Hi Reader,
I've been feeling blah for the past month and can't seem to shake it. This happens, it's part of life. We have ebbs and flows, we have motivation and then it's gone. We have happy times and challenging times. Again, this is all part of life.
The good thing is it passes. But this made me think about the health and fitness aspect of these times of feeling less motivated or blah(I mean, it's my profession so of course I think that way- hahaha).
How do you respond when these times happen? Do you just give up on your health, stop being mindful of your nutrition, stop moving your body, stop taking some quiet time to relax? Or do you scale back but keep the momentum going?
You definitely should keep the momentum going but feel ok with scaling back. Instead of pushing hard and progressing your workouts just use this time to learn about maintenance. Move your body everyday, whether it be walking, gentle flow yoga or stretching or doing your normal weight training but don't increase your weights and listen to your body and what it wants for movement.
For nutrition, it is incredibly important during this time to eat foods that nourish the body. Lots of vegetables, lean healthy proteins, some fruit and healthy carbs such as sweet regular potatoes. Eliminate or reduce your alcohol intake.
And most importantly get rest. Your body is telling you to chill out for a reason, let it chill out. Keep a regular bedtime routine and get 7-9 hours of sleep. This is when your body heals, regerates and your cells turn over so you can feel better. Get your rest, even if it is a restless sleep you are still resting to some extent and feel free to take a nap if needed.
Now for your weekly dose of being 1% better in your
physical health, nutrition and well-being.
Physical Health: This week let's work on those upper body muscles. These particular movements will help you relax those upper back and neck muscles, get them stronger so we feel that tension much less.
Do these 10-15 times Monday, Wednesday and Friday and in just a couple of weeks you should be feeling a difference.
When doing these be sure to contract/squeeze shoulder blades together
When doing these be sure to contract/squeeze shoulder blades together
When doing these be sure to contract/squeeze shoulder blades together and down
Nutritional Health: Summer is coming, that usually means being more busy than usual which tends to lead to eating food that isn't necessarily the best choice OR not eating at all because you are too busy.
Let's start building a habit of having more nutritious snacks readily available for those busy times when we need to grab and go. I have a large drawer right by our door full of snacks, when we leave I always grab some protein bars, nuts, or some other healthier snack so I am not tempted to stop at the gas station when I get hungry.
Can you get a bag of these ready to just grab n go?
If you like to make some healthier versions of goodies here are a couple of recipes you could try.
The brownies are AMAZING. I regularly make these and no one knows any difference between these and a box recipe.
Well-Being: This week let's focus on staying away from our cell phone AND/OR TV for just 1 extra hour per day. If you don't spend a lot of time on your phone but are a TV watcher- turn it off.
I know we use these devices to escape the world around us, but it does not actually allow your brain to rest, which is actually what your brain is looking for. The whole neurotransmission that happens when your eyes see the phone or TV is well beyond what most of us can comprehend but it is not good. The TV and phone create an atmosphere in our brains that actually makes it work harder.
So when you are feeling anxious, depressed, tired, bored, frustrated or whatever else has you searching for some outside stimulation take a step back and then go for a walk, read a bood, cook, take a nap, exercise, talk to a friend or just sit still and be quiet. Your brain will rest much better and you will feel better in the long run, not just temporarily.
I hope you have a fantastic week Reader,
Get out there and be 1% better this week!
Get That Goal!
Until next time friend,
Thank you for telling your friends and family about
Goal Oriented Health & Fitness so we can help them too!
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