Tag Archives: Motivation

Exercises, Fitness, Mental Wellbeing and Motivation

The secret to get rid of your phone and keep motivated during the exercise

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Do you suffer from phone addiction during your sport exercise? Do you check your phone a lot with  curiosity, afterwards you lose your motivation to continue? You answer a call from your friend or text messages and you don’t become ready to take more pressure when you return to exercise?  Is that what’s worrying you?

Already Realizing that you have a phone addiction problem is the first step to getting rid of it. Here are 5 tips for you to get a great workout:

  1. Spend your time with other useful things while you rest:

The dependent person usually suffers from a lot of emptiness and boredom when resting during exercise, so prolonged use of the smartphone negatively affects mental health and increases feelings of frustration and hopelessness, causing the nervous system to have periods of rest that exceed the required duration. The ideal is to keep busy with things that do not exceed the rest period, such as a small discussion with the coach or a colleague to fill the void and pass the time.

2.Use a phone armband during your exercise:

If you want to change a habit you first have to create obstacles that will block you, for example you have to block access to using the phone with simple things like a training armband to get rid of unnecessary uses that make you want to have more, such as social networking sites. Indeed, putting the phone back in the armband after each use is a tiring thing, so you will be lazy to do it and it is an ideal way to get rid of phone addiction. In addition, the cuff is the ideal choice for holding the phone when you exercise with freedom of movement, you need to find a flexible and very comfortable model. The most practical thing is to opt for a armband that does not squeeze too tightly in order to carry out the exercises correctly. It should not be an annoying accessory for you and should also have a sweat-absorbing capacity.

3.The gloves provide complete finger protection:

If you are wondering how to stop this addiction to the phone during your exercise, you must continue to create obstacles to break this bad habit, because getting rid of it starts in the mind before the body, so that you create obstacles, your brain will persuade the body to stop repeating the mistakes. In addition to empowerment, the gloves will also give you a reduction in tiredness, support and help you fight the sweat resulting from your exercise. Moreover, with gloves, it is practically impossible to operate your phone, it is very unpleasant to have to take off your gloves to pick up the phone or consult social networks for nothing. We recommend gloves with full finger protection
4.Keep the selfies until the end of the exercise:

If your addiction to the phone during your exercise is because of the selfies, because you take a lot of pictures and at the end you are not motivated, you shouldn’t blame and judge yourself because all these things seem normal and repeated in our daily life, in order to document happy moments and share them with those we love, to become a group of beautiful memories, but we just recommend that you learn how to take pictures at the end of the exercise and at the end of each exercise, try to give yourself the opportunity to feel the feeling of relaxation, leave everything, relax on the floor and feel the effect of the exercise on your body, and make sure that you only return to this exercise in order to feel this feeling again before you even think about taking a selfie.

5.Desactivate notifications

Application notifications on the smartphone are one of the most important reasons that make you look at your phone’s screen continuously and repeatedly throughout the exercise, which can be classified as addictive phone use, so to get rid of this problem, you need to set or disable all application notifications on your phone. Indeed, if your phone does not ring repeatedly for notifications and updates, it will be easy to ignore it. You can only set an alert for important notifications, such as text messages from your family. The ideal is to distract yourself with anything when playing sports, and in this case meditation exercises are very ideal, whatever sport you do, always try to distract your attention from the pain the exercise causes you, and kill two birds with one stone.

Addiction to the smartphone will not be eliminated between a session or two, but rather requires a bit of patience and will gradually reduce usage, so remember that you need to live your life outside the screen of your smartphone and enjoy the moment of sport, enjoy meeting people with you at the gym, make new friends and accomplish the tasks of the session to the fullest. We recommend that you bring a friend who trains with you, this will ensure that you never give up exercising, it will motivate you and push you to keep going, so we always advise you to choose the right friend, a friend who is a sports fan, to join you and exercise with you, and when we say it’s appropriate, anyone who is full of energy and vitality and loves to spend time with him or her, and in this way you will love to exercise and avoid using the phone at all times out of respect and to spend time with your chosen friend.

 

 

Mental Wellbeing and Motivation, Time Saving

Work-Life Balance: How to use Meditation and Mindfulness as the Bridge.

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To make a mark at work, to have a buzzing social life, learn something new, spend quality time with friends and family and the list goes on- we want it all sometimes but can never quite master the perfect work-life balance. The key to this is to slow down by practicing meditation and mindfulness.  

What do Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith and Bill gates all have in common? Well, aside from success and wealth, they all swear by meditation and have come forward by explaining how meditating daily has done wonders for their mental well-being. Whether it is to manage stress or simply boost some energy, there is no denying that meditation has become the new go-to wellness ritual. 

Along with meditation, practicing mindfulness also helps with our overall mental as well as physical health. This is when your mind is paying attention to your present-moment flow of experience without commentary, analysis or judgement. Being mindful makes it easier to savor the simple pleasures in life and helps you become fully engaged in whatever you do.   

Here are few tips to help you maintain a healthy mental state of mind:  

  • One-minute meditation  

Meditation in work place

You do not require a certain time of your day to implement a mediation session, you can start by taking one-minute breaks between work by focusing on a calming picture or listening to relaxing music with your eyes closed for a minute while deeply breathing, this will help you reduce your stress levels and help you re-focus on your work.  

 

  • Set boundaries between work and leisure. 

Separating career, work, friends and time

Don’t forget to stop working. One of the hardest parts of work-life balance is defining the boundary between the two. The best way to do this especially when working from home, is to start by creating a designated space for work. Giving a gap between starting and ending work will help you effectively transition from life to work. Adapting these rountines  in the long run will help your brain to be wired for presence in every context. 

 

  • Reduce multi-tasking: 

Believe it or not, one of the most difficult mind exercises to do is to focus on one thought at a time. Research shows only 2% of people who can effectively muti-task. Practice doing one thing at a time as often as you can throughout the day. When you are not working or studying, remain mentally present for other interactions and activities. Mindfulness saves time and helps you focus on what matters in the present. 

Too many list of tasks to do
Source: Unsplash, captured by Luis Villasmil

For instance, if you’ve decided to take an evening off for yourself, be sure to switch off and relax – don’t half-heartedly skim through a book while watching Netflix just to make yourself feel like you are reading. 

 

  • Schedule tech- free time  

Practicing a daily digital detox will allow you to disconnect from work and enhance your ability to pay attention. Have a go at the 30-Day Digital Detox Challenge by Forbes to help you begin! Be mindful of the time you spend on social media and maybe pick one activity or time every day when you can put your devices away for 15-75 minutes. 

Remember to immerse yourself in whatever you do whether it is taking your dog on a walk, playing with your kids, painting, or eating dinner with family or friends. Consider designating a room or zone in your house where electronics are not allowed to facilitate this daily digital detox. 

Social media
Source: Unsplash, captured by Nathan Dumlao

It’s essential that you take time away from your screen each day. Try giving a break mid-way through the day and in the evening to shut down and transition from ‘work mode’ to ‘home mode’. Remember, if you were previously working from a workplace, you would have a bit of down time on the journey in and home and over lunch, so make sure you schedule that time for you if you are currently studying/ working from home. 

  • Take out time to reflect.
Journaling
Source: Unsplash, Captured by Cathyrn Lavery

Journaling can help get all your thoughts out and on paper. Bullet Journalling is a great way to stay organised. It’s worth taking some time to reflect on yourself. Especially since the past year has been so different for all of us, it’s good to pen down how you felt at the start of lockdown, how you’ve dealt with lockdown and how you feel about the next phase.  This will help to ground you, will help to remind you that you are in control of your thoughts and choices, that you can deal with a new and uncertain situation and that you are resilient. To do this, why not arrange a new comfortable place to sit by a window to soak up that sunlight? 

  • Start and end your day for you.  
Reading a book
Source: Unsplash, captured by Callum Shaw

Morning and evening routines are a great way to prioritise your health and wellbeing and give you a greater sense of work-life balance. Save some time for self-care- use the first 15-60 minutes of your day mindfully: exercise, drink water or tea, meditate, stretch, read a book, anything you enjoy doing but just remember to be fully present in the moment. British author, Jay Shetty has some really useful insights on his morning routine video, why incorporating meditation, mindfulness and gratitude is really beneficial.

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The vital part is staying disconnected from work and screens so you not only get a great night’s sleep but you will also wake up feeling restored. The next time you feel yourself stressing out whilst studying or at work, try a few of these mindfulness techniques to keep your mental wellbeing on check. Get the most important tasks done first, focus with greater clarity, and ultimately, become more productive at work. Striking a positive work-life balance is possible, you just need to take the first step.  

 

 

Mental Wellbeing and Motivation, Nutrition, Time Saving, Weight loss

Healthy Plate, Healthy Weight

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Changing your lifestyle and workout routine is always the main focus when trying to become a healthier version of yourself.  How about looking at what’s on your plate, if you want a healthy weight you need to change your plate. 

When, What, Why

When to eat and Why

Timing your meals is as important as what you are eating, you need to make sure you start the day off with a healthy breakfast to get your digestive system working.  This will help to speed up your metabolism, which will result in you burning your maximum amount of calories without doing exercise. Do you eat late at night? Maybe this is why you struggle to fall straight to sleep and you aren’t giving your body the time to break down the nutrients. This will mean the body doesn’t use the nutrients and end up storing them as fats, remember whatever you eat is fuel for the body and it needs to have time to use this fuel or store in correctly.  

Timing your meal around a busy life can be hard but you need to make sure you do this, your body can’t run on nothing and you need to make sure you give your body what it needs to function as normal, this is not just food but water as well.  If you simply don’t have time to make a healthy meal then snacks can be used keep the body functioning, keep your strong with some great ideas here or for some healthy snacks take a look at this and make these in 5 minutes. 

What to eat and Why

Start the day off with a colourful plate, or even maybe a smoothie. This is all about giving your body vitamins it needs to allow your brain to function at its highest level, this will make you feel energised and refreshed.  For some breakfast ideas following the link here.

12pm hits you need to top up your fuel supply, it is a good idea to continue with the light meal theme as this will ensure that you don’t feel like you have over eaten and resulting in you feeling unmotivated for the rest of the working day.  Look here for foods that you can use to keep you energised for the hard afternoon ahead.

its the end of the working day you have been working hard all day and enjoying some light healthy food to get you through the day, now its time to reward yourself with one of your favourite meals. This meal should be a nice balanced out plate, you want to use all the nutritional groups. find out more about how to balance out your diet with the NHS Eat Well guide. 

What’s the Difference

It is easy to eat foods that you might think are healthy for you without knowing what you are putting into your body, follow these links to understand how you can effect you diet, understand carbohydrates, understand fats and understand nutrients.

 

Equipment Guides, Exercises, Fitness, Weight loss, Workouts

5 Fun Ways to Get Fit Without a Gym

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Whilst a gym is a great place to work out, it’s not always the easiest or cheapest option for everyone. However, when it comes to exercising from home, it can be almost impossible to motivate yourself. At Exercise.co.uk, we believe that being creative whilst getting fit is a key factor in inspiring you to keep working out.

So we will be looking at these 5 fun ways to get fit without a gym!

Want to skip ahead? Jump to the specific part below:

  1. Skipping
  2. Hula Hooping
  3. Dancing
  4. Trampolining
  5. Try a Sport

Skipping

Skipping is a fun and straightforward exercise that comes with numerous benefits. It is a great way to get into home workouts and is easily personalised to what you need. Skipping allows you to set the pace and work at your own level, but will also become easier with practise. Eventually, once it is part of your routine, you can begin to change speeds, include tricks, and even make fun routines to your favourite workout songs. If you are looking for a tougher workout, be sure to purchase a weighted skipping rope for a more intense burn.

It is not only fun to skip rope, but it also comes with many health benefits. Skipping can burn as many as 1,600 calories in just an hour and is a great alternative to running or jogging. It is also categorised as a cardio exercise which includes a great number of advantages such as heart and lung health.

For more information on cardio exercise, check out our article The Benefits of Cardio Exercise.

Hula Hooping

Hula hooping is another fun and easy exercise that can be done from home. Not only does it help burn calories, this exercise focuses on the core muscles, resulting in less abdominal fat and a toned stomach. It’s a great way to not only stay fit, but also includes other benefits such as a healthier heart and lungs, improves balance and helps the immune system.

However, hula hooping is not just about the health benefits. With some upbeat music on, it can be easy to complete a fun workout  that incorporates creative routines and changes of pace.

In order to get the full effect on how fun hula hooping can be, it’s important to make sure you have the right music playing, so be sure to check out our article on How to Make the Best Exercise Playlist. 

Dancing

Dancing is one of the most fun ways to stay healthy. To incorporate it into your routine does not necessarily mean you need to join a dance class, unless, of course, you want to. However, with new interactive apps and websites it is now easy to get the most out of dancing!

YouTube has a variety of guided dance workouts available, therefore if there is anything specific in mind you wish to incorporate, for example, a favourite musician or album you like to workout to, there is a strong chance there is a video perfect for you. To search for some fun dance videos be sure to include key phrases such as:

  • 20 min dance workout
  • Dance workout for beginners 
  • Dance workout full body no equipment

If you are not a fan of YouTube, there are many apps that provide a visual guided workout experience. Whilst not all fitness apps include dance routines, many still incorporate fun workouts and can be very beneficial when trying to stay fit without a gym. 

If you would like to see our favourite exercise apps, make sure to check our list of Fitness Apps That Can Make Exercising at Home Easier.

Trampolining

Trampolining is a great and easy way to stay fit and with an indoor trampoline, this can be achieved at home. It can quickly get your pulse racing and is great for those just beginning their workout journey without a gym.

Working out on a trampoline focuses on your leg muscles however, different moves can be incorporated into your workout to make sure the full body receives attention. An indoor trampoline also includes the ability to start with low impact exercises so you can warm up to a high intensity workout. You can get started and see the progress for yourself with our Marcy Fitness Trampoline here.

For a more guided tutorial on how to use an indoor trampoline, check out our 5 Exercises You Can Do On a Trampoline to get the most out of your workout.  

 

Try a Sport

If you struggle to motivate yourself, finding a sport you enjoy is a great way to stay on track, especially if you are a competitive person.  Playing a sport helps you commit to a fitness routine and makes sure you get your active hours in during the week. However, sport is also beneficial because you can get fit and stay healthy whilst having an invested interest in something more than just losing weight.

If you are nervous about starting a new sport, make sure to bring a friend to play with or join a team. As long as you are staying active and having fun, it does not matter if you are particularly talented at the sport or not. 

If you are unsure on which sport might be for you, then check out our information on boxing. As an individual sport its great for building strength and staying fit so be sure to read our Boxing Techniques for Beginners and check out our boxing equipment here.

So…

If your workout routine needs some refreshment, or perhaps the gym isn’t for you, then these 5 fun ways to get fit without a gym is a great place to begin. Enjoying your workout is vital for staying motivated, so if you lack the commitment be sure to invest in these fun exercises. 

Before beginning your exercise journey, please be sure to consult your doctor and always be safe when using equipment.

Equipment Guides, Exercises, Fitness, Weight Training, Workouts

Invest in Yourself: The Multi Gym VS The Gym

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Have you ever wondered about building your own home gym? Imagine how convenient, time efficient and accessible a workout place in the home would be. If you’re keen to get fit, build muscle and exercise but worried about the ongoing, monthly cost of a gym membership, have a shortage of time or feel self conscious stepping into the gym, then allow us to introduce to you to the multi gym.

At excercise.co.uk, we understand the ever growing demand for fitness equipment in the home, subsequently,  basic equipment like dumbbells are frequently sold out. That’s why, we believe the multi gym is a staple piece of equipment and is truly worthy of investment. Why, you might ask? Take a look at our information below.

  • The cost factor: multi gym price vs a gym membership

We have a multi gym to suit most budgets, with prices starting from £349 and ranging up to £2,199. We also offer 0% finance payment plans across all of our products over £399, so you could secure your multi gym with as little as a 10% deposit and spread the cost over 12 months!

To put it into perspective, the average gym membership is £40 per month making the average year long membership £480, more expensive than our starting range of multi gyms! Why not invest into a lifelong machine, for less? Ultimately, the multi gym is a financial investment and a money saving machine.

  • With one machine, workout the full body!

The multi gym can work out every muscle you target in the gym, whether you’re looking to build strength, muscle or tone up – the multi gym can do it. Check out our blog on the 10 best multi gym exercises to achieve your fitness goals.

  • From beginner to professional

Did you know a third of under 35’s are too self conscious to join a gym? The multi gym is the perfect way to battle these feelings. With the multi gym, you can work out in the comfort of your own home, try new exercises and discover a passion for fitness without the pressure or anxiety of a busy gym.

Also fitting for professional, or long-time gym goers, our multi gym selection ranges from 45 kg weight load, up to a 170 kg weight load, considered the next evolution level of strength training! Check the range of multi gyms available online now.

  • To suit your schedule 

Social Media consultant, Lisa Williams, recently told the BBC she will not be returning to the gym after the pandemic, because home workouts fit perfectly around her family and work commitments. The multi gym is the ideal way to upgrade your home gym so you can workout anytime without sacrificing the gym-style, professional equipment.

If you’re ready to invest into yourself by purchasing a multi gym but you’re not sure which model is for you, then read our ‘Multi Gym Buying Guide.’ Otherwise, visit our website and purchase your multi gym today with complimentary delivery available!

Fitness, Mental Wellbeing and Motivation, Workouts

Workout together, when we can only be apart

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Are you missing your workout friends and personal trainers? Working out with friends is fundamental for our exercise motivation, mental wellbeing and physical progress. With the current lockdowns, we understand that keeping motivated for exercise is hard. I mean, how many times can we run the same route or watch P.E with Joe Wicks?

Studies, such as this article by Adidas, find that working out with friends is beneficial for your physical and mental health. It is proven to reduce anxiety, increase motivation and boost your mood, that’s why, at exercise.co.uk we believe that when the world stops, that doesn’t mean you have to.

We have collated some of our favourite ways to work out together, when all we can be is apart, to help you find the motivation to workout, keep connected with your friends and improve your mental and physical wellbeing.

  • Compete!

Wearable technology, like the Apple Watch or Fitbit, allows you to compete with your friends through weekly competitions. These functions were created to motivate you to hit goals, whether that’s a calories burnt, standing goals or amount of steps each day. You can track your own progress and peek at your friends progress too.

Free fitness applications, such as Strava, are also great for workout motivation. Set up missions with your friends, such as to work together to complete a 20 km distance in the week, or perhaps you want to see who can run the fastest 5k? Set yourselves the competition, and go!

  • Keep connected

Zoom has been one of the biggest buzzwords of the year, with zoom quizzes, zoom conferences and zoom parties, why not have zoom workouts? Connect with your personal trainer or coach your friends into being the most proactive you there is… from the comfort of your living room.

Mentalhealth.org recommends many different ways to remain in contact with your friends and family throughout the lockdown period and exercise.co.uk have some great articles to help you feel motivated and find ways to ease stress and anxiety through exercise. Check out our blogs on physical & mental wellbeing during lockdown and the benefits of exercise for mental health.

  • Online classes

With the world quite literally at our fingertips these days, there are a breadth of online exercise classes that you can tune into. The NHS have published online workouts, YouTube hosts a whole selection of online classes whether you’re looking for yoga or want to try out a new Zumba class, these are all accessible online for free!

Our experts have written articles showing the top tips for working out at home, why not try these out with your friends and encourage each other to push harder to achieve your goals!

“Tuning in to an online workout with my friends in the morning helps me feel more productive, motivated, and reduces the anxiety I felt during the lockdown periods,” says our writer.

Do you have any ways that help you cope with stress, anxiety, and methods to make you feel motivated to work out and keep connected with your friends? Let us know in the comments section and you could help someone else combat these feelings too.

Fitness, Workouts

Can I effectively work out at home?

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I never really fancy exercising at home because I believe the body is an art and to create the perfect art you need to make the sacrifice to commute to a professional art studio, an environment created to enhance creativity, that forces you to be focused and mentally ready, a quiet and peaceful place with abundant tools and materials needed to create the perfect art.

For the body the professional art studio is the gym, the energy-filled environment motivates you, the sight of other gym members encourages you and reminds you why you decided to be fit in the first place and you also get to interact with them making you less likely to get bored compared to working out at home and the vast and large range of equipment available to you just screams perfection.

Oh, I miss the gym I cannot wait for everything to be back to normal and the pandemic is finally gone so I can go to the gym with zero fears or worries and get to sweat, get dirty, get my heart rate up, and most importantly for me design my body to look like the perfect art ready for summer so I look and feel good and also for the show-off.

“I don’t sweat, I sparkle!”

Fall of the fitness industry

The fitness industry was highly affected by the pandemic because of their sudden closure in most countries, the 2020 IHRSA report estimated that US gyms lost $13.9 billion between March and August 2020 as gym membership continuously declined.

Statistics like this make it feel like the home gym is here to stay as several people are now working out from home using fitness applications but against all odds, I personally have a huge feeling that when the pandemic is over gym membership will skyrocket.

Unlike the home gym, there are days when I feel tired, ready to go home not reaching my fitness goal for the day and then I look behind me to see my mate out there hitting a milestone, going hard it inspires me to take a deep breath and dive back into it. You can never get this feeling when working out at home.

“I’m not stopping until I’m proud of myself”

Realisation

I must confess it’s not always like that you know, I remember one time I saw a lad go four hours cycling, I was amazed but most importantly inspired. I really love cycling and on some days when the weather is perfect, with light winds and clear skies I cycle to work and I enjoy the commute so I believed I could also do it, I took up the challenge. The next day with just 150 pounds I bought an indoor cycle bike and started practising, it took me a while but this indoor practice made me really good at cycling as I could get on my ride at any time and most importantly scream my lungs out at home but I act really shy in the gym around people. The next time I went to the gym after several practices at home I came in and beat his record.

“You don’t always get what you wish for, but you always get what you work for”

My indoor gym

It was not all so easy you know, just like I said before I take the environment where I gym very personal but because I wanted to achieve my goal I was self-inspired and determined to make sure the next time I hit the gym I was going to break his record so started my small home gym.

We have a large room in the basement no one uses so I used it for my set up. Just somewhere quiet and comfortable for me to workout.

But as time passed by, I started to buy other gym equipment like my dumbbell, abdominal slant bench, starter weight bench and others all from the website I posted below, it was all spaced across the room because I love my space but if you do not have a large space to set up your indoor gym like me, you can read about Setting Up a Home Gym When You Have No Space here.

“Find your feel good”

Can I work out effectively at home?

After my experience, my perspective towards home gym changed I realised I could achieve my gym goals without leaving my house if I am determined and ready. Doing this without having to care about how I look when working out, I can make my loud noises, get wild and express myself anyway I can without feeling shy was exciting, I started enjoying working out at home.

“It’s easier to wake up early and work out than it is to look in the mirror each day and not like what you see”

Are you ready?

Here are the ways to gym from home effectively :

  • Try to make it fun – Getting fit from home could get really boring, but there are certain things you could to do add flavour to the process by playing music and having a playlist of your favourite songs to work out to, you can also get yourself a gym buddy.
  • Motivate yourself – It could get hard to motivate yourself when at home, so you need to make conscious efforts to stay motivated, by setting goals and ensuring you reach them.
  • Use a routine – Having a workout routine is also effective as this gives you a sense of seriousness and forces you to work out in a more organised manner.
  • Don’t restrict to a particular area – When working out from home, you do not have to restrict yourself to a particular room, you can leave your indoor treadmill and go outside for a jog or ditch your slant bench and do you sit up outside or the sitting room. Just try to move around and have fun while getting fit.

“Home sweat home”

Exercises, Mental Wellbeing and Motivation, Workouts

Now is the time to take care of your mental health

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Since the UK has been placed in the first lock-down over a year ago, a lot of individuals have been struggling with their mental health…

 

Most of us are aware and know that physical activity has a huge impact on our health. It helps us all feel better sleep better, protecting and improving mental health which has been confirmed by the Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee.

There is strong evidence that regular physical activity helps reduce the risk of onset for common mental health problems. It’s very important in treatment and management of various mental health conditions. 

Becoming physically more active can help build mental resilience, it also can help to manage everyday anxieties and stress. Evidence suggests that less active individuals are almost twice as likely to have depression that those who are active for just one or 2 hours a week. 

By exercising regularly you can enhance your well-being- boosting mental alertness. It additionally enhances brain function, especially in later life. 

Positives of being active include…

A lot of individuals suffer with having a lack of sleep, long-term fatigue and musculoskeletal aches as well as pains in addition to their mood, anxiety or any other symptoms… Physical activity not only can help you with your mental health, it also can also improve the quality and duration of your sleep. 

The relationship between poor sleep and mental health and well being is known to link, regular activity has been found to increase total sleep time. What physical activity does is it increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor and that has antidepressant qualities improving your mental health and well being. 

You may think to yourself ‘when should I exercise?’

The answer to that is                             

…any time is a good time, exercise whenever suits your schedule (morning, afternoon or evening) and any exercise is beneficial!

For a lot of people it is difficult to start, as they do not know where to begin or how to form new habits

In order to motivate yourself you should think about:

If you require any further help, One You is there to help individuals get healthier and better with free tips, tools and support. 

You can complete an online quiz which will point you in the right direction

Once you complete the quiz and answer all questions, you will be sent information via e-mail which you can have a look at in order to start thinking about making changes and improving your health and well being. As this is only to point you in the right direction, if you are concerned about your health you can also always consult your GP, speak to your local pharmacy or any other healthcare professional with any concerns. They will be able to advise you on what to try, what to do and support you with any issues you may have. 

 

 

Mental Wellbeing and Motivation, Performance

The best ways to stay mentally and physically prepared for your profession.

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Living in the unprecedented times that we currently do, the pandemic has forced many people to put their careers and professions on hold, in particular the Musical Theatre industry; a high intensity, hard working and extremely physical job.

For me and many other fellow performers it has been a matter of making sure our mental well-being and physical health has been looked after in preparation for theatres to return again so we can go back to pursuing our career just like many others will have had to do in other professions, such as personal training or other sporting careers.

Key motivators for your profession that can be specific to YOU…

As hard as staying motivated is during these times where motivation has to be driven by yourself and nobody else, there are many ways to keep positive and stay motivated for when your profession returns such as:

  • Setting realistic physical achievements that will enhance and improve your performance when you return to work such as walking 5000 steps per day or joining in a live workout three times a week to build up stamina again.
  • Make the physical exercise you are doing specific to YOU and your profession. As an example on a long walk I would listen to music from the musical I am going to be working in next to motivate me and help me enjoy the physical exercise more. Make. It. Suit. You.
  • Make a story board or a mood board with pictures of all of the things you would like to achieve or things that inspire you that you can set as your Lock Screen on your phone to remind you daily of where you would eventually like to be in your career.

Here is an example of mine…


An interview with Musical Theatre professionals…

Here is a clip of fellow Musical Theatre performers Alex Steele, Maddison Rowe and Esme Bacalla-Hayes answering some of my questions on how they are staying mentally and physically healthy in preparation for when the industry reopens again. Including advice and insightful information as to how and what YOU could do to improve mental well being, motivation and physical performance in preparation for YOUR profession…

An overview of general tips the girls suggested that help with mental health that everyone can benefit from…

  • Make a to do list for the day ahead and check things off as and when you do things, great for peace of mind and to relieve stress.
  • Make your bed and tidy your room, as silly as it sounds it really does make you feel a whole lot better.
  • Try to keep yourself in a routine throughout the day, it keeps the mind occupied and focused.
  • Most importantly, KEEP GOING, YOU’VE GOT THIS. A positive mental attitude is key.

Physical exercise and its effects on your mental well-being…

It becomes very apparent after talking with three professionals that are awaiting their career to restart that physical exercise can have a huge impact on not just your physical health but your mental well-being and motivation too which are both huge factors to keep in mind during the current circumstances where mental well-being and motivation can be affected the most.

Things physical exercise can help with in particular are:

  • Positivity.
  • Feeling more alert and energised.
  • Relieving stress.
  • Sleeping better.
  • Increase in self confidence.

So here are some tips on how to specifically stay PHYSICALLY prepared for your profession…

At home workouts!

At home workouts are a great way to start getting physically prepared for your career again. It is something you can do at your own pace within the comfort of your own home, without feeling like you have to keep up with anyone else. It is also a FREE and easy way to keep active without needing much equipment.

Setting 3 workouts per week on specific days would be a great place to start to enable your body and mind to adapt to the changes that are being made in regards to physical exercise, when you feel ready you can build the quantity of workouts OR how long you workout for.

‘Short on time? Hate the gym?  Too tired to exercise after work? 10 minute workouts are just what you need.’ NHS.uk.

If you’re struggling to find the right ones for you here are some of the workouts I like to use for some inspiration…

  • Gabby Allen workouts.
  • Courtney Black workouts.
  • Joe Wicks workouts.

These are all FREE and available on either YouTube, Instagram or Facebook so go and have a try!

 

A simple walk can work wonders!

’Walking is simple, free and one of the easiest ways to get more active, lose weight and become healthier’ NHS.uk.

Walking is one of the most underrated forms of exercise yet it is so beneficial for both the mind and body. Taking a long walk can be just as beneficial as a short workout in regards to burning calories. A great way to track how far you have walked and how many calories you have burned is buy using the ‘Fitness’ App on either your phone or Apple Watch if you have access to one.
Here is an example of a walk I went on and just LOOK at how many calories I burned… from a walk!

REMINDER!

However with this all being said this is just a reminder to everyone that it is very much OKAY to have days where you don’t feel motivated or don’t feel like you want to workout and be your most productive self. It is OKAY to feel anxious or stressed about the future and how your profession will be affected by this pandemic. It is OKAY to rest and take a day to look after your mental health in other, more comforting ways. Do you know why? Because we are human and each day is never the same for many reasons. The most important thing is that we have the tools and knowledge to come back from these more trying and difficult days, knowing that the simple walk or workout may make you feel that little bit better…

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/

https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/?WT.tsrc=Search&WT.mc_id=Brand&gclid=Cj0KCQiA7YyCBhD_ARIsALkj54oDk_1UUTj367kj3bmTXOcjeDA-NPKg9eLB-BsFS5o6MXhyXICqKq0aAmuIEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

Exercises, Fitness, Mental Wellbeing and Motivation, Recovery and Prevention, Yoga and Stretching

BE PREGNANT. BE HAPPY. STAY CONNECTED.

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“Carrying a baby is the most rewarding experience a woman can enjoy.” – Jayne Mansfield

WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN WAYS

Being happy during pregnancy is not only very possible but also important for mother’s and baby’s health. Each women will have her own ways of keeping herself in emotionally and mentally good shape. There are many tools for you to use, such as:

However, we wanted to highlight such underestimated thing as connecting with other expectant mums. Before revealing more of this, we have to understand WHY it is important.

YOUR EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS MATTER

Have your heard about anxiety, depression and similar non-positive experiences pregnant women can face during and after their pregnancy? We don’t want to scare you, however we want to make sure that you know importance of respecting your emotions and feelings early in the pregnancy (and even before!) to avoid experiencing such things.

This is called Perinatal Mental Health. And it matters.

Just be aware. Read up on this and listen to other expectant mums to gain an insight into this topic just simply to avoid it from happening with you. And if it does, don’t worry! There is a great support and help available for expectant and new mums.

The last thing you want to be feeling is loneliness. Sometimes just by having a chat with other pregnant women can help massively. This has a power to reduce likelihood of ending up with some type of mental health problems.

CONNECTING WITH OTHER EXPECTANT MUMS

Keep it simple. You don’t need to find a girlfriend which will become your best friend forever. You just need to surround yourself with women who are pregnant, the same as you.

You can either find some local mums-to-be groups or connect online! Nowadays distance is non-existent. Especially now, during the Covid-19 pandemic, this might be the best and safest option for yourself. Online meet-up groups via Zoom is a great way to connect and build a support network around yourself.

Connecting with other mums over a cuppa and having a friendly chat sometimes is everything you need! Whatever it takes for you to avoid social isolation and feeling lonely. It’s great to share worries and stories, ideas and expectations. And sometimes just to discuss what’s new on Netflix.

SOME IDEAS

In UK many expectant mums are looking to connect with others and there are different groups and websites for women like yourself. As example, net-mums website is a great source to find ante-natal courses and local groups and there are many charities offering support to pregnant women across the country.

And, if you live in Yorkshire, there are many activities in Hull and East Yorkshire for young parents, including the Us Mums programme which offers free online exercise sessions, mediation and meet-up groups for pregnant women and new mums.

Has this blog post encouraged you to look out for other mums to be? Let us know in comments section below!

We are very confident that you can find suitable and positive way how to connect with other expectant mums. Now it’s over to you… Go, find it & just give it a go!