A structured health and fitness routine should be high on the priority list for us all this year.
We are seeing a big uptake of people locally and online making it a priority. This is a positive. However, many of these people are presenting with aches, pains and niggles and having trouble finding balance in their lives. The assumption is that they need to train hard. No pain no gain!
This is NOT normal. With all the uncertainty we experienced last year in addition to today’s fast paced life we are bombarded with stress from the time we wake up to the time we go to bed. Stress comes in many forms – we have nutritional stress, emotional stress, physical stress, electromagnetic stress, and mental stress. Your body does not recognise where the stress is coming from it just responds to it. Adding high intensity exercise to a body and mind that already has a high stress load often results in more niggles, aches and pains.
We are in a position to control and manage all of these things which will help with reducing the stress load, find balance and build a health and fitness routine that gets results.
Many people perceive the symptoms as normal and put them down to their current situation and a busy life.
If you are experiencing any of the following common symptoms it is a sign that your body is not coping with stress.
- Aches and pains
- Bloating
- Fatigue and poor sleep
- Trouble waking up in the morning
- Weight gain or loss
- Mental tiredness
- Not coping with stress as you used to
To help find balance with your health and fitness routine it’s important that you do the right type of activity for your mind and body.
Before you start your training check in with yourself and rate yourself on a scale of 1-10 against the seven Peak Fitness Pillars of Health and Fitness below.
1 = Feeling poor and off your game 10 = Feeling great and ready to play
If your numbers are on the low side don’t be scared to adapt your session to suit where you are at. Reducing training intensity and volume may be just what your body needs. If your numbers are on the high side get out there and follow your plan (just keep some energy in the tank for tomorrow). Once you have done this you can make a more educated call on working out or working in. In an ideal world your weekly training will include both working in and working out exercises.
Remember that working out costs your body energy. If your check in scores are low use some working in exercises to give your body an energy boost.
Working in exercises could include meditation, yoga or pilates, slow walking or mobilisation exercises.
The key things that qualify an exercise as working in are:
- The exercise and movement should be of a low enough intensity that you could perform it straight after a meal on a full
- You should be in control of your breath throughout the session without your heart rate or breathing rate
- Move in time with your breathing. Let the speed of your breath determine the speed you move.
- You should feel relaxed during the movement or
- Afterwards you should feel lighter and have an energy
Try 10-20 reps of these working in exercises and see how much better your body feels. We recommend a quiet area in bare feet
https://training.runninghotcoaching.com/videos/working-in- with-jess
If your scores are high then try 2-5 rounds of 10-20 reps (or 30- 60 seconds) of this great working out session. It will be a great addition to training.
https://training.runninghotcoaching.com/videos/working-out- with-jess
Remember the balance between working in and working out each week is the key to great performance and consistent results.
