Now that the world is slowly reopening for business I guess I just want to ask that you be mindful of this situation.

Some clients have worked really consistently throughout lockdown and some not so consistently. There has been a significant increase in general activity since Lockdown 1 and this is largely because leaving home to exercise has been one of a few genuine reasons to do so.

Now, I don’t want to sound like I’m teaching anyone to suck eggs with this, but I can honestly say this with a good deal of confidence. People unfortunate enough to be on furlough throughout may be returning to work. The people who’ve trod the lockdown journey with people struggling may be set to have time allocated elsewhere, and if you’re the one that’s needed that help and support, you’re potentially looking at losing that little bit of support you’ve graciously received.

In truth, like anything else when schedules start to get busy and time gets taken up for other things the less time we have to focus on ourselves. Less time to be outside, less time walking or taking part in those activities we’d forgot about, less time to cook the quality food our body needs to sustain health. I know Mental Health is a thing people want to uphold especially in situations like we’ve all endured, but remember the way you look, the way you feel and the way your body performs is a direct result of the things you eat, the things you do to condition your body and challenge your mind and the external factors you expose yourself to good or bad. Your body just calculates the stress and puts it in a ‘Positive Stress’ pile, or a ‘Negative Stress’ pile. There is no in-between so bare this in mind.

I’m not for one minute saying don’t leave the house and mingle, or don’t go out for food and drink or even just for drinks. I’m simply saying that the ‘modern way’ that didn’t work for so many people struggling with weight loss in the first place is set to make a comeback. Be aware and identify the things that are likely to trip you up. The nights out, the restaurant dinners and social engagements are ‘Positive Stress’ in some cases, but usually come with an abundance of calories and a sore head and demotivated waining body the next day. This can sometimes knock the motivation to maintain forward progress. A missed session is never really caught up on because the time has passed by.

I’m not going to hit you with the whole ‘new you’ shizzle because a; I don’t like it personally, and b; it lasts a fraction longer than it takes to say because life comes straight back at you.

Myself, Rachel, and Guy are 100% here to help you move forward, help you maintain those good habits picked up in lockdown or pick up that routine you had previously with your workouts. If we’re not your cup of tea, talk to one of your fellow Body Planners about how they have managed in lockdown and their plans. One thing I know for sure is the help is there, always!

In our entire existence as individuals we’ve seen lots, experienced lots and all of us different things. That doesn’t change who we are it has laid the foundations and made us who we are however, the only thing that really matters now is where we go next, what we do, and how we go about it.

To summarise, be kind to yourself and don’t beat yourself up over the things you can’t change. You miss a session, so what? Don’t make it two or three, get back on that horse as soon as you can! Earn your calories, instead of intending to burn them. Pay for your ‘treats’ with exercise, whether it’s the longer walk home, that extra session a week or an extra 5 minutes on each session. Your mind and body will thank you for it and reward you with better sleep, stable and predictable mood patterns and strong immune function. Your body will be better equipped to answer every physical challenge you lay down, your mind will be better equipped to spot all of your saboteurs a mile off, and you will be achieving results you can measure!

If this pandemic has taught us anything, it is that the human race is very adaptable and that we can learn from situations, survive and grow stronger. We have realised how important our health is to enable us to the  life we want to.