Category Physical

“I’ve got soooooooooooo much going on…. I just don’t have the time to exercise.”

We’re all guilty of saying that, right?

We all know our bodies were designed to move. We’ve seen how our couch potato life style is killing us.

Research has shown exercise is the wonder treatment for weight loss – yet we still struggle to ‘find time’ to do it, even the NEAT way.

So what’s a busy girl to do?

We’re all busy in this day and age.

If we’re not dashing to work, we’re juggling children, ageing parents, school runs, committees, voluntary work, homework, housework….we’re so busy rushing to ‘get there, get it done’, that we’re constantly, vaguely stressed.

Rush rush rush

Bizarrely, it’s like ‘being busy’ is the new badge of honour in today’s society. It’s how we ‘keep up with the Joneses’.

Somewhere along the line ‘being oh so busy’ means that we’re alive, important and special!

“I don’t have time…”

But have you noticed how victum-y and passive it sounds when you say, “I don’t have time.”

Before the words even leave your lips you can feel how finger-pointy and pitiful it sounds. It’s the kind of thing a petulant three-year-old says – NOT the gorgeous woman that you are.

Here’s the thing, sweetheart

We often say “I don’t have time” when we don’t want to feel guilty about skipping something that we now deep down is important, but we kinda just don’t really want to do.

e.g.

If we “don’t have enough time to exercise”, it’s easier for us to be okay with wheezing after a flight of stairs.

If we “don’t have enough time to prepare healthy meals”, it’s easier to accept our next unhealthy meal from the pizza delivery boy.

Own your 24 hours

If you find yourself saying “I don’t have enough time”, it’s time to get real honest with yourself.

The one great leveller in life is that we all have 24 hours in a day. Every single one of us. It’s up to us what we do with them.

What are you doing with yours?

Watching telly? Sleeping? Working?

Do you need to drop an episode of Coronation Street or the Kardashians? Do you need to put yourself first, and actually leave the office at a reasonable hour?

All the while you’re claiming “I don’t have time” you’re literally giving away your power to do anything about it. It’s a very, very weak energy to send out into the world.

You already know about the power of language. Here’s another cool language trick to help you take control of your time.

Four little words

Starting right now, you’re no longer allowed to utter the words: “I don’t have time.”

Instead, you will be honest and say, “It’s not a priority.”

Saying “It’s not a priority” is honest and brave. Initially it might feel unfamiliar – that’s OK.

The gift is that those four words lift the fog of denial. It helps you own your own time. Suddenly you’re back in control – you’re reclaiming your power.

See how quickly your perspective shifts when you look at the time challenge this way:

“I’d love to exercise before work, I just don’t have time” becomes “exercising isn’t a priority.”

“I’d love to eat healthier, but I don’t have time to cook” becomes “eating healthy isn’t a priority.”

Suddenly, the lack of time excuse becomes an incredibly weak argument.

Stings a bit, huh?

And that’s a good thing. Sometimes we need that feeling of discomfort before we create change.

Releasing your excuses around time requires courage and honesty – but it is simple.

It’s only by getting honest with yourself that you can start finding pockets of time in your day. You are in control, you already have permission to do whatever you want to do…you’ve just forgotten this truth.

Using this one simple language tool will help you spot where you’ve been tricking yourself into feeling powerless.

You got this, sweetheart.

Love etc, Avril

PS: As a good friend of mine says, “If you think exercising is a waste of time ……. just see how much time being sick wastes.”

PPS: If you think you need help to re-write your excuses around time, exercise and putting your health first, hypnotherapy can help. C’mon over, let’s create the time together….

Are you worried about the amount of sugar your child eats?

Do you feel concerned at the quantity of sodas and ‘energy’ drinks your little one consumes?

There was a time, when sodas and chocolate-sprinkled treats were eaten at birthday parties or special gatherings like Christmas.

Can you recall the old days when sugary foods were considered an ‘occasional’ food, not an everyday food?

Over the years, the amount of sugar children eat has increased dramatically. Now, it seems that everything is sweetened with sugar, from cereal to yoghurt.

Many, many mums I see share their concern and despair at how much sugar junior is eating.

It seems that nothing they do – no amount of nagging, restricting sugary foods in the lunch box, or even threats of dentist visits – seem to reduce the passion for the sweet stuff.

Maybe you’re there right now. What’s a mum to do?

As a weight loss hypnotherapist, what I do is help many of these concerned mums kick their own sugar habit. Here’s a story I share with them….

A woman came to see Mahatma Gandhi, waiting in line for more than half a day with her son at her side in order to have an audience with him. When at last it was their turn to speak to him, the woman said,

“Mahatma, please. Tell my son he must stop eating sugar. It is ruining his health, his teeth, it affects his mood. Every time he has it, I see the change in him and there is nothing I can do to stop him from eating it, and then eating more. He’s a good boy, but when it comes to sugar, he becomes a liar and a thief and a cheat and I’m afraid it will ruin his life. Please, Gandhiji, tell him to stop.”

Gandhi looked at the boy for the longest time as he cowered there, trying to hide in his mother’s sari. Finally, Gandhi broke the silence and said,

“Come back to me in two weeks time.”

Two weeks later the woman returned with her child and once again waited in line for hours before finally it was again their turn to see the Master.

“Mahatma,” said the mother. “We have returned. We came to you for help with this boy and eating sugar and you asked us to come back after two weeks.”

“Yes, of course I remember,” said the master. “Come here, child.” He motioned the boy forward.

The boy, at the urging and prodding of his mother, disentangled himself from her sari and stepped up to the Mahatma who reached out, putting his hands on the boy’s shoulders and pulling him in close. He looked the boy squarely in the eye and said, firmly,

“Don’t eat sugar,” then released him.

“That’s it?” said the mother. “That’s all you’re going to say?” She was flabbergasted. “Why didn’t you just tell him that two weeks ago?”

“Because,” replied Gandhi, “Two weeks ago I was still eating sugar.”

Ouch.

Sorry if that stings a bit.

While it might seem that our children don’t listen to what we say because they’re busy goofing off, growing up, being a kid – they do watch everything you (and dad) do.

E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.

So next time you ask them to “leave that chocolate alone”, ask yourself “What example am I setting?”

Love etc, Avril

PS: Giving up sugar can be hard – it’s so ingrained in our culture now. If you know that you need a helping hand to let go of your own sugar addiction so you can lead by example for your family, c’mon over, drop me a line…

What’s the # 1 reason why you’re not currently your happy weight?

Deep down, really deep down, you already know the answer.

You also know what you need to do about it … because … you are the expert on you.

Less talk. More action.

Now, go and do one thing that’ll move you closer to your happy weight.

Tomorrow, do it again.

That’s it.

Now.

Off you pop.

Go liberate your inner awesome-ness.

Love etc, Avril

PS: We all need a helping hand from time to time. Sometimes being the expert on you is realising your limits. If it’s dawning on you that being your happy weight is something you need help with, c’mon over. Because when your head is sorted, the number on the scale takes care of itself.

Most of us grew up with this notion:

“If your heart rate isn’t elevated for at least 30 minutes, it doesn’t count as exercise.”

The problem is, many of us can’t stand the idea of 30 sweaty minutes of anything aerobic. Or at least, we don’t do it regularly enough to have any measurable impact on our health and weight.

For some people the very idea of getting pink-cheeked and sweaty is enough to make them feel exhausted, and retreat to the TV.

If “not in a million years” springs to mind at the thought of exercise, you’re going to love today’s post.

NEAT-o

There’s a growing body of evidence that suggests that even short bouts of low- intensity physical activity can have substantial health benefits.

It’s called Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.

Or NEAT.

It’s a concept that’s been proposed by Dr James Levine, who defines it as:

“The energy expenditure of all physical activities other than volitional sporting-like exercise.”

Basically, NEAT includes activities such as walking your kids to school, strolling to work, dancing, taking the stairs, hanging out the washing, folding laundry, cooking and gardening.

Or, a day in the life of our grandparents before we got all technological, and became very, very sedentary.

Is NEAT really exercise though?

I can understand why you might feel sceptical that activities like gardening or cooking could have a measurable impact on health. After all, those things aren’t ‘exercise’, right?

Fortunately, turns out that our bodies don’t care whether those activities are ‘exercise’ or not.

Levine’s work shows that NEAT burns an average of 330 calories per day, with some people burning up to 1000. That’s a lot of calories in anyone’s book.

Even more important than calories burned though, is the fact that increasing your NEAT reduces sedentary time, itself a strong predictor of both death and disease.

The beauty of NEAT

The beauty of NEAT is that the activities quickly add up and take little extra effort. There’s no need to purchase new gym kit or go near a treadmill. Simply by changing your focus to moving your body more, and being less sedentary.

Unsurprisingly, Levine’s research shows that overweight people perform drastically less NEAT and are much more sedentary than their happy weight counterparts.

So, how can you add more NEAT to your day? Luckily, it’s pretty easy.

5 easy tips for getting NEAT

Go ‘old fashioned’ with household chores

Give the dishwasher a day off, skip the car wash, ditch the leaf blower and use a basket at the grocers. Hang your washing on the line, give the ride-on mower alternate weeks off and push the mower instead. Cook from scratch more, and eat ready-to-eat / takeaways less.

You can see that none of these tasks are big in isolation. But when you do your chores the way granny did – instead of using technological ‘advances’ – they add up. And while you’re moving, you’re not sedentary.

Take the stairs

This one’s obvious. But how often do you take the elevator up or down a single floor? Cut it out! The elevator doesn’t save time, and it deprives you of NEAT.

Nobody says you have to walk all 20 flights. Get out on the 18th and walk the last two floors. Every day nudge the number up.

Quit driving everywhere

As a nation we’ve become obsessed with driving: to the shops, to the office, to the gym. Instead walk or bike to work, or whenever you’re performing errands. If that’s not an option, take public transport, which means you’ll have a short walk at both ends of the trip.

If you absolutely have to drive, park away from the door and walk the last bit. It might only add five minutes of walking to your day, but that’s five minutes of NEAT you wouldn’t otherwise get.

Have another cuppa

This sounds weird, but part of my own NEAT strategy is to drink green tea. A lot. When you’re constantly sipping fluids, you’ll need to pee. Often. That’s a five minute stroll every hour, right there.

Why not crank it up and use a bathroom in another part of your building? And take the stairs. It’s easy to forget to take a short break every hour, but it’s impossible to forget to go pee.

Take a lunchtime stroll

If you’re one of the lucky ones who has a daily lunch break, why not use it for a short walk? A ten minute walk, every day, (even every other day) adds up. And you’ll feel a million times better than if you spent your whole break sitting at your computer.

I get that not all of these examples will be applicable to everyone, all of the time.

And clearly, nobody’s saying that you’ll get marathon-fit or you’ll be the Biggest Loser, with NEAT alone. That would require some exercise, darling.

However, I trust this post has helped you see that with small conscious changes you can improve your health and burn calories simply by moving your body and decreasing your sedentary time. Go on – your body will love you for it.

Non-sedentary love etc, Avril

PS: If you’re sitting there reading these words thinking, “I knooooooooooow all of this, I just don’t do it!”, feel free to drop me a line. Hypnosis can help you do the doing that you know you need to do to lose weight.

Our sedentary lifestyle is causing as many deaths as smoking, a recent study suggests.

The report, published in the Lancet to coincide with the Olympics, estimates that one out of three adults fails to do the recommended dose of 150-minutes physical activity per week.

In the UK, USA, Australia and NZ, we’re especially sedentary with two out of three adults falling short.

The study claims our couch potato lifestyle is now so dire it should be treated as a pandemic.

Trouble is ….We all know we should move more and sit less.

We just don’t do it.

So, how does one incorporate the recommended dose of physical activity?

Here are six strategies for transforming your hit-and-miss exercise regime into a (mostly) daily habit.

i. Find activities you love.

If you think physical activity is limited to sweating-it-out on at the gym or pounding the pavement, you’ll benefit from being more creative.

Aim for discovering a variety of activities you enjoy so there’s always something you can do regardless of weather or time of day.

Look about you – there’s plenty to choose from. Be one with nature: walk your woofer, garden vigorously, mow your lawn.

If you feel unsafe out-and-about in your neighbourhood, stay indoors, turn up your stereo and dance your butt off.

Do whatever (yup, whatever) gets your heart pumping.

ii. Make it a priority.

Your activity time (30 minutes x 5 times per week = 150 minutes) must become non-negotiable.

If you don’t make this your intention, there’ll always be something that’ll rob you of your time.

Another way to look at it is – if you don’t make time for health, you’ll need to take time to be unwell.

Ouch.

You don’t need to be an Olympic athlete. Taking time to exercise your body is basic body care.

Another advantage to making activity time non-negotiable is that friends, family and colleagues see it’s part of your identity, and will support you. When you treat it as non-negotiable, so will they.

iii. Do it even when especially when you’re “too tired.”

We’ve all been there.You’ve had a long day, you’re hungry and tired, and you don’t feel like exercising today.

That’s exactly when you DO need to exercise.

Put your kit on, quit analysing how you feel, and JFDI.

When the exercise-induced euphoria kicks in, you’ll be pleased you did.

As a marathon runner, there are times when I “don’t feel like it” too. Often the hardest kilometre is getting out the front door.

But I’m always pleased I did. ALWAYS.

iv. Get a buddy

If you find getting off the couch difficult, commit to another person.

Adding the social aspect to exercising can really boost your commitment to the exercise habit.

“I’ll let myself off the hook, but if I’ve agreed to walk with a friend after work, I’ll never let them down,” as one former couch potato puts it.

v. Start small

Attempting to walk 20 kilometres on your first outing is a great way to scare yourself back to the couch.

For the first couple of weeks, take tiddler steps by exercising below your capacity. This way it’ll feel easy (we humans love easy!) and the habit will build on it’s own momentum.

If you haven’t exercised for awhile, walking 10 minutes, three times per day will give you your 30 minutes. Do that five times per week, et voila, you have your 150 minutes.

vi. Bribe yourself

Do you tell yourself that once you can zip your jeans without lying on the bed, that’ll be reward enough?

Not very inspiring, is it?!

Nothing makes changing our behaviours easier than bribery. You might buy yourself a specific album after you stick to your fitness plan for a month, or buy new shoes when you achieve 5,000 steps a day.

Do whatever works for you.

So there you go. Six strategies for leveraging yourself off the couch and into the habits of a healthier, energised, inspired new you.

Start today and you’ll be on Day 7 of your programme by the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics. Just imagine!

Love etc, Avril