How We Eat, Move, and Think! Part 2

Continuing from part 1 last week on how we ‘eat, move and think’, we wanted to give you an insight into how we move.

Last week we talked about how we eat for our health and, honestly, how we sometimes have a treat. It was lovely to hear your feedback and to hear how some of you really did mix up your diet following what we talked about last week.

This week we hope to inspire you to move well. We all know movement is essential for our health, but we often call it ‘exercise’ and as such put it off or neglect it.

So, I am going to show you what we typically do on a weekly basis for our movement, and yes sometimes we cannot be bothered! But I always like to say to myself, “how will I feel after the exercise, not before…”.

Walking is our go to movement. Every day we make sure to get a walk of some sort. This could either be around the block or down a lane nearby which takes 20 minutes, or it could be a full morning out in our favourite place, the Peak District. We choose walking as it helps to get our whole body moving, but it is also great for our mental health. It really is amazing what natural beauty you see when you do step outdoors too, regardless of the time of year.

On top of that Sarah and I are keen on our keep fit and aim to include some more intense exercise, with the aim to get out heart rate elevated and sweat! This is great for the health of our heart as it creates ‘good stress’ and helps to remove toxins from the body.

Cycling and the gym are our most popular ways to do this, but as the gyms are closed right now, it is safe to say the spin bike we have borrowed in our kitchen is getting a lot of use! Generally, the spin session is 30 minutes because quite frankly, half an hour is certainly enough! We use LesMills On Demand https://www.lesmills.com/uk/ which provide some great online workouts, especially whilst gym classes have ceased, but you can also find lots of great workouts online for free.

So, what does our weeks exercise really look like?

Toms Day:

Monday: AM: Walk 60 minutes PM: Spin session or weights at the gym

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: Spin or Weights

Friday AM: Spin or gym Afternoon/evening: walk 60+mins

Saturday: Morning out walking

Sunday: Morning cycle and evening walk

Sarahs Day:

Monday: AM: Walk 60 minutes PM: HIIT workout or cycle

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: AM: Walk 60 minutes PM: HIIT or Spin

Friday: AM: HIIT or Spin, Afternoon/evening: walk 60+mins

Saturday: Morning out walking

Sunday: Morning cycle and Evening walk

This is a rough guide to what we do, but it really is as consistent as this with regards to daily movement. We find that if we don’t keep consistent, we often loose the momentum and stop our good habits. Our aim each day, is to have at least consciously moved, even if it is just a walk.

I also want to mention that it is important to listen to your body. Some days – in particular Tuesdays-Thursdays when we have a lot going on, we may skip the higher intensity exercise, and just walk or do a yoga session to allow our body to rest and recover. Just work within your range, you know your body better than anyone else and try and do something you enjoy! A spin or high intensity session may not be for you, whereas a zumba class or running may be just the thing!

I must admit, Sarah is much more disciplined than me and especially when it comes to stretching and a cool down, so be sure to spend 5 – 10 minutes after each movement block to cool down, breath, re-hydrate and stretch.

If you are unsure where to start with your exercise or would like some more accountability, we would highly recommend you check out one of the below local trainers to help:

Craig Barton: http://www.craigbartonpt.co.uk/

Esme Hall: https://www.facebook.com/Esmehallpersonaltraining

Jonny Evans: https://www.facebook.com/jonnyevansPT/

I hope you enjoy getting your body moving and look forward to hearing what you get up to!

Yours in health

Tom and Sarah