5 ways to lead a healthier lifestyle
It’s been a great journey so far with Feel Fab Mums, sharing with you what inspires me to lead a healthier lifestyle. As per my first blog, getting fit isn’t about striving for the beach body, but about making healthy choices to heal and nurture my body. Thinking about my body’s function, I do what works for me. It’s about how I FEEL not how I LOOK. We are so much more than our dress size. I look to food for medicine, fitness for mobility and strength, and breathing techniques for emotional well being.
As busy mums, with relationships, careers, families and social lives to juggle, we can’t spend all day exercising. What I’m hearing and adhering to is that the way to fit in exercise is to do little but often. Break it down and be kind to yourself. Exercise should be a small part of your day. If you turn it into a big deal, it becomes another big stick for women to beat themselves with.
The day to day juggling is exhausting. It’s not just the physical load, it’s the mental one, too. We’ve become brilliant at multitasking and never having the time to be reflective and just sit quietly. It’s for this reason I have chosen to explore mindfulness and breathing techniques.
This all leads me nicely to talk about Self-Care, not just a buzzword or social media hashtag, it’s about learning what works for you, identifying the small changes you can make which will transform the way you feel. It’s about listening to your body. It is measured in time and kindness and love to yourself.
So how’s it going? So far so good!
I used to hate running, I thought it was boring. The biggest hurdle was to get started; thank you Anna Desogus Health Coach for motivating me to continue. It began with little runs chasing the kids on bikes, running with the pup, and now I’m venturing out on my own. I get it! It clears my head and improves my mood.
I’ve tried quite a few new activities too: Basket Ball with LoveBasketballAcademy, Low Pressure Fitness with Love Your Core, personal training with Clinton Steenkamp, circuit training with PT Aaron Booth, Zumba with PT Martha Torres at The Gym Group Southfields, the Alexander Technique with Marie Perez, kettle bells with PT Emma Martin, yoga with Lighthouse Yoga and Samsara, pilates with PhysioEdge Southside tennis with Tennis4you, to name a few. I’ve also followed great health and fitness advice from the team at Lady Wimbledon.
Finding out what motivates me means I’ll stick at it and not see it as a chore, but as an act of self-care. The varied activities keep it fun and I’ve met loads of great locals who’ve inspired me along the way!
I’m also working with Aleks at Your Habit Change Coach to help me rewire my brain, so I focus less on how I look but on my relationship with food. DIETS DON’T WORK. If I want a chocolate muffin, I have one. It’s about balance, and being mindful. Eating healthily is eating the right types of nutritious food to nurture your body. Aleks provides a holistic approach to your wellbeing and guides you to making small changes to help you replace your old habits with new healthier ones.
I’ve been trying out new superfoods at Planet Organic Wandsworth and loving the recipes and nutritional advice from local nutritionist Nutrition for Life.
And finally, my ME TIME, for me that means starting the day with a few deep breaths using the Love Your Core breathing techniques, 30 minutes of brisk walking with the pup, or enjoying a coffee in peace and savouring every sip! Very, very occasionally it’s a massage at Southfields Physio, or at Thai Charms .
I’m feeling stronger, healthier and happier, which has a massive impact on the family too. So yeah, I’m feeling FAB, not all the time, but I’m getting there.
The #FeelFitFeelFab challenge
Sharing my journey has given me the motivation to commit to the changes, and over the next 5 weeks I will be committing to a series of easy and fun challenges that I’d love you to join in with and hopefully inspire you to continue.
If you take some time out of your day for yourself to nourish, strengthen and sweat, I promise you will notice the difference.
WEEK 1 — SELF-CARE
Thought I’d kick-start with this one given this week’s freezing forecast! You may just want to batten down the hatches for the week and get cosy inside wearing big cosy jumpers and soft socks. It could be getting close to nature and finding a green space, yoga, running, meditating, being mindful, breathing, a bubble bath or enjoying a glass of wine and chocolate. Anything that’s making the time to be kind to yourself.
WEEK 2 — DITCH THE CAR
Walking/running/cycling/scooting to school/work/shops, taking the stairs, getting off a bus a stop early, or if you must drive, parking some distance away and walking.
WEEK 3 — SNACK ATTACK
You don’t have to eat less to stay healthy you just need to eat smart by choosing healthy alternatives to snacks. I’ll be working with Aleks at Your Habit Change Coach for mindful tips to change my snacking habits, for sugar swap ideas and sharing healthy recipes. The key to healthy snacking is to always be prepared! Ideas and recipes welcome!
WEEK 4 — BE ACTIVE — What motivates you?
Being active or exercising becomes easier when it is something you WANT to do to meet a goal, overcome a challenge, be healthier, fitter, change body shape, live longer, reduce health risks, keep up with or inspire the kids, improve mental health, increase psychological strength….Find what motivates you & get active today *(@MyActiveYear #MyActiveYear)
WEEK 5-FIND YOUR FIT — Who motivates you?
This is about promoting and celebrating those wonderful people and local businesses who provide the inspiration, motivation and expertise to get you to reach your goals to leading a healthier lifestyle. This could be your running buddy, your family, your personal trainer, your pilates instructor, your nutritionist, your physiotherapist…..who locally do you want to give a huge shout out to?
Wherever you’re at with your own journey to a healthier lifestyle, I’d love for you to get involved.
Please like, comment, share and engage with the #FeelFitFeelFab or @FeelFabMums and I’ll share your posts to inspire and support each other.
Follow Feel Fab Mums on
#MyActiveYear
I’m so proud to support @MyActiveYear, a super initiative to inspire and motivate each other to get active this year. Please do join in.
*Whether you’re a fitness fanatic or just starting out in your journey, why not join the #MyActiveYear campaign too! @MyActiveYear, initiated by Empower Psychology, aims to support, encourage, motivate and inspire people of every ability and fitness level to be active, in any way you can, for all the physical, mood and psychological benefits. Be part of a team and follow #MyAcitveYear.
Finally, a huge thank you to each one of you reading this for all your support.
