Five things Jem does to stay Healthy & Sane!
Its no surprise that I consider myself fit, but its taken me a lifetime to actually consider myself healthy. The big difference here is that I don’t restrict, calorie count or view exercise as a punishment for what I’ve eaten. However, I have done all of these during my life!
I do everything from strength training to outdoor swimming to meditation and I eat everything I like in moderation. So read on to find out my 5 non-negotiable things I do weekly to stay fit, healthy & sane.
Lift Heavy
I’ve always enjoyed feeling strong, when I have muscle definition it makes me feel empowered. So lifting forms part of my weekly workout routine – I mix up my workouts based on where I am in my menstrual cycle. Sometimes ill lift heavy with low reps or opt for lighter weights higher reps. I understand the importance of this, particularly for women, as when we age it becomes harder to build lean muscle!
Take Cardio Outdoors
The benefits of being outdoors in nature have long been championed and I am most certainly am an outdoors kind of girl.
So, I always take my cardio workouts outdoors, I aim for at least 1 weekly run and opt for short distance over longer ones these days. You might also find me swimming in a nearby lake or the sea, a fear I wanted to get over in 2020!
Sleep
This is so important for me, I know I need around 7.5 – 8 hours sleep a night, otherwise I get really cranky and short tempered. I make sure I get to bed around the same time most weeknights and at weekends might push my timings back a little and lie in later.
Im a good sleeper, but I always like to read before I go to bed which always helps me doze off into dreamland.
Flexibility & Mobility
As I get older, I’ve grown to love the feeling of being flexible and mobile even more. Its such an important component for overall total health, I want to be able to bend down to tie my shoes when I’m older and I know that I if build stability, flexibility & mobility in my body now, it will support it as it matures.
For me the pace of workouts such as Pilates provides a deep mind body connection which I also relish in my weekly practice.
Understand your Cycle
This is the biggest thing that changed my health a few years ago, becoming aware of my menstrual cycle and I naturally fell into training around it.
At that point I looked for research around working out around your cycle and realised there wasn’t much out there. I have since read many a book on the subject and undertaken a course specifically on this topic with Dr Stacey Sims and I’m now really passionate about helping as many women as possible get the health benefits from living in alignment with your cycle.
Its not only good for your health, it will touch many elements of your life from helping your relationships and how you go about living.
As you will see I enjoy a diverse range of exercise, and Ill have an idea for the week ahead of when I will workout in that week.
I also enjoy a simple morning routine and quite often will start my morning with a short meditation before the rest of my household wakes up, to really set myself and my mind up for the day ahead.
Find what you enjoy, and do it.
Love
Jem
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