Health and Wellness Tips From an Ex-Trainer
I was just a happy 20 year old that was the go-to person in school, with family and friends, that LOVED fitness and threw herself into it.
Not realizing I would become a personal trainer, then fitness instructor, health coach and now learning to enjoy health and wellness again on my own over the last 10 years after burnout.
So with that and my hundreds of hours coaching people in different fitness classes, there are 3 things that became my go-to phrases and have helped my clients grow and challenge themselves. Myself included.
You’ll find a million and one tips everywhere contradicting themselves if you look long enough. But with these 3 things, it puts you in control, brings you back to yourself and helps you decide no matter what you read as the “next best thing to lose weight”, what YOU want health to look like long-term.
I’m all about long-term health here, and I break it down a bit as to why and how in my previous blog The Best Workout For Weight Loss.
But moving forward, let’s keep things simple, and Hey Hi Hello! I’m Jessie, your coach for today, and let’s dive into this!
The less you think about it, the more it makes sense
Stay out of your head
Don’t forget to breathe
The Less You Think About It, The More It Makes Sense
Would you believe I said this in every class at least once? During a more complex movement or routine?
Let me explain.
When you’re learning something new, you really want to understand and get it right. Sometimes that results in more hesitant movement, and other times that’s by ignoring all cues and just going for it. So we go for the middle ground.
You take it slow to get the general movement and feel down, then it’s repetition and perfecting.
The point of this is to learn to trust your body. Most of our days we aren’t moving much or in a way that isn’t the best for our bodies long term. So when it comes to fitness and classes, that’s the time to really challenge and heal your body. And in the process, you’re becoming more attune to it.
We consume so much information every day, especially when you’re wanting to learn and better understand something. But sometimes to a point of forgoing all your own personal trust and knowledge in yourself and your body.
Brown rice is healthier for you, until you realize you can’t digest it well and it bloats you up. But that’s healthy right?
8 hours of sleep is ideal until you wake up in the morning more exhausted than when you got 6 hours of sleep.
Running is the best form of cardio until your knees give out from previous injuries and you remember you don’t even like running.
Sometimes, certain things work great for someone, while not working at all for others.
The less you think about it, the more it makes sense, puts you back in control of yourself. It’s allowing you to tune in and trust how your body is feeling and responding.
Is that always right? Sometimes it just needs a little tweak, or could point out a bigger concern that needs to be focused on.
Example? When one of my clients was brand new to lifting, their back rounded when picking weights up, so we adjusted and trained her to better protect her already hurting back and strengthen her core all around to support her.
Getting support shows you what you didn’t know before. Training and moving forward teaches you what to look for to keep feeling good and be aware of what might need to be addressed further.
Stay Out Of Your Head
This one goes along with my first point, but in a different sense.
I don’t know about you, but fitness and training can be very therapeutic. Times are tough in general, but throw personal struggles and hardships in and it seems like the world is literally falling apart.
And fitness, among the benefits for your physical body and feel-good hormones, gives you an outlet in your day.
Staying out of your head though, is making sure you aren’t getting stuck in the negative as you move and do something good for yourself.
I’ve cried and had panic attacks in the gym before because I allowed my negative thoughts and fears to come in. Causing my elevated heart rate from a physical activity to completely take over and consume me in that moment.
And being a coach, you can sense when someone is struggling and on the edge. The reminder to stay out of your head brings you back from completely losing it, and readjust to focus and channel that energy and emotion to the work you’re doing.
For example, I was about to help a client adjust a minor hand placement when boxing and saw literal tears about to fall. Instead I told her she’s ok, focus on the bag and just channel that energy.
Instead of continuing to fall in the sadness, she channeled it and felt a lot better after class. Rather than me that sat in the corner of my gym trying to calm my breathing after my panic attack.
Don’t let the negative voices take control. Channel those big feelings and make them work for you. Give yourself the positive self talk you need to know you’re ok, you can do this and things will get better.
Don’t Forget To Breathe
To tie all of this together, breathe. Like in the above example, your breath can make or break a panic attack, a solid workout or a stressful situation.
Of course you’re breathing, you always are. But quick short breaths cause your body to feel under attack. And with a negative mindset or spiraling fear, it will make things so much worse.
This too is caught with certain people in class.
They’re working hard and getting a little sloppy with their movements. They seem off and their body language makes it seem like they’re elsewhere. They’ve completely shut off their brain and need to be present again.
A focused breath brings you back to your body and what’s going on in the present moment. And no matter who my client was or even for myself, the 5-5-7 breath helped so much in calming down and refocusing.
In case you haven’t heard of this, 5-5-7 breath is a 5 second inhale, 5 second hold and then 7 second exhale at least 5 times.
Just like with short quick breaths putting your body under stress, especially in the wrong mindset, slow and controlled breaths force your body to calm down. Because when you’re breathing slowly and controlled, there’s no stress for it to fear. This is how you normally breathe when not under stress. So this breathing technique forces your body to get into a very calming state.
This may not be the health and wellness tips you were expecting, but that’s how I coach. I take what it is you’re looking for and wanting to do, and give you the information and steps you ACTUALLY need to achieve those goals long term.
It’s not with more recipes to save to your Pinterest account, it’s not more workout ideas to save on Instagram, it’s not more tracking devices to take up space on your phone, and it’s not hours long workouts, fasted cardio, restricting food groups, forcing work and only taking time off once you’ve burned yourself out and been given “permission” by whatever new deity you’ve chosen to dictate your wealth as a person.
You’ve done and are doing enough.
A healthy life will take a lifetime to do, so might as well get comfy and learn to enjoy the process and changes that happen throughout that lifetime.
And it’s time you look for a balanced and flexible approach to your health.
If that’s you, then you’re in the right place!
If you’ve made it this far and want some workout routine ideas because your mind can’t think of anything right now, I’ve got a few available right now, including 20+ of my group fitness class workouts. You can check them all out in my Shop.
You’re doing great by searching for something different. And I’m so glad you’re working to find it!
