Today I had the need to just go and do a bit of a weights session instead of my normal Crossfit Classes, so I went to Iron Addicts in Ringwood. All I can say is the plates are pretty cool! Captain America plates….
Sidenote: Pretty cool gym, and it was a good workout!
We found an amazing new place to take Poppy for a walk today. I was looking for somewhere closeby (it’s been a weekend full of driving). Fortunately I found Warrandyte River reserve and it’s only 10 minutes from home!
Being on school holidays, it’s a great time to get out and explore. The weather was in my favour too! So it was time to pack the snacks and water and go for a drive to the You Yangs.
I put Poppy in the car and we headed off.
A morning consisting of a run, yoga and meditation. Almost seems too perfect, especially when it’s next to St Kilda Beach.
Wanderlust is a desire to explore – the world, yourself and your mind. Today’s Wanderlust event is a celebration of that journey.
Sometimes when you put of things, they catch up to you. I have realised over the last few weeks some things need to change.
To work through these I’m doing small bits at a time, I’ve already started adjusting my exercise to activities that I will enjoy more such as Yoga, dodgeball, hockey & I have recently started running again.
To work through stress and focussing on what is happening at the moment I have begun a program called Headspace, which is an online program where there are meditation sessions for 10+ minutes that are very simple to follow. The part I like is that they are guided. Even if you have never done it before all you need is 10 minutes and some device to play it on (Laptop, iPhone, iPad).
Meditation has been shown in studies to help with depression, anxiety and stress , and if done in conjunction with a health professional it has allowed some people to come of medication in shorter periods of time than the would have otherwise done. The best part is, you can do it anywhere. No special clothes or equipment to buy, just sit in your pyjamas in the lounge if you want.
I have certainly begun noticing the benefits in the short time I have been doing it (just over a week now). My sleep is a lot better as I am not as restless during the night and I now can fall asleep very quickly. Previously it would often take me 20-30 minutes to fall asleep.
There are different short series of mediation available for when you are cooking, walking, cycling, eating or even getting to sleep (which is my favourite). Its something I recommend everybody should at least try, and they offer 10 days free anyway. Check it out https://www.headspace.com .
I will post more about my journey as time goes on 🙂
Have you used Headspace? How has it helped you?
Getting Started
Its often hard when you start exercising to keep up the momentum, all too often we start at 120% and exercise regularly and for longer times than we normally would. But this can often just wear us out and old habits begin to creep back in. Whether it is taking shortcuts on the exercises or eating unhealthily.
So how do you start an exercise plan and ensure you stay on it?
First things first you have to work out what you want. Would you like to lose a few extra kg’s, put on some extra muscle or completely overhaul your lifestyle – food, exercise and way of thinking.
Once you have an idea of what it is you want to achieve you should write this down, preferably somewhere you will see it. I have mine as the background on my phone. It lists why I want to achieve my goals. Some of these goals maybe quite personal some may not. It is okay to be superficial, there is nothing wrong with wanting to look amazing at the beach! When you feel good about yourself, don’t you find life a bit more fun and happier?
What will this exercise plan allow you to do? Give you the confidence to talk to people? Apply for your dream job? Compete in that competition you have been wanting to for years?
There are plenty of resources available on the internet about the best exercises to start with and basic plans. Here are a few of my favourites.
Apps
There are plenty of apps out there to help you achieve your goals, I will do a post on them later on but here are a few of my favourites:
Full Fitness – This app should be essential in everyones app list, it contains a lot of exercises you can do at the gym and shows you the correct form with how to do them. You can even construct your own plan or use one of the pre-set ones. Its certainly worth the $. Considering a personal trainer to show you the same thing can cost you up to 20x that for one session.
Zombies, Run! – Very clever app, where zombies chase you as you are running. You would be surprised how motivating it can be hoping to stay alive! Its a really nice difference compared to the normal running tracking apps.
RunKeeper – Another essential to everyone, it can track everything to do with any cardio work, running, walking, bike riding, swimming. Whatever your preference is, this will cater. It can even track your GPS location for runs and post them to Facebook & Twitter.
Once you have a workout plan, from here it is best to do up a food plan, I will do a separate post on this as there is certainly a lot to cover. However in any case, if you are looking for a boost it would certainly be worthwhile seeing a dietician who caters to the goals you want to achieve. They should be able to factor in your exercise plans and food requirements along with your goals and do a plan. This can often be invaluable. Just be cautious whilst some personal trainers can do food plans, this often doesn’t take into account of any minerals and nutrients your body may require, such as magnesium, vitamin C etc.
So now you have an exercise plan and a food plan & your reasons for doing it. The next step in following it. Nobody can make you do it, and some days will be harder than others. There will be days that you really don’t feel like exercising, but I find if I make myself go for just a bit, its funny how a bit becomes a full session once you are into the swing of it. So just give it a try and try different things from time to time.
I will do some more posts from time to time about different exercises & fun things to try and even cool apps and gadgets I come across. I would also love to hear any stories you may have. You can leave a comment or contact me here.
