Sleep, food, nutrition, home, finance… there’s an app to track that! Are you systematically tracking your every step, breath, and sip, rapidly pedaling the frantic chaos of life? Or perhaps you just go with a gentle flow? But what actually boosts our health and fitness to achieve our peak in optimal time?
It all depends on your unique profile and total fitness level. If you haven’t yet mapped out your energy cycles, behavioural patterns, and bodily functions, it can be useful to observe these first whether you like apps, paper journals, drawing pictures, or taking photos to gain an insight into what your day looks like in terms of activities, consumption, mood, productivity, feelings and actions (behaviours).
I would document this diary for at least two weeks to give you an idea of what is serving your wellbeing and what is distracting us from experiencing deep health. We can also start to make small adjustments when we live more consciously.
Whilst clarity is key, reaching for brain cluttering technology to log minute data points, I find it’s more important to identify what we need to prioritise in life. Ironically by carving out tech-free time in nature is ideal to gain such clarity of how we function and feel. We forget that our human minds and bodies are the greatest natural devices flowing through the seasons of life which can be positively and negatively impacted by our mindset, environments, and natural cycles. By noticing our Circadian Rhythm (24-hour sleep-wake cycle) and for many women our menstrual cycle (Infradian Rhythm), affects our energy levels.
How you consciously track or keep motivated is down to individual circumstances too. For me, I check in via coaches, especially as a coach myself, I value the holistic support of mind mantras and rituals from Quantum Coaching, progressive muscle relaxation exercises from Lemon Tree Coaching, and the energy healing movement of Qi Gong and Reiki from Beyond Healing.
By carving some space to reflect, we can notice whether we need to move our body more to shake off some tension from our daily lives, eat or sleep well to give us more energy and/or for some people, like me, who used to live their life like a long HIIT class until burnout, where we need to focus more on our mental wellbeing.
I have experimented with every tracking device going, but before I resort to the extra stress of a gadget, for me it has become more important to become truly in tune with my mind, body, and soul first… something that is finally becoming more mainstream.
In doing so, I too have personally noticed the inflammatory effects of sugar which triggers my fatigue and brain fog, and dare I say it, caffeine too (but the latter I am still working on). It is deep health that is wealth which is why it’s important for you to identify your own needs and factors affecting your total fitness.
Read more from me https://thesparklecoach.com @TheSparkleCoach and https://mamamei.co.uk @mamameiblog
In summary, my top tips are:
Pause (to gain clarity through mindful movement).
Prioritise (make a plan of action but don’t pause anymore in taking action).
Pursue (seek guidance or support from a professional or loved one or tracking device if you prefer to do it privately)
Perform (carry out your plan and don’t forget life is in ebbs and flows, just like our energy, expect hurdles and make adaptations as you navigate this expedition!
Identify and embrace who you are… a tracker or a flow-er?
I recognise my own need to protect my emotional energy as an introvert but if you are a tracker maybe you need to preserve your brain energy?
Workout 1
Full body workout
(Resistance band and rucksack required)
1.) Banded Front squat x10-15
2.) Incline Push-ups x10-15
3.) Rucksack reverse lunges x10 (each leg)
Repeat 3-4 sets, Rest 60-90 seconds between each round.
Workout 2M
Full body workout
1.) Hand walkout push up x5-10
2.) Pulse squats x10-15
3.) Plank builder x10 (5 on each side)
Repeat as many rounds as you can in 10 minutes.
Did you Know
Total Fitness = Physical Fitness, skill-related, mental and emotional, medical fitness, nutritional fitness, and social fitness?
Mind Challenge
Are you a thinker or a feeler? An analytic tracker-type or an emotional flow type? Do you think with your head or your heart?
A thinker likes to talk about actions and feelers about emotions… challenge yourself to do the opposite!
After all, Deep Health = Six Dimensions of Wellness: emotional, occupational, physical, social, intellectual, and spiritual. Addressing all six dimensions of wellness in our lives builds a holistic sense of wellness and fulfillment.
It can also help our relationships and communication styles. Back door questions for thinkers and may need help with emojis or a flow – er may need help making a plan to take action.
Life Hack
Be more animalistic!
Morning –
Do some stretches like dogs do when they wake… or even the downward dog pose as part of a sun salutation in Yoga.
I love the downward dog into the cobra/snake stretch. Or cat to cow.
@TheSparkleCoach bit.ly/squatsandsparkles
Midday –
Do Lion Breathing
Lion Laughter Breathing
Read how-to at mamamei.co.uk
Evening –
Face yoga: Try a blowfish face or a tilted pouted (think trout pout)
@TheSparkleCoach bit.ly/squatsandsparkles