What we're talking about in this episode

Have you started a new home fitness regime or given up on exercise? If you need tips to start up or get back into exercise then look now further. This episode will showcase:

• Ther benefits of moving your body
• Practical, insightful advice to get you started
• Top tips for experienced exercise enthusiasts who who need a kick start.

With Guests:

• Adrienne Ldn - A trainer, motivational speaker and soon-to-be author. Her inspiring ethos is based around claiming back that first hour of the day to work on what you want to achieve.
• Joe Cooke - From Holland & Barrets Chelmsford store, an expert in health and fitness enthusiast.

The expert guide to fitness motivation

Want to make being active a habit? Here, Adrienne Herbert aka Adrienne LDN, trainer, motivational speaker and author of Power Hour, and Joe Cook, sports specialist for Holland & Barrett, reveal how to get yourself moving more.

“I use the word ‘movement’ as opposed to ‘fitness’ or ‘exercise’ because when you say those words, people have flashbacks of PE or cross country,” says Adrienne Herbert. “If they hated sport at school, it can be difficult later in life to make it fun. I just encourage people to move their body.” Here’s how to do just that…

Find your ‘why’

“In 2016 I ran the London marathon,” says Joe Cook. “My nan unfortunately passed away, so I decided to run it in her memory. That was my big motivation, and that has spurred a lot of people on – the ability to fundraise. People need to find something that genuinely makes them want to move.”

Think privilege, not punishment

“This year has been incredibly challenging, and it’s important to be compassionate about that,” says Herbert. “People may be looking for work, or worried about an ill parent - we all have different circumstances. I’m incredibly fortunate that I can go for a run in the morning, or jump into an online home workout, and if you’re able to do that too, sometimes just reminding yourself of that helps. Fitness is not a chore. It’s a privilege to be able to take 30 minutes to go and move your body.”

Explore your area

“I’ve fallen back in love with running during lockdown,” says Cooke. “Having that bit of time in the day where I’m not stuck indoors, I’m able to explore different parts of the area I live in. It can be a real challenge to get out of the routine of getting up, looking at your phone, going straight to your desk, then from your desk to watching TV, but it’s so important to give yourself that half an hour or an hour to have some fresh air and do something that makes you feel better.”

Start easy

“Start with something small, it could be five minutes a day,” says Herbert. “Don’t set yourself up to fail by saying ‘I’m going to run ten miles’. Set a goal you know you can achieve again and again, because if you repeat that, you start to give yourself the self-confidence, self-belief and the proof you can do it. That’s how new behaviours are formed.”

Don’t rely on feeling motivated

“You won’t feel motivated every day – I certainly don’t”, says Herbert. “So you sometimes need a tough love approach, where you say to yourself; ‘Is this important to me?’ If it is, make it a non-negotiable. You have to cultivate discipline. Feeling motivated is like magic dust, you feel it once in a while, but it doesn’t last, so you’ve got to move, with or without it.”

Reclaim an hour

“I encourage people to reclaim the first hour of their day,” says Herbert. “We give our energy, time and attention to so many things – and our hobby goes to the bottom the priority list. Drag it to the top and make it the first thing in your diary, the first hour in your day. That should have a positive impact on your mindset, your energy levels, your hormones. Ditch your tech, go phone-free and do something for yourself.”

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