Tag: Healthy

Training with Friends

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We live in a busy world and its hard to fit healthy movement and social catch ups in around family and work.  Why not combine the two?!

There are so many benefits, on top of all the benefits you get from exercise,  to training with a friend.

You get to see your friends on a regular bases.

Training with a friend keeps you accountable – when someone is counting on you, you are far less likely to cancel on a workout.

Sessions are more FUN! I always speak about creating a healthy balanced lifestyle you enjoy.  You need to find healthy movement and food you enjoy or else you just wont stick with it.  Training with a friend will make the time so much more enjoyable and more likely you will stick with it in the long term.

You will get more out of a session.  With the buddy sessions and small group training I run, I have found people push themselves that little bit harder giving them a better, more enjoyable workout.

Reduced cost of the session.  Personal training sessions are a luxury and can be expensive.  With Buddy sessions you share the cost and small group training the cost is reduced even further.  With a smaller impact to your budget there is a higher likelihood you will stick with the sessions much longer.

Having shared goals and someone to share the experience of training and reaching those goals can be very motivation and rewarding, creating a strong friendship bond.

Get your friends together make a commitment to show up for each other and get moving!

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Lefevre Peninsula – So Beautiful

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We are so lucky with where we live! So beautiful 

Plus no gym memberships needed. I just spent 30 minutes running down the stairs, 10 x incline push ups, 10 x squats and then running back up again! 

The workouts are limitless.  Get out there team and get it done! You will feel better for it x

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Personal Training North Haven, Taperoo, Osborne, Outer Harbor, Largs, Semaphore, Lefevre Peninsula South Australia

THE MOTIVATION FAIRY AND PROCRASTINATION PIXIE

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This week I read the article ‘Waiting for the Motivation Fairy’ written by Hugh Kearns and Maria Gardinar.

I talks about the procrastination we all know about, the one more episode of a show or a coffee break that drags into lunch however it also discusses that most procrastination is more subtle and can be mistaken for productive activities. For example you have promised yourself you will go for a walk every morning but on the third morning you get up and decide to put a load of washing on, then you end up emptying the dishwasher and then while the house is quite decide to vacuum and steam the floors. Before you know it you have no time for your walk. You wouldn’t necessary label this as procrastination as you were being productive however it is. The flaw of these tasks are they have not help you achieve that goal of walking every morning. You may even feel guilty or a sense of failure because of it.

The article states that psychology research shows that action leads to motivation, which in turn leads to more action. Ever felt like you want to lose weight but cant seem to find the motivation to start well the research shows that you need to start before you feel ready, then you’ll find more motivation and then you’ll take more action. However as we all know, the article continues to state, that starting before you feel motivated is difficult!! If it was easy we would have all achieved our goals once we had set them. However there are strategies to help assist you get started.

1. Set your goal and break it down to little steps or small achievements.

2. Set a time to achieve all the small steps and therefore the overall goal.

3. Build in an immediate reward for each small step.

For example – you want to loss 20kgs in 12 months. To achieve this you need to achieve a 400grms loss on the scales consistently for the 52 weeks.

Every week you achieve this you buy yourself a coffee and put $20 in a glass Jar visible on display in the kitchen. The immediate reward of a store bought coffee and a long tern reward of $1,040 to spoil yourself when you achieve your overall goal, also on display to remind you of your success.

Here you have your overall goal, have it broken down to steps and when you achieve it you have an immediate reward as well as your long term reward.

So set your goals team! Don’t let the procrastination pixie get in the way, even if he is disguising himself as being productive. Find your motivation fairy and make her your best mate. Go out and kick goals together!

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Keep It Real | Happy and Healthy

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I like to keep it real. I’m a personal trainer who works in a corporate job, has a young family and a busy social life.

I am not a personal trainer who spends everyday in the gym, who counts my macros and competes in body building comps.

My personal goal is to be happy and healthy for my family. To find balance with my work, family, friends, nutrition and exercise in an incredibly busy day to day environment.

I understand life doesn’t always go to plan, that you hate rye bread and want to know the next healthy alternative, that exercising an hour a day is actually mission impossible most of the time.

What I want for all my team is to be the happiest and healthiest versions of themselves. To make easy, simple lifestyle changes they enjoy to achieve this.

I hope for everyone reading this that 2017 is an amazing year filled with happiness doing what you love x

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Mindfulness – Deep Breathing Relaxation

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I bet everyone has heard of mindfulness lately and there is a good reason.  By being mindful we can strengthen our inner resources to improve our resilience in our day to day lives.

We live in an increasingly stressful society filled with work, training, friends, family, study, healthy eating all competing for our attention on a daily biases.  We have all seen those memes of facebook as below.  I’m sure we can all relate.  Everyday life can be extremely stressful and that is even before we throw in a major life event like illness, death, redundancy, divorce, etc.

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This is where mindfulness can come into play.  The definition of mindfulness is simply a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique. Easy right?! Not always.  When you are caught up on the phone with the IT department (#areyoufingserious #wheresthewine) or stuck at ANOTHER lot of roadworks mindfulness can be a hard mental state to achieve.  Lets be honest in those moments we are usually more focused on not losing it.

However there are some quick and easy mindfulness meditation techniques which you could try to help relive stress and tension in your body.  Below is just on technique which can be used anywhere.

DEEP BREATHING RELAXATION

How to use and when:

This exercise can be used at any time, either by yourself or in the company of others.

It may be done standing with your eyes open, or if you are alone, sitting with your eyes closed for a longer amount of time.

It can be used:

  • Feeling tense
  • Feeling Anxious
  • Finding it difficult to relax
  • In a challenging situation

Instructions:

  1. Start by breathing in slowly and deeply, so the breath fills the lower abdomen (rather than the chest).  The abdomen should expand out.
  2. Then breathe out slowly, expelling all the air first from the lower abdomen and then the lungs.
  3. Continue breathing in and out slowly and deeply, right to the bottom of the abdomen, about ten times.
  4. Allow your breathing to return to normal.
  5. This can be repeated as often as required until you feel calm and relaxed.

Exercise plays a huge role in minimizing stress but we cant always go for a run or smash a gym session.  So next time try the deep breathing relaxation technique and see if it makes a difference.

 

 

Team SWEAT City to Bay

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On Sunday a few Team SWEAT members rocked out in their Sweat and Inspire t-shirts for an active, fun and social day either walking or running the 12km City to Bay in Adelaide.

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At Sweat and Inspire we are all about fitness being fun and enjoyable.  These community events are a great opportunity to get a group of friends together to enjoy the sunshine and be active.

 

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Huge well done to all the Team Sweat members who got out there and made it an active, fun and social day. You are all amazing.

Special shout out to Tanya . . . you smashed it.

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If you’re interested in getting more active contact us now and enquire about our personal training sessions.

Make It FUN!

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If you are looking at going on a health and fitness journey and adding some form of training into your schedule make sure you find something you enjoy. If going for a walk every lunch time at work seems boring and dull try making a regular weekly time to walk with friends along the beach.  If you don’t like it you are more likely to make an excuse to skip a session. Find an exercise you enjoy and making an excuse to skip it won’t even enter your mind.

It’s so important to find something you love.  Not only are you likely to continue in the long run but research from the Cornell Food and Brand Lab says that those who “think fun” while exercising are likely to eat less afterwards than those who exercise simply for the end result of weight loss. If you enjoy it you will focus on the journey and not the destination and there is a higher chance your will stick with it and achieve your goals.

People who love training view it as an uplifting lifestyle not an optional chore.  People who look forward to their time training are more likely to continue. Healthy, fit people who exercise regularly have two things in common they look forward to working out and enjoy it and secondly they know they will continue exercising as quitting is not an option; they will miss it too much!

So find an exercise you love doing and you’re more likely to embrace at as a lifestyle change.  I love seeing my buddy training clients.  The atmosphere while training is usually one of comradeship and laughter. If you can create a happy fun atmosphere with friends while training you are much more likely to continue and create the healthy happy lifestyle you have been seeking.

 

 

Reference: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/enjoying-exercise-leads-enhanced-results-study-article-1.1861561

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE MINDSET

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How many times have you decided to overhaul your lifestyle in order to lose weight and get fit, only to abandon your efforts in a few weeks or after only a few days? How many times have you lost weight on a quick fad diet, only to find that once you started eating normally you put the weight and probably more back on?

There are many reasons this may have happened.  Talking to friends, family and TEAM SWEAT members what I have identified as being a major contributing factor is not developing a “HEALTHY LIFESTYLE MINDSET”.

A healthy lifestyle mindset will keep you moving forward and making progress in your efforts to lose weight and get fit even when you hit hurdles in your journey.

So what does a healthy lifestyle mindset look like?

  1. Accept Yourself for Who You Are

One of the unfortunate parts of society these days is the ease in which social media allows you to compare yourself to other.  How they look, what they have, etc. Everybody is unique and you need to focus on yourself and who you are that makes you unique and not to compare yourself to others. Appreciate your life and let others worry about their own.

  1. Eating Healthy = Feeling Healthy

To achieve a healthier mindset and outlook on life as well as generally feeling great you need to eat healthy nutritious food.  Food is fuel.  It helps with general health and wellbeing, concentrate better, sleep better and get the most out of your training. Respect yourself by eating what your body deserves – FRESH NUTRITIOUS FOOD.

  1. MOVE. MOVE

This is so important!  As much as I dislike the Pokemon GO phase (please let it be a phase) It has got people moving.  You don’t need to run 10kms a day or smash out huge sessions in the gym.  Just aim for 30mins of movement 5 days a week.  Walk in your lunch break, take your dog for a walk, ride your bike or skateboard.  JUST MOVE!

  1. Rest

Just as much as eating nutritious healthy food and moving is important don’t forget to rest.  Having a regular bedtime and sleeping for the required amount of time for you to rise the next morning feeling well rested and ready to go is essential. (Ok side note here – I have a toddler who doesn’t sleep well so all the mums out there try your best, compensate with coffee and dreaming of a day where regular sleep will be part of your life again).

  1. Surround Yourself with Positive People

This is one of the most important elements.  Ever worked in a job where there was that one person who always complained and was negative.  Ever noticed how it spread and for every negative comment that person made it took five to rectify it.  Negativity can have a harmful impact on your life.  It can drain you of energy quickly.  Steer clear of the drama and socialise with friends, family and work mates who are up-beat, positive and supportive of you.  You will find quickly this will have a positive impact on your outlook on life and reinforce the healthy decisions you are making.

  1. SELF TALK

As much as surrounding yourself with positive people will have a healthy impact on your life remember the most important positive person in your life is YOU! We are conditioned not to compliment ourselves.  As aussies we are always taking the piss and laughing at our faults.  Well from now on complement yourself.  If you beat a personal best on the treadmill or eat only healthy nutritious food for the entire day pat yourself on the back.  Be proud of those achievements and tell your friends. As all the people surrounding you are positive they will celebrate your achievements with you (probably take the piss a bit but mostly celebrate).

  1. Appreciate the Small Things

Always appreciate the small things.  Acknowledge your good days, accept and appreciate compliments you receive, enjoy the sunshine coming through the clouds.  Be thankful for your health and your loved ones. We take the small things for granted when they are really the most important.  Life is not about the destination it’s about the journey. Had to at least have one annoying saying in here, but its true.

Having a HEALTHY LIFESTYLE MINDSET is all about creating a life you love. So don’t compare yourself to others, respect your body and eat nutritious food, move more in your day, listen to your body and rest when you need to, be positive and surround yourself with positive peeps, and most importantly take the time to appreciate the small things x

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Fitness in Nature

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Have you ever noticed a sense of being happier and more calm after an outdoors training session?  Well research suggests that training outdoors amongst nature has great psychological benefits as it lifts your mood and lowers stress.

Lately I have been making a conscious effort to ensure a regular part of my training is done outdoors and organised a monthly hike with a friend.  We chose a different location every month to keep things interesting!

Below are the top 5 benefits THE FIT FOODIE (ww.the-fit-foodie.com) has identified from training outdoors.

TOP 5 BENEFITS TO OUTDOOR EXERCISE:

  1. Sunshine

Vitamin D provided by exposure to the sun has some great benefits. It strengthens your immune system, makes bones stronger and also actually improved your mood. Exposure to sunlight is a common treatment for depression and other mood disorders. Endorphins, which can raise your mood and keep it stable, are released when you spend time in the sun.

  1. Mental Stimulation

Outdoor exercise provides mental stimulation that indoor workouts simply cannot match. It doesn’t matter if you’re working out at home or at your local gym, you’ll always be surrounded by the same four walls. Training outside means you have constantly changing scenery that excites and stimulates your brain. Give your mind a workout as well as your body!

  1. Psychological Benefits

An increasing amount of research shows us that outdoor activity is psychologically beneficial as well as physiologically. Exercising amongst nature amongst trees and wildlife can give you a healthy mood boost and combat anxiety, lowering tension and alleviating stress that many of us suffer from.

  1. New Exercises

Despite some claims that exercise simulations are just as good as the real thing, you’ll find outdoor training uses muscles you never thought you had. Running outdoors is physically more demanding than a treadmill, even on an incline.

  1. More varied workout

Outside you’ll encounter varied terrain and conditions that cannot be simulated in the gym. You hit hills and different surfaces, such as concrete, grass, sand and – of course – earth and mud! All these surfaces and gradients exercise your body in different ways. You’ll need to flex your limbs differently in order to adapt to the contour of the terrain.  http://the-fit-foodie.com/5-benefits-of-training-outdoors/

So if you are looking to spice up your training routine think about heading outdoors!

Bad Habits

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We all have bad habits we want to break. Habits we’ve had most our lives. One of mine is emotional eating.

It use to be a tough day at work or a bad night sleep with Josh was a good excuse to eating something unhealthy. I have acknowledged this bad habit and I am conscious of it.

I’m pretty good these days but after a sad stressful day yesterday I fell off the wagon and went all out. Hot chocolate, custard tart, maccas. You name it.

Well today I have a huge food hangover with massive food regret! But its a new day and junk food won’t solve anything so the best way to feel better is to get moving. Quick carport workout this morning while Josh played with the dogs helped me feel reenergised.

Any health and fitness habit you’ve had for most your life takes time to break. Recognising it and being conscious of the triggers and excuses as well as having an alternative at hand will help turn the unhealthy habit into a healthy one.

And remember we all fall down, its how you get back up that counts x

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