Category: Exercise

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Breathe and let go

I struggle with the meditative side of mind body practices. I always have done, my mind is like a pinball machine bouncing around. Never still, never quiet. But when I do take the time for that side of it, oh it’s glorious. There’s something incredibly powerful in the quiet moments of just breathing. You don’t need to make it complicated just sit close your eyes and breathe, focus on your breath aim to stay focused on the breath. Your mind will wander, thoughts will intrude. That’s ok, when it does gently lovingly bring it back. Give it try let me know how it goes

💚If you would like to work with a personal trainer in a quiet setting in Alnwick Northumberland get in touch!

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Rebellious aging

A few thoughts on rebellious aging

– Wear whatever you want. Clothes are fun they don’t have to stop being fun because your birthday cake now has enough candles to start a small house fire.
– Go grey, don’t go grey, shave your head, dye your hair purple, ignore whatever the “hair for over 40s/50s” pages say and wear it however you want.
– Keep being fearless, go where you want to, dance when you feel like it, travel, find new adventures we are NEVER too old for new adventures.
– Re-invent yourself, if it was good enough for Bowie it’s good enough for us. Take a degree, learn a new skill, take up an instrument. We live at an amazing time where we can change and learn at any time.
– Ignore anyone who tells you you’re too old for this that or the other, unless it’s soft play, we probably aren’t allowed in soft play areas for good reasons.
– Move and enjoy it, bodies love to move remember how amazing it was as a kid just to taste different shapes with your body? Find a type of movement you enjoy and indulge in the sheer sensory experience of it!
– Most of all have fun, yes there are things in life we have to do but don’t let your days become so crowded you lose all time for fun. You matter too.
– Finally be proud of your age, you have achieved so much and come so far. The last time someone called me old (as an insult) I replied “yes I’m old as f**k and that’s neither the revelation nor the insult you think it is!”

Here’s to rebellious aging! My dress reads “I didn’t wear this for you” especially for all the people who think nearly 50s/ over 50s shouldn’t wear short dresses

If you would like to work with a personal trainer in a quiet setting in Alnwick Northumberland get in touch!

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Getting moving

Firstly don’t over complicate it, find something you either enjoy or at least feel comfortable with and do that activity. Doesn’t matter what it is, if you enjoy it and it gets you moving it’s perfect.

This simple act of choosing something you enjoy is really important you can’t commit to something if you feel dread every time you have a session planned.

You might manage to force yourself to run or lift for a few months but if you hate it you’ll quit, guaranteed. Then you’ll be telling everyone you “just don’t like exercise” which isn’t true, you didn’t like that exercise.

In short stop doing xyz because you think it’s good for you, do something you actually like which can be as simple as walking a bit more.

Secondly give yourself a bit of external motivation. This can be anything from a target weight to lift, an extra few seconds off a 5k or a virtual steps challenge.

At the moment one of my external motivations is a step challenge. I’m virtually walking the Pacific Crest Trail with The Conqueror Challenges For me this has huge significance. When my daughter had cancer I read a book called Wild by Cheryl Strayed it was hugely inspirational and an idea from it became my mantra.

While walking the PCT each and every day Cheryl would get up put on her huge back pack she nicknamed “monster” and simply put one step in front of the other. This became a metaphor to me each day I’d get up and put one foot in front of the other while carrying the weight of what was happening in our lives.

Some days just keeping and getting the basics done was a struggle but I committed to every day to keep moving forward. I finished my postgraduate law conversion during the year after her cancer for me that was part of moving forwards.

Because of this to finish the PCT myself albeit virtually will be a huge achievement, quite an emotional one actually. This of course makes getting there important and motivates me to get a few extra steps in. Each of us will find a different why, but I find it really helps to have that extra why.

I personally try to avoid aesthetic or weight loss motivations as they feed into more negative feelings I have but they do work for many.

That’s it, find something you enjoy, give yourself external motivation in some form and have fun with it.

As much as I’d love to have you take up Pilates or yoga I’d be just as happy for you to take up hiking or go to any of the other wonderful classes/ gyms around and find the movement you enjoy. Just get moving 💚

If you would like to work with a personal trainer in a quiet setting in Alnwick Northumberland get in touch!