by Emma G | Jun 22, 2020 | Ageing, General Health, Movement
Walking is such a great first step, he he, in improving your health. It’s convenient, you can do it from anywhere, you don’t need any specific gear or clothing and you have the available tools to start now. Walking is a natural activity, it’s a sustained aerobic exercise that is common for all of us, excluding those who are disabled or extremely frail.
The great thing about walking is you are completely in charge of the intensity, duration and frequency. “It is a year-round, readily repeatable, habit-forming activity and the main option for increasing physical activity in sedentary populations.”*
In today’s World where physical inactivity levels are rising, walking could be the solution to getting you on your feet. Unlike a lot of physical activity, there is little, if any, decline in middle age, so again its available for most of us. It is available to us all year round. It has the added benefits of increasing a person’s independence and social well-being. When I’m out walking, I smile at people I pass, stroke various dogs and look around taking note of my environment. Even though it can be a solitary activity you can still feel part of a community when walking. On other occasions I will be earphones in and listening to a podcast, this makes for great me time.
Did you know that there are indications that walking increases bone related strength? Walking is weight-bearing, it keeps the leg and trunk muscles strong and their joints flexible. Getting up, moving about and changing positions during the day helps your body stay healthy, your body likes variety, it doesn’t like being stuck in a chair all day.
Walking at low or moderate intensities is associated with cardiovascular benefits, it may help improve cholesterol profile, help control hypertension (high blood pressure) and as mentioned above, slow the process of osteoporosis by strengthening your bones. If you stick to a brisk pace it will provide enough cardiovascular training for most adults, think sweaty and heavy breathing.
Walking can help with weight loss and maintenance in a low impact way. Not all of us are built for running or high intensity exercise.
Getting outside and on your feet will help with vitamin D absorption from the sun, in winter in New Zealand I guarantee that most of us are walking around vitamin D deficient as we are not able to absorb enough from the sun.
I find going for a walk brings me a lot of inner peace, if I’m feeling troubled or a bit anxious, I get out for a walk and aim to stay present in my surroundings. I look for flowers and interesting buildings, I get out of my head and appreciate my community.
Walking helps improve your mood, eases anxiety and reduces social withdrawal. When I’ve been in my depression bouts, getting up and getting my shoes on to go for a walk, even though that was hard to do sometimes, really helped. During Covid walking really helped me, I got to find new places locally and even got lost in Westmere once.
Several clients mention that during the week they don’t have time to leave the office for a wee walk. While I understand, I do always think that you do have the time and if you put the boundaries in place people will respect them, though that’s a different topic. A good excuse for doing it is that walking promotes creative thinking. If you are stuck on something and sitting at your work desk, get up, get outside, move your body and I’m sure you will move towards the solution once you return to your desk.
All the different fitness trackers can be really motivating for some people. I always suggest getting a couple of weeks data before setting yourself targets, then increasing incrementally; keeping goals just a wee further out from your comfort zone.
Humans are made to move, most of us need to move more, and I’m talking move not exercise hard out. You can try and fit it into your day by walking to work or by trying to increase daily steps, so that it doesn’t become another thing you have to do at the end of each day.
Get yourself a walking buddy, dog, comfy shoes, clothes, a water bottle and you’re ready to go. Dress for the weather and start small. I’m going to say it, one step at a time team. Starting is the key… start today.
*Morris, J.N., Hardman, A.E. Walking to Health. Sports Med 23, 306–332 (1997). https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-199723050-00004
Rippe JM, Ward A, Porcari JP, Freedson PS. Walking for Health and Fitness. JAMA.1988;259(18):2720–2724. doi:10.1001/jama.1988.03720180046031
by Emma G | May 6, 2020 | General Health
It’s only a muffin so eat it if you want it right? I’ve been talking about eating behaviour’s a lot this week and been dealing with my own craziness around the topic ?
Food to a lot of us is a security blanket, it’s how we make ourselves feel good and can give us a moment of comfort. We are in odd and stressful times so if a muffin gives you a bit of comfort then eat the muffin.
Lockdown and isolation are hard for all of us, those of us who struggle or have struggled with disordered eating behaviours are finding it quite difficult. At home 24/7 with food, which we may have stockpiled to avoid repeated trips out. We are stressed, possibly alone or stuck with a heap of people we haven’t chosen and anxious, which is a recipe ? for these behaviours to be prevalent.
Now is a time to aim to go easy on yourself and be kind. It’s okay if certain behaviours have creeped back in. Disordered eating initially can make you feel good, happy and safe so if it’s ticking these boxes then try and accept that. We know that over time these behaviours are not ideal, though right now they may be serving their purpose. Disordered eating and eating disorders are a coping mechanism, yes there are better ones, though in this moment if they are looking after you in a way, then acceptance may be the way to go.
Be conscious around your behaviours, observe yourself and reflect. Being aware of why you are behaving in a certain way is a starting point to making changes and improving, implementing or eliminating said behaviours at an appropriate time. Now maybe not the right time for most people. Change takes energy and brain space; do you have any spare to make changes right now?
Other ways we can show ourselves some self care
- Include things in your day that you enjoy, I know this sounds obvious, though its often overlooked.
- Self-massage
- Listening to music or podcasts and watching programmes
- Yoga
- Have a bath
- Getting outside in nature, in bush or at the beach if these are available to you at present
- Take some time for yourself
- Try and think about the present and be in the now
- Aim to not compare or consume “media” that causes negative thoughts and feelings. Delete, unfollow, unsubscribe
- Move your body in a way that feels good to you each and every day
My message is to try observe yourself and your behaviours. Accept them and reflect on them, try and understand why you behave in a certain way. With this information you can look into ways to reduce, eliminate or change, remembering it’s a process and it takes time team.
Be (try) kind to yourselves ?
by Emma G | Sep 20, 2019 | Clients
This years survey results are in, I like to send out a yearly survey to my clients as all feedback is good feedback and I am constantly striving to improve what I do so I can support more people.
Everyone who received a survey request completed the survey which is fantastic.
- 81% of people would recommend me with the other 19% being passive
- 100% people very satisfied or satisfied
- People describe me as reliable, high quality and useful.
Key quotes from the team
“Keep doing what you are doing!”
“Very personalised, takes time to get to know you. Lots of encouragement and sessions tailored to you individually.”
“Emma supports you step by step and this is much appreciated.”
“Supports older adult’s fitness”
“Tailored workout program, goal setting each week for eating or movement, Emma checks in with you before the session to make sure you have no areas of concern (anything painful) before embarking on your exercise, checks on energy levels and how you are.”
“makes you feel good about yourself even on shitty days when you don’t meet your goal”
Thanks everyone for taking the time to complete, means a lot to me, all your feedback is greatly appreciated.
by Emma G | Feb 18, 2019 | General Health
Does the word make you roll your eyes or do you have a current practise? There are different ways you can meditate, experiment and see what works for you. Even if it’s simply sitting somewhere quiet and focusing on your breathing. No hippy pants required I promise.
Meditation can reduce (negative) stress, improve sleep, improve relationships and increase focus.
“The quality of the breath is not only related to the length of our lives, but is intimately connected to the mental and emotional states as can be seen by how the breath changes with different states of mind.”
Swami Karma Karuna
Tools
Headspace – both free and subscription resources
Buddhify – subscription resources
1 Giant Mind – both free and subscription resources
Calm – both free and subscription resources
There is an abundance of You Tube channels for guided and unguided meditations.
Check out local mindfulness/meditation classes in your area, there will be several to choose from.
“If you are quiet enough, you will hear the flow of the universe. You will feel its rhythm. Go with this flow. Happiness lies ahead. Meditation is key.”
Buddha
Lying down somewhere and focusing on doing a set of 10 diaphragmatic (abdominal/belly) breaths is a good way to start looking at how you breathe. This type of breathing also slows the heartbeat and can lower/stabilise blood pressure.
One tool I use is my acupressure mat and pillow, focusing on my breathing with my hand on my tummy. I also like lying on my bed with my feet up against the wall focusing on my breath and trying not to attach myself to the many thoughts that whirl through my mind.
Meditation for you could be walking the dogs and remaining totally present, watching a sunset or listening to your favourite music. You can do it anytime of the day, start with as little as 3 mins and then increase from there. Think of it as a time out to focus on your breath and be present.
Its totally okay to take this time for yourself, happy meditating team!
by Emma G | Feb 18, 2019 | Ageing
An inevitable part of life, though one we can manage and aim to move through with strength, mobility and quality health.
Nutrition
The 80/20 rule is a sensible way of looking at the way you eat. Consume highly nutritious foods 80% of the time and those less nutritious foods that you love 20% of the time. There is really no need to go on crazy diets, aim to eat moderately and include a little bit of indulgence along the way. Find what works for you.
Say if you have 3 meals and 2 snacks every day, that would leave 7 of the eating choices, a mix of snacks and meals, for that week for foods that you enjoy though aren’t quite as nutritious. Not bad right?
Movement
There are so many benefits of movement, it lowers risk of many diseases, alleviates depression/anxiety and slows down ageing. Movement connects you with others, it’s fun, energises us, improves posture and increases confidence. Aim to try new exercises, set new challenges and find ways you like to move.
Play and laugh
Have fun, laugh, be silly, climb trees, roll in the grass, whatever activity that makes you feel good. Many activities that make us laugh are connected with moving our body. A positive outlook on life comes with a plethora of health benefits.
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”
Stuart Brown, MD
Sleep
Achieving sleep is not easy for all of us, though aim to prioritise your sleep where you can. If it proves too much of a challenge to get enough sleep at night, you could try micro naps or “meditation” throughout the day. Meditation comes in many forms, so find what works for you.
“Sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health each day — Mother Nature’s best effort yet at contra-death.”
Matthew Walker, Why We Sleep
Move, laugh, eat and sleep! Doesn’t sound too challenging when put like that!
