How often do we all here that we should dedicate more time and effort to care for our own minds and bodies?
ALL the time, right?
Well, I’m on a mission to be healthier and more active, but in a sustainable manor. I know I’d fail to keep up any short-term methods such as the 30 Day Shred or a boot camp. Finding a routine I can stick to every day, ideally for the rest of my life, is my goal.
When I went self-employed last year I looked forward to spending more time on ‘me’. Without the time-sapping commute to work and a restricted timetable, I imagined myself jogging every day, eating healthy lunches, snacking less and bouncing out of bed every morning at 6am to do 60 squats and 30 lunges.
I think I set my expectations of myself a bit too high, but I have managed to keep up with a new routine.
I’ve been running two to three times a week and going to LionFitness Metafit class once a week, going on long walks in the hills in evenings, eating healthy lunches and snacking a lot less than I did do when I worked in an office with other people. Even though I haven’t noticed a difference in my weight, muffin tops or legs, I have noticed a big difference in my energy levels. RESULT!
I can honestly say that running first thing in a morning does wonders to your body; you feel more awake, your body feels energised and your mind feels stress-free and enthusiastic. It’s been the perfect way to start my working days. However, a couple of weeks ago my groin felt pulled and my knees started to ache. I’m genuinely terrified that one day my knees, which have always been a bit sore, will one day pack in and I won’t be able to hike and climb mountains. So I’ve stopped running the last few weeks just to give my knees some time to rest. Hopefully the problem wont persist.
One advantage my work commute gave me was the time to listen to Podcasts. Fitting them in now is somewhat harder, but running has provided the perfect opportunity to listen to my favourite shows. I’ve learnt so much about the benefits of mindfulness and other practices to improve health and wellbeing through listening to Podcasts such as Ted Hour and Note to Self (They are awesome- deffo give them I listen).
The digital revolution has opened up so many ways for people to improve their health; educational podcasts, personal monitoring devices such as the FitBit, sleep improvement apps, endless self-diagnostic websites, discreet postal medicine services such as Lloyds https://onlinedoctor.
How do you ‘look after you’? I’d love to hear about your methods and routine.
PS. I've written this post in collaboration with Lloyds Pharmacy.
All words are my own thoughs and opinions.