Ok,  its been a yuk month. Things have gotten on top of me and I’ve found myself eating bad, drinking softdrinks, not wanting to exercise and struggling to get going in the morning. I can only blame winter for so long - so what is going on and how do I improve this?

Physical Vs Mental

When assessing health there is natural bias towards the physical. Weight, height, diet and exercise are easy to measure. Mental health, or what I like to refer to as mental fitness is much more complicated. Now, I’m no expert in this field so this is purely from personal experience, but what I have noticed is that for most people the ‘battle’ is more often won when you train the mind as well as the body.  The Biggest Loser apply a “break them down physically” first so they can get them to reveal the “true demons”.  While overdramatised, it does demonstrate that the capacity of a person to adapt and change is often much harder to train than gym sessions.

Mind over Matter

I am often puzzled at how ordinary people run marathons. This is what coaches refer to as ‘mental toughness’. There is a perception that it is a character trait we are born with but I challenge this. I think it depends on a range of things and while some people demonstrate consistently more tenacity and discipline, it is something that can be learnt. Consequently it is also something that can be lost if you don’t keep exercising it.

So what Olivia Newton John inspired mental aerobics have I got in mind?

Mind Games

Our minds are funny things, they like to be challenged and they like to have fun. Games like Sudoku, crosswords and even playstation require your brain to process information quickly and respond with an action and are often relished by your mind. These are relatively stationery but can make an interesting mental warm-up prior to going to the gym or running.

Talk, read and laugh with someone, anyone - Put the iEverything away and engage with people. Now, rather than sound like I’m 500 years old, I’m not asking you to ditch everything – but how often are you actually connecting with others. Share stories WITH them rather than posting something AT them. Stories need to be vocalised and allow interaction.

Balancing  Acts

Yoga and Meditation are wonderful ways of synchronising  your mind and body. They do this in different ways, but both challenge the limits of what your mind thinks it can do. I struggle with yoga because I spend the hour thinking about everything I need to do, or didn’t get done, then say it is useless rather than admit it is in fact me. The focus on stretching, balance and control aren’t just metaphors for life now are they!

Keep It Interesting

Every day this week I want you to go home and move a piece of furniture or a picture. Go on, just do it. Why?  Because you will be amazed at how your mind and body react to this.  People talk about routine being good – and if you are 5 weeks old - great – otherwise – the old grey matter needs some excitement. Ideally I would prefer you to do a course or try something new, but mix it up – go to a different restaurant – try the pasta instead of the steak. Don’t let your mind know the outcome before you do!  Mental fitness is very important – how you feel will drive most of your physicality – and it is my wish that you feel great. Happy Furniture moving....and remember to keep on moving (the furniture as well).