Feeling sluggish and unmotivated post Easter? This free workout will kickstart Spring in just 20 minutes!
Summer is now in sight. Let’s get started now! All you need is YOU – no equipment, no gym. Try and repeat this 3 or even 4 times a week for maximum results – see the full workout & free trial here.
Interval training / HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) means that you work hard in short high energy bursts with a quick rest before moving on to the next exercise. Great for fat burning as the body will continue to burn calories even after you finish. You can always modify the exercises for low impact options too.
In this workout you will do each of the six exercises for 40 seconds with a 15 second rest in between. Aim for 3/4 rounds!
Running: It’s London Marathon Month! A few reasons in this week’s blog as to why running is so beneficial both physically and mentally!
Running is such a popular form of exercise and with such a list of health benefits it’s easy to see why. I know running isn’t possible for everyone so I will be sure to include some alternative exercises for you to try in this week’s blog.
Running is a great way to combat stress and anxiety
It has been shown that just 30 minutes of exercise is enough to release the endorphins responsible for feeling great – these are your body’s natural anti-depressants. In addition to endorphins running also causes the release of norepinephrine, which is responsible for managing the brain’s reaction to stress.
Running is great for your heart
150 minutes of moderate exercise (such as gentle running) per week has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease by 30% – which is huge! In addition to this it can also reduce the risk of hypertension (high blood pressure) and strokes, so running really is beneficial to both how you feel right now as well as looking after your body long term.
Running and bone strength
The strength of your bones in your spine, pelvis and legs is enhanced by running. Bone becomes stronger when it’s loaded and the impact of running helps build bone strength in these bones. In addition the muscles, ligaments and joints supporting those bones all become stronger. Together, this can help prevent conditions like osteoporosis and enhance bone density. However if you do suffer from brittle bones, osteoporosis or low bone density then starting running requires a bit more thought and a discussion with your doctor to ensure it is safe to start.
The social side of running
Running can be an incredibly sociable activity! From bumping into the same person on your runs, running clubs, virtual running clubs, Strava meet ups and just meeting a pal for a jog and coffee afterwards there are so many ways to make running sociable and fun.
Or ‘Me’ time
Running is also a great way to switch off and have some time out for yourself. It is great for getting away from your desk, getting out into nature and this is a massive boost for your mental wellbeing.
Balance and coordination
The positives of unilateral movement! When running you spend the majority of your time on one leg which is great for your balance, core stability and coordination. This can be particularly beneficial as we get older and reduces the risk of injury and falls.
Endurance
The more you run, the greater your stamina becomes and this has far reaching benefits for your respiratory system, your heart, your muscular strength and endurance and your weight management. It is so important to increase distance and time on your feet gradually as a spike in running is a huge injury risk. So be patient and slowly build those miles up.
Now I know running doesn’t suit everyone so I am including some alternatives here to try for your cardio activity – to get the same benefits without the pounding impact of running.
Firstly cycling – you can still get out in nature and get the cardio and respiratory benefits as well as the balance and coordination but without the impact.
How about wild swimming? Outside in nature definitely, not for the faint hearted though!
Pool swimming can give you the cardio benefits and endorphin release too again without the impact on bones and joints.
Finally power walking – carry some light weights and get out on a power walk, if you really push yourself here you can definitely get all the benefits that you get from running and especially great for the legs on an incline.
Due to popular demand I have decided to include a Kettlebell workout tomorrow (Thursday) in this week’s online classes! Do you use one in your training at all? Here’s a few reasons why I love them!
1. They are SO versatile! Perfect for all aspects of your training be it Strength / Cardio / Power!
2. They build all round full body strength – recruiting many muscle groups at once, excellent for functional fitness training
3. They suit both high and low impact workouts – raising the heart rate and burning calories but equally kind on the joints. KBs are excellent HIIT training tools, great for fat loss if that is your goal by increased recruitment of muscle fibres. Challenging the body and increasing cardiovascular fitness
4. Fantastic for improving core strength and stability – they change your centre of gravity and recruit the abdominal muscles much more than in many dumbbell exercises.
5. Many KB exercises are unilateral which have huge benefits in themselves – increasing muscle stimulation, correcting imbalances, improving weaknesses
6. Brilliant for improving posture – strengthening the posterior chain which in turn will help with reducing injury risks
7. There are some great dynamic movements with KBs too, which are really effective in promoting joint health and strength.
8. Not to be forgotten is the increased range of motion with certain KB exercises – they can be a huge help with improved flexibiity and mobility.
9. KBs increase our grip strength!
10. A power routine with a KB is a great stress buster – swing cleans, snatches, squats all require focus and technique and really help with the feel good factor that strength training brings!
So these are just a few of the benefits. Tomorrow’s class at 9am will take us through some fundamental kettlebell exercises. Use my code destress20 at the checkout to join us and try for yourself!!
Just in case you’re wondering…this is what this week’s schedule looks like – there’s no better time to join!
How does exercise reduce stress? We hear so much of “Rest and Relaxation” – how can exercise be relaxing? It can be seen as a form of physical stress on the body so can it also relieve mental stress? The answer is most definitely yes!
After years of training clients as a PT the one common lines of feedback is “It makes me feel so much better”! As April is Stress Awareness Month I wanted to look into this a little deeper.
How exercise reduces stress
When you set out on your fitness regime, exercise can feel far from “fun” but as you start to form new habits and you begin to see the benefits that exercise can bring you realise that it is as much of a benefit to your mental health as it is physically.
Regular aerobic and strength exercise will bring remarkable changes to your body, your metabolism, your heart, and your spirits. Whilst stimulating and exhilarating it also has the power to counter depression and dissipate stress. Clinical trials have proven time and time again how exercise is a powerful tool against anxiety.
So how does this work? Exercise reduces levels of the body’s stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. It also stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that are the body’s natural painkillers and mood elevators. Endorphins are responsible for the “runner’s high” and for the feelings of relaxation and optimism that accompany many hard workouts.
In addition to this are the additional benefits that come from being consistent with an exercise routine – your self confidence grows, you may lose weight (if that is your goal) your daily energy levels are boosted. Exercise helps hugely with our sleep so you may be benefiting from a full night’s rest and more able to cope with the day ahead and any stress that brings. It is also “me time” and a chance to have a short period to yourself with a different focus!
In addition peri menopause/menopause brings women additional stress & anxiety symptoms. So many women notice that exercise really helps them at this stage of life and they feel way more positive and confident.
So which exercise should we be doing?
Strength exercises help hugely with stress – lifting weights not only helps with everyday functional fitness but the feeling of being strong and confident is a huge mood booster. Whereas high impact exercise can cause the body further stress if done excessively, working out with weights can be low impact and kinder on the joints as well as supporting bone health.
A walk or jog in the fresh air for 20 minutes a day can be a huge stress reliever as can a gentle stretch sequence. Clearing the mind and reducing anxiety. Yoga and meditation with a focus on slow deep breath work can also be hugely effective – you can learn to use your mind to relax your body. The relaxed body will, in turn, send signals of calm and control that help reduce mental tension.
And finally..
Not only will exercise reduce stress mentally but it also prevents illness which has a direct correlation to physical stresses on the body. Regular physical activity will lower your blood pressure, improve your cholesterol, and reduce your blood sugar. Exercise cuts the risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, colon and breast cancers, osteoporosis and fractures, obesity, depression, and even dementia (memory loss). Exercise slows the aging process, increases energy, and prolongs life.
So how much should we do? If you can walk every day then this will be a wonderful start – you don’t need to be doing gym workouts or marathon training! But adding in some strength work and stretching 3x a week will really provide you with a brilliant framework for a healthy balanced routine. You can split the sessions up into manageable chunks and even 15 minutes a day can be beneficial.
If you’re in the UK you may well be currently asking “Where is Spring?!” However even with grey skies and low temperatures there are still so many benefits (both mental and physical) to being outside in nature. Read on to find out exactly how spending time outside each day can do wonders for your health and wellbeing.
Firstly let’s look at the mental benefits of time with nature. The mental health charity Mind is a huge advocate of this. The charity states that spending time in green spaces or bringing nature into your everyday life can benefit your mental wellbeing by improving your mood, reducing feelings of stress and anxiety and improving confidence and self-esteem. Time outside can include getting stuck into some gardening, growing herbs and vegetables (which are SO rewarding!), walking, exercising outdoors and spending time with animals. All of these activities have been proven to support strong positive correlations with improved mental health and wellness.
Now let’s talk about the physical benefits that mother nature can bring to you. Firstly, and it’s topical if you caught last week’s blog, it’s improved sleep. Exposure to fresh air and sunlight can improve your sleep quality by helping your circadian rhythm and helping you feel more tired at bedtime as well as shortening the time it takes you to fall asleep.
Immune function is boosted with time spent outside. Micro-organisms which are found in nature can help prepare your immune system for more serious illnesses, meaning your body can fight infections more efficiently.
Believe it or not, being outside can increase your motivation for exercise. When we are outside we move more, we take more steps and breathe more deeply. This releases endorphins and makes us feel good, which in turn makes us more inclined to do it again and again.
Another huge health benefit of being outdoors is lower blood pressure and heart rate. Studies have shown that just a 30 minute dose of nature can lower your pulse and blood pressure which as we know has far reaching benefits for your body.
So time in the fresh air really does do wonders for both mental and physical health. I cannot recommend highly enough carving out just 30 minutes of your day to walk, garden, run, cycle or even wild swim to reap the benefits that time outside brings. Even in this cold spell that we are currently experiencing!
Those who have followed me for a while will know that I am a daily dog walker – even if I am having a particularly manic, stressful day I always come back feeling more positive and ready to tackle whatever comes next following a trot around the fields. I know it can be harder to do when the weather is unpleasant and the days are short but trust me, it is so worth it!
It won’t be long before I can take my classes outside too!
It’s World Sleep Day on Friday 17th March with the theme this year “Sleep is Essential for Health” so what better time to talk about the importance of a good night’s sleep? Sleep is an essential function which allows your body and mind to recharge which in turns boosts immunity, helps prevent injury and generally keeps you fit and healthy.
So, how does it work, what is the science behind sleep?
You have an internal body clock, called the circadian rhythm, which regulates your sleep cycle and controls when you feel sleepy and tired and when you’re refreshed and alert. It is suggested that adults aged 26-64 need 7-9 hours of sleep per night and those over 65 need 7-8 hours. This sounds like a lot and for many of us this might not always be achievable – but it’s something to aim for. You go through sleep cycles in your sleep of 90-120 minutes which consist of lighter and deeper sleep. Throughout these stages your body has a chance to recharge and refresh.
What happens if you don’t get enough sleep?
An insufficient amount of sleep over a prolonged period can lead to a higher risk of some medical conditions including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and poor mental health. Alongside this attention, reaction time and cognition are also reduced.
Exercise and sleep
When it comes to exercise and recovery, sleep really is so important. It has a huge impact on muscle recovery so if you’re running, strength training, doing anything that challenges your muscles then you’re going to need your rest. Earlier I said we go through different phases of lighter and deeper sleep during our sleep cycles – two of these phases are particularly important for your muscles. REM sleep accounts for 20-25% of total sleep time and occurs in the latter half of each cycle of sleep. This REM sleep provides energy to the brain that supports it during waking hours. Non-REM sleep or deep sleep is essential for muscle recovery. It accounts for 40% of total sleep time – as the blood pressure and heart rate drops and breathing becomes deeper and slower the brain is fully resting allowing more blood supply to reach your muscles. In doing so it delivers extra oxygen and nutrients to promote healing and growth.
How can we improve our sleep?
Here are some top tips on improving your sleep:
Establish a realistic bedtime and stick to the same routine as much as you can
Avoid heavy meals within a couple of hours of bedtime
Jot down any worries you may have and set it aside for tomorrow
Practice calm activities prior to bedtime ie a relaxing bath
Keep the lights low in the bedroom
Think about a screen ban before bed and maybe even in the bedroom (something I def need to do)
Reduce caffeine intake in the afternoons – why not swap for a decaf
Exercise during the day, not too close to bedtime so your body has a chance to wind down
One supplement I swear by for better sleep is Magnesium – I take Wild Nutrition supplements as well as using Better You flakes in the bath (which are fundamental in easing muscle tension and aiding recovery) Current findings show an overwhelmingly positive correlation between magnesium and sleep. It can also help reduce anxiety which can interfere with sleep. So not only does it help you fall asleep it also promotes more restorative sleep. I make sure I get plenty through my diet too via dark leafy greens, nuts and seeds and also dark chocolate!
Ok time to bust some myths! I am often asked fitness questions relating to certain exercises, current fads etc so today I thought I would share the five that crop up most frequently!
Myth 1: “Is it true that I will bulk up if I start lifting weights?” and the answer is most definitely NO.
You will NOT bulk up by lifting weights – a total myth – you will build lean muscle & reduce body fat. To achieve a bodybuilder physique you’d need to be following a very defined nutritional program alongside using very heavy weights in a specific rep range . It is also worth mentioning that women have less testosterone than men & therefore it is much harder to bulk!
Remember however that the benefits of lifting weights are almost endless! Not only does it contribute hugely to building and retaining lean muscle tissue and very importantly improving our bone density (which naturally reduces as we age especially post the menopause) it can also have such a positive effect on many aspects of the body including:
Reducing back pain by enhancing core strength and stability
Reducing the risk of trips and falls by building strength
Improving overall posture and balance
Enhancing mental wellbeing – lowering stress levels and releasing endorphins for that mental boost
Boosting our immunity, improving sleep
Myth 2: “Is it true cardio is the only way to improve fitness?” NO!
Cardio is excellent for heart health & calorie burn BUT a strength programme will build muscle which we need to function daily & supports our health in so many ways esp improving our long-term fitness. Strength training also raises metabolism long after the session which is great for the calorie burn. In an ideal world we should incorporate strength alongside cardio into our weekly fitness plan.
Myth 3: “Is it true that exercise is all about weight loss?” This is most definitely not true. If your goal is weight loss then exercise is definitely going to tick the box when combined with a healthy diet. BUT exercise is so much more than a number on a scale. It’s heart, bone, muscle, brain & mental health – its benefits are endless both physically & mentally.
Myth 4: “Is it true that you need at least an hour for a good workout?” Anyone who knows me will know this is a firm no from me!
You do NOT need to be doing hour-long workouts. My classes are 30 minutes ~ challenging but achievable. If you follow a structured plan you can definitely work out for 30/45 minutes max & achieve excellent, long lasting results.
Final myth – “Is it true that exercise is just for young people?” Absolutely not! Exercise is for everyone! It’s so important to exercise as we get older, to keep us fit and active into our later years. Better balance, flexibility, posture, reduced injuries, bone health, muscle mass, mental health, pre/post-menopausal health are just some of the many reasons why it’s fundamental to keep moving & stay strong.
Any questions as always please get in touch or drop me a DM.
Strong Women! A question I am often asked is “What form of exercise should I be doing, especially as I hit my 40s and beyond?” Cardio (especially running) has always been at the forefront of the media when it comes to fitness whilst strength training has often been overlooked. However, just 30 minutes of resistance training three times per week is one the best things you can do for your health and fitness especially as we head into midlife. I’m passionate about this style of training and want to spread the word!
Back to basics!
Strength training which is also called resistance training or weight training is basically just using your body weight and/or resistance bands and weights to add load to your workout. For many years women have associated weight training with images of body builders and big bulging muscles but this couldn’t be further from the truth! Often we are talking 2-4 kg dumbbells mixed with bodyweight exercises. Over time you may decide to gradually increase the weights or the number of reps – this is called progressive overload and will help you get stronger and fitter. The increased load and demand on the muscles forces them to adapt and grow stronger over time. But the benefits of strength training don’t just stop at the muscular system…
So, what are some of the key benefits of strength training for women?
Well, they really are almost endless! Not only does it contribute hugely to building and retaining muscle tissue and very importantly improving our bone density (which naturally reduces as we age especially post the menopause) but it can also have such a positive effect on many aspects of the body including:
Reducing back pain by enhancing core strength and stability
Reducing the risk of trips and falls by building strength
Improving posture and balance
Enhancing mental wellbeing – lowering stress levels and releasing endorphins for that mental boost
Boosting our immunity, improving sleep
How about strength training and body fat?
You will be pleased to know that strength training can help if your goal is to reduce body fat. Whilst the workout itself may not burn as many calories as a run or a pure cardio workout, one of the key benefits of strength training is weight management – by increasing muscle mass and reducing fat. The increased muscle mass contributes to a higher metabolism or metabolic rate which helps regulate body mass long term & long after the workout has finished whilst the body repairs. However, it is important to make sure that whilst you’re asking your body to build extra muscle and work hard you fuel it sufficiently to do so – so a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of protein.
The next question is how to strength train and how often…
Research has shown that 30-45 minutes three times a week is ideal. Strength training three times a week gives your body enough time to recover between sessions whilst still pushing it enough to see the results. If you’re new to fitness and training you may need to start more gently with very light weights and build up over time. I have long since been an advocate of strength training, particularly for women, and with this in mind I built my platform – Caroline’s Circuits. My workouts are 4 times a week for just 30 minutes. They are interval strength training circuits which work different muscle groups and challenge the body – they give the perfect mix of strength and cardio for the best results.
The online workouts are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday (they are all recorded and available to you within an hour of the session if you can’t make them live). Classes have been specifically designed to suit all fitness levels and create fitness habits which last & which produce results.
So, from the start – did you always know that sport was going to be your vocation? How did you get into fitness in the first place? What does it mean to you?
From the age of 12 I can’t honestly say that I knew I was going to become an Olympian. But what I did know is that I had I had fun doing sport. It allowed me to build a really big community around me, a diverse community you know, and that’s the power of sport. Sport allows you to meet people along the way – people with similar mindsets, similar focuses, and yeah, you know, that was for me, it was like my second family at the athletics track in Wembley where I grew up.
Fitness has always been magnificent for me because it’s it helps me not just my physical self, we all know that being fit and in keeping an element of fitness and a routine allows you to really look after your mental health as well and your well-being. So, all these things I learned from very young, like I said to you from 12 years old, right through to when I retired in 2006 35 years old, sport and fitness has been an integral part of my life. I qualified as a personal trainer in 1999 and again, that having my expertise and my experience and being able to give that to others has allowed them to thrive, but at the same time, it’s allowed me to broaden my horizons as well and recognise again, you know, the impact of physicality in today’s world.
How much of a role does our mindset play in our daily lives? And morespecifically mindset as regards working out and fitness?
People talk about mindset. Mindset is integral when you’re talking about you know, having that get up and go and that fire in your belly. Mindset is everything. And you know, sorry to harp on about it, but it definitely comes from you know, having that, that sporty background where, you have to dig deep some days. When I used to be out on the track on my own or with a group and it’s cold, it’s rainy, it’s wintry, you got to have a good mindset. You have to think to yourself, right what’s the next goal? You know, when you get disappointments, again, you have to think, how am I going to get over that disappointment and it’s about looking at your deep, deep, innate qualities that you that you have within yourself.
How has your view on sport changed over the years? How do you view exercise now and how do you fit it into your busy lifestyle? How do you find balance with your career, being a mum of 3 etc. What does self-care mean to you?
People do ask me all the time so how do you manage to you know run a successful career as a life coach, motivational speaker and mentor with three children as well. So how do I do it? Sometimes really bad if I’m being really honest. You drop the ball, we have all dropped the ball. I think there’s that level of pressure that you feel that you always have to be on your A game and, you have to always try and be on your A game but it’s okay. Some days you just aren’t up to it and your plate is overflowing and spilling and you’re you’ve got meetings coming out of here and there, you’ve got deadlines to meet, and it does become overwhelming. So, you know, it’s about again, having people in your corner, supportive people in your corner, for you to say to them, “look, I need some time out, this is a bit too much”. I think that’s when you talk about self-care. Self-care is recognising actually this is going down the road but I’m feeling a little bit too vulnerable and overwhelmed and then speaking up.
I always say vulnerability is strength because it is so you know, it’s about being able to own the fact of how you’re feeling rather than pretending that you can do it and then compromising your health. We are nothing without our health. You know, so it’s, again, that self-care to me would mean having timeout having a nice meal, you know, taking some time away from my phone, chilling reading a good book and just really just enjoying my own company. Not necessarily anybody else’s but enjoy my own company and seeing the value of who I truly am.
How do you motivate busy career women to set goals, find motivation not just for fitness but for their lifestyles and handle midlife struggles at work and at home?
Women come to me all the time, you know, in coaching and whether it’s to climb up the next ladder in their career they want that motivation to go the next step. And I often say to them, how important is this to you? And it sounds like a such a cliche question, but how important is this to you, tell me the relevance this will have on your life if you were to achieve this goal. And then you start to really unpack and unravel. Is this really that important to that individual? Or is it that individual is just saying that they would like that in the ideal world and that way, you really get to get the sense of how important is this what at what lengths are they willing to go to, to achieve this goal.
This is sometimes quite difficult for people because the reality sets in. The easiest thing to do is to start with the smart model. How specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and in what timeframe do you want to achieve this goal and then the aha moments happen during that period of time as well. So again, it’s about really thrashing out with the client, which is what I do, how important is this role to them, ask how, what, when, why, simple, simple little things that allow them to really dig deep into their goals, their own personal goals, whether that be a fitness goal, whether it be a career goal. I’ve got a woman that comes to me says she wants to start a family, but she’s conflicted as she’s worried about her career at the same time. And I’m like, okay, so let’s look at this. Look at the whole situation, put it on paper. I often think when you put things on paper, it allows you to see the vision a lot clearer.
As an expert with women in the menopause years what do you find clients struggle with the most? Tell us about your work in that area and what the common misconceptions are for women at this time?
A lot of my midlife clients are those who are menopausal or perimenopausal ladies who come to me generally for weight gain.
When it comes to personal training, they’re often talking about the midlife spread and, and I say to them – look, my biggest, biggest thing to everybody out there who’s reading this article is get yourself equipped with as much knowledge as possible so that you can then look at your options. We always feel powerful when we’ve got options that we can explore. We feel paralysed when we don’t have any options and that’s probably the biggest thing for me. Utilise what’s within our grasp. Find out explore, ask the questions, speak to other women then you know that you have supported other women but you’re also supporting yourself as well. Yes, I’m an ambassador for the menopause charity and I’m a patron for menopause mandate, but at the same time, I’m also a female that’s going through it and goes up and down – menopause is like a moving target. As a woman you think you’ve got it all right, and next, you know, you’re feeling low again. And you start to question Is this a lifestyle? Is this something that’s going on with your life? Is it circumstantial? Am I tired because of menopause? Or is it that I’ve taken on a lot of stuff that you know, sometimes it is without your control. So, it’s about really identifying what’s going on. I think being 51 that I am now allows me to be playing really smart and be honest with myself of how I’m feeling. So, this is how I how I live my life is also how I want to tell other women explore your options, and that way you don’t feel paralysed and fearful.
Which charitable causes are you passionate about and why?
Like I said, I’m an ambassador for the menopause, charity, diabetes UK and women’s aid. These three charities are very dear to my heart. I’ve been with them for now for the last few years. And I guess the reason why I joined these charities is because they all resonate with me, and I think it’s important to pay it forward and give back to charities or to organisations that you feel have helped you in your life or potentially will help somebody else in their life. So that’s why I belong to those three charities. I’m the one of the patrons along with Lisa Snowdon and Davina McCall of the menopause mandate. So that’s where I am my charity, charitable work and actually, that’s the thing that gives me a lot of hope and I have a lot of passion and purpose around, I absolutely love belonging to three charities.
What’s next for you?
People ask me all the time in life what’s next for you? I guess I just want to stay true to myself about where my passion lies, really honing in on what’s important to me. Making an impact on society is a big thing. I don’t have a lot of followers, but I have a lot of followers. You know, I have a lot of people that when I speak, I think listen to what I say. And like I said, all you want to do is impact one person’s life and that can have the ripple effect that took them to spread the word to help other people. You’d be surprised to know in my years of mentoring, how many young people’s lives are transformed, and just from them being around me, and that’s what I want to continue to do. I also want to continue to grow me as an individual. I want to be global with my public speaking. And I want to be recognised as a really, as a strong female, a strong black female that is there to use her voice and to make a change and make a difference.
If you could share one motivational tip, what would it be?
The one motivational thing that I leave everybody else with is a dream is nothing if it’s left on the pillow. Make it happen. It’s down to you. Don’t blame anybody else. Don’t look at anybody else. A dream is nothing if it’s left on the pillow. It’s down to you to go and get it or make it happen. Thank you.
In case you want to listen to Michelle’s great words here are the audio files from our chat for you.
Have you been exercising for a long time and of late seem to have plateaued? Or did you start your fitness regime in January and now 6 weeks in you are not seeing the results you were hoping for and feeling rather demotivated?
This week I am going to give you some reasons why this could be and some tips to make sure you keep seeing the results you’re after.
Firstly a couple of key questions:
If you’ve just started, remember that its early days and results take some time – depending on your goal changes can be difficult but stick with it, you are most certainly on the right track and the hardest step was to get started. You always need to stick at a new program for at least 3-6 months to start seeing those gains…
A key question – are you consistent in your exercises routine? How many sessions a week are you managing? Consistency really is key when it comes to improvements – so make sure you are planning your workouts.
Secondly, are your workouts still challenging you? The weights you were using at the start might not be challenging you in the same way any more, maybe it is time for an increase? (Did you see last week’s blog all about when and how to increase your weights? Read it here).
Also are you varying your workouts or doing the same program time and time again? The body will only change if you move outside of your comfort zone – otherwise it will stop making adaptations if it’s too comfortable. Remember what your goal is. It’s good to stick with a set program but make sure you also include some cardio with your strength training and vice versa – interval training is brilliant for keeping the challenge on. And remember to switch up your upper, lower and full body workouts.
Change just one thing at a time – maybe it’s the duration or the intensity or the load. Don’t change everything at once or you risk injury or being demotivated when it’s too much.
Next up –how’s your nutrition? You can’t outrun a bad diet and however hard you train it’s essential that you are fueling your body correctly. Are you having adequate protein? Is your diet healthy and balanced? Are you drinking plenty of water? Look at portion sizes and try to cook your meals from fresh.
Finally, are you letting your body recover properly? This encompasses not only rest days (active recovery days are good too when you can walk, stretch etc) but refuelling (as mentioned above), hydrating and sleeping. When we sleep our muscles not only repair but grow. Without enough sleep you can’t expect your body to have the energy it needs to perform in workouts, for potential changes to take place and time to recover afterwards.
When it comes to seeing results it really does come down to consistency, challenge and recovery. So keep going, the benefits will come, 100%.
As always if you have any questions please do get in touch.
