Here at The Trainers, we are constantly trying to help others to lead a healthier, happier life. Therefore, I have come up with a daily countdown that I follow to ensure my days are managed effectively and to maintain optimum health on a daily basis. With so many different diets, different ‘do this’ and ‘do that’ it can become extremely overwhelming and confusing. I now stick to these daily ‘rituals’ which have made me feel a lot better.
From 10 – 1 adding these steps into your life can really make a wonderful difference. Try this for a week and let us know how your feeling in the comments section below.
10 Minutes of Self Loving & Appreciation a Day
I personally feel that we spend too much time comparing ourselves, doubting ourselves and do not give credit where it’s due. Social media has played a big part in my life and I find myself scrolling on a daily basis for miles and miles! Now I make sure I take just 10 minutes out of my day to tell myself, why and how I am great. It may sound silly, and right now I can think of 100’s of negative reasons… what’s not gone well, what I can do better but we need to reflect on the good. I also tell myself what I am thankful for and appreciate. Whether it may be my family and friends around me, or for this beautiful weather we have. Whatever it may be, it’s important to ground yourself and reset each day.
9 Thousand Steps a Day
I am constantly active when training my clients, but I always make it a priority to ensure I am hitting at least 9 thousand steps a day. If I have had a busy day at my desk, I’ll always take a walk with my husband to the local park to stretch my legs and to feel the fresh air. It does wonders for my mood! According to the NHS walking is “simple, free, and one of the easiest ways to get more active, lose weight and become healthier.” I couldn’t agree more! I encourage my clients to try to walk more, whether it’s walking to the station in the mornings, or to spend their weekends being more active, it’s great for your physical health and your wellbeing too.
8 Hours of Sleep a Night
I have perfected the art of sleep! Anyone who knows me knows I am always in bed by 10pm and am shortly asleep after, if not before! I naturally wake up around 7am on weekends and on weekdays earlier due to my alarm. This means I nearly always have uninterrupted sleep every night! Sleep is a crucial part of your training programme. Whilst you are asleep your body has many different functions. Whilst in the gym, if you are building muscle you are actually tearing the muscle fibers and whilst you sleep your body is using the protein for repair and growth. Ensuring that you are well rested also enables you to perform at your best, you’ll also feel more energised and will get better results.
7 Glasses of Water a Day
You should always aim to drink at least 7 glasses of water a day. I am constantly carrying around with me a water bottle to ensure that I am always hydrated. Water plays a very important role within your body, it regulates your body’s temperature, it also provides lubricant to your joints. This is especially important when working out, to ensure your joints are moving smoothly to avoid injury. Water also helps to transport nutrients all over your body, this gives you energy and keeps you healthy. If you have not drunk enough water, then your body cannot perform at its highest level. As a result, you may feel lethargic or tired, are more prone to muscle cramps, experience dizziness or other serious symptoms. Therefore, ensuring you have access to a constant supply of water is very important – especially in this heat!
6 Minutes of Meditation
Meditation in any form is very effective for resetting the mind. It is important to switch off now and again. Meditation has been proven to reduce levels of anxiety and depressions, it has also been shown to help people deal with pain better! Even if you are not into meditation, putting some relaxing music on or sitting on the sofa with no background noise can really help. I find giving myself 6 minutes a day with my own thoughts helps me to clarify what’s important to me, what I need to achieve throughout the day, and future ideas pop up in my mind. I use this time to check in with myself, to arrange a mental checklist of priorities to achieve. However, you want to spend these 6 minutes a day can really work wonders.
5 Servings of Fruit & Veggies
Having at least 5 portions of fruit/veg a day is super important! Ensuring that you are eating a well-balanced diet, and regular diet is crucial for your health. They contain many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, some of which fight against certain diseases. Increasing your fruit and veg can help to reduce fat and help you to maintain a healthy weight, they also lower your blood pressure and cholesterol. I always try to eat seasonally, not only is it a lot cheaper it is also a lot better for the environment as it reduces its carbon footprint. I am always on the lookout for new recipes to buy new fruit or veg during each weekly shop. This adds variety to our meals and also different nutrients.
4 Breaks (Stretching & Mental)
I am extremely lucky that I do not have a typical desk job, however, there are days where I spend a lot of my time at my desk. Throughout the duration of these days, I always ensure that I am taking breaks to stretch/ refocus my mind. I often take walks on my lunch break, to get the blood flowing again. This allows more oxygen to the brain which will increase mental clarity. I also tend to workout at some point in the day, sometimes it’s early morning before I’ve started work, or sometimes it’s in the afternoon to boost my energy levels.
3 Meals & 3 Healthy Snacks
I am always getting asked how many times a day I eat, I often help my clients to find out what works for them. Some people love to eat 5-6 times a day, I find if I do that, I am more inclined to snack on unhealthy options available. So, therefore, I stick to eating 3 healthy balanced meals a day and 3 snacks. I tend to snack on fruit, nuts, or smoothies. For breakfast I often have homemade granola with fruit, lunch tends to be my bigger meal consisting of a carb, protein, and veg and then in the evening depends on how hungry I am feeling!
2 Hours of NO Phone Before Bed
I have just started practicing this, and although I have no problem sleeping, it really helps me to switch off and to relax. It has been shown through many studies that the blue and white light which is projected through the screens of our phones, laptops and other electronics at night prevents the hormone melatonin, which naturally tells our bodies it’s nighttime. I now often am reading good old-fashioned books in the nighttime.
1 Session of Exercise (Most Days!)
Exercise! I usually try to workout 5 times a week. This is a mixture of cardio and weight training in each session. I tend to alternate my days between upper and lower body and then will focus on different muscle groups. We often put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be ‘perfect’ in every way! Some days I do not feel like working out and that’s ok, I always listen to my body and do not force myself. This helps me to keep a positive and loving relationship with exercise.
I hope these 10 steps help you as much as they’ve helped me.
