‘pound the pavements’, and I find myself hoping that they won’t do too much too soon, and injure themselves :-) I also hope that they will fall in love with exercise and make it an ongoing lifestyle choice, rather than just a ‘needs must’ to shed a few extra pounds gained over the festivities.  

So here we are in 2013, and I say bring it on! I have my goals for the year – a mixture of professional and sporting, and during the next 365 days I want to feel the warm glow of achievement as I tick them off :-)

I wish you a very happy and healthy new year!

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Against the odds

I must apologise to everyone who follows me on Twitter because I’ve already mentioned a crush I’ve developed for the actor Jason Statham since watching ‘Transporter 3’ last weekend. In reality, the film is Hollywood fictional nonsense at its very best, but who doesn’t like a bit of that from time to time. It also had the sort of class and sophistication of a Bond film; although I must say, and sorry in advance to any Daniel Craig fans, but for me, Frank Martin, as played by the lovely Mr Statham is far more enigmatic and charismatic……there, I’ve said it, and it’s out there :-)

Anyway, enough now because there is a serious point to this, in fact 2 serious points. Firstly, I love the way that, despite seemingly insurmountable odds, he spends the film dealing with an endless supply of baddies by using effortless martial arts moves in order to do what he set out to do. (It’s a good job he keeps a stash of beautifully crisp, white Shirts & black ties in the boot of his Audi). But therein lies a message – when you set out to achieve something difficult, you need to take on all of the challenges that will inevitably be presented along the way; and never give up no matter how the odds are stacked against you.

The 2nd serious point is actually a question; what fabulous piece of kit is missing from the ‘Transporter 3’ film? ………..An Aston Martin DB9 of course!!! Mind you, I have to admit that the Audi isn’t too shabby :-)

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“Should I Stay or Should I Go Now”

So sang The Clash, and they are words that can pop into my head as I begin my workout on a day when I’m really not ‘feeling it’, and I wish I could just give up and go home rather than continue.

Everyone has days like that. You can have slept well, be fuelled up, fully hydrated, have no aches and pains whatsoever, and you may also have a well thought through plan for your workout; yet still time drags, and I use the analogy of running through treacle. There are things you can do to try to break through a negative feeling - like slowing down, or even perhaps speeding up, but sometimes, just sometimes the thought that you really don’t want to be there lingers no matter what.  

When this happens to me I try to think about the amount of effort I’ve already put in to get there; I also know that I have thought through a plan to help me achieve my overall goal (however large or small at that time). And, by then, I’ve usually also expended enough energy to start sweating, so I try to convince myself that now is not the time to give up. If that doesn’t work, I fallback to plan B which is a reward for my effort, and I’m a woman of simple needs, so sometimes just the thought of a large latte on the way home will do the trick :-)

On days when I keep going and push through, the workout will invariably be one of the most satisfying of the week, and I can even feel elated and uber strong. But sometimes allowing yourself to stop really is the best idea, as long as it’s the exception, not the norm. And, if you do stop, make sure that you don’t beat yourself up, or use it as a reason to permanently abandon exercise! Try again, maybe even later the same day if you have the opportunity.    

So, on any given day, the answer to “should I stay or should I go” may vary, but never use a ‘not feeling it’ mood as an excuse to give up entirely on trying to achieve your exercise goals!  

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Age is only a state of mind

“Age shall not wither her nor custom stale her infinite variety” so said a man called Enobarbus of Cleopatra in one of my favourite Shakespearean plays, Anthony & Cleopatra.

I won’t bore you with his motive, but just leave it that I’ve always thought it  was such a wonderful thing to say about a woman who wasn’t in the bloom of youth. And now, as I enter my 5th decade, those words caused me to think.

It’s fair to say that I really haven’t taken the idea of being 50 very well (as if any of us has a choice :-) ). It’s ridiculous I know because nothing has changed since the clock ticked over into a new day at midnight. But I so enjoyed being 30 something, and then there was 40 something which seemed to be even better. So what will my 50’s bring?

As the song says “the future’s not ours to see”, but I certainly won’t settle for “que sera, sera” because that leaves too much to chance; I want to spend the rest of my life doing what I love, and do best, and that’s helping people to feel and look great. And I’m determined that my new decade won’t bring my dotage, or a slowing down because, in so many ways, I feel better than I did in my 30’s.

I’m certainly not Cleopatra, and I don’t even know an Enobarbus (damn), but I won’t let a number hold me back :-)   

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