Before I launch into the importance of morning routine:
My 8 Week Kickstart Programme is starting NEXT MONDAY (18th Jan). Click here to find out more and sign up! It’s on offer for the next 48 hours – just £99 for the 8 weeks. That’s £1.75 a day for workouts, recipes, articles, progress tracking and support from me in a closed Facebook group. Less than a cup of coffee!
BEATING LOCKDOWN LETHARGY – STEP ONE: MORNING ROUTINE
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Morning routine is EVERYTHING!
Get your day off to a calm, stress free, healthy start and you’re so much likely to carry on in that way.
At the moment there are less time restrictions – even if you’re working and homeschooling, you won’t be commuting anywhere. Use this extra time wisely:
1. Ease into the day
- As soon as you get out of bed, make it! It’s so easy but it’ll give you a quick win and draws a line under sleep. It’s like saying ‘right, I’m ready for the day!’
- Before you go for an instant hit of caffeine, try starting the day with a hot water and lemon. It’s such a good way to rehydrate and wake up your body. Plus it helps flush through your system and get things moving.
- If you can take your drink outside for a burst of fresh air, even better. Take a few moments to breathe deep and look around you. Listen to the birds, look at the sky, go barefoot in the grass (don’t get frostbite). Be mindful and be present.
2. Move your body
Don’t aim to do anything ambitious. If you’ve never done exercise first thing, I can guarantee that trying to get up an hour early to do a full on workout, won’t happen. And it’ll make you feel like you’ve failed before the day has started.
Instead, think small. Even just a little stretch as you get out of the bed will help wake up your body and mind.
During Back to Basics and Kickstart, I set wake up workouts each day to try as part of the morning routine. If you fancy joining us, sign up to Kickstart starting on Monday. Little and often is the way forward.
3. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper
In terms of weight loss, it doesn’t actually matter how/ when you eat your meals…it’s all about calorie intake.
HOWEVER I actually think there’s a LOT of sense in this old saying.
Why?
- When you wake up, your body has just fasted for around 10-12 hours. This is beneficial because it allows your body to do all the housekeeping jobs overnight necessary to stay balanced. Your digestive system gets a well earned rest. But it makes sense that once your awake your body needs an injection of energy to get going again.
- If you are nice and ‘regular’, you will probably have a bowel movement in the morning. This is ideal. As your body clears out waste from previous day, it’s empty and ready to be filled with goodness for today.
- Start the day with a lovely healthy meal and it WILL encourage you to keep it up. Skip breakfast or rush and you’ll feel on the back foot all day. Make time for it.
- Many clients tell me that they just don’t feel hungry for breakfast. If this describes you, it’s because your body has got used to not eating until later. It effectively stays in overnight mode and conserves energy until you do eat. This means you stay in ‘go slow’ mode. Which isn’t great for energy and focus. Wake your body up by giving it some fuel! Your body likes routine so although it might be hard to eat to begin with, persevere for a week or so and suddenly you’ll be waking up hungry!
- Plus, the chances are although you’ve skipped a meal (and are probably thinking that you’ve saved on calories), you’ll be super hungry later in the day and overeat because of it. There’s also the mindset where you convince yourself that because you didn’t eat breakfast, it’s fine to eat a bit more later or have that treat. = too many calories without even realising.
So start the day well, eat breakfast and your body will thank-you for it.
4. Have a hot shower and get dressed!
If you’re at home, it’s so tempting to stay in your Pj’s but try to get showered and dressed.
A hot shower is a lovely way to wake up and ease your muscles...
…if you’re feeling brave though, try turning the temp to cold for a few seconds (or as long as you can take). Cold water is sooo good for your body and mind. Cold water swimming has been used as a treatment for depression…a blast in the cold shower isn’t quite as good but it’ll still leave you feeling invigorated and upbeat. Try it!
And when you get dressed, pick something you feel good in. Take a bit of effort with hair and maybe go the whole hog and pop on some make-up. If it makes you feel good, it’s worth it.
Each day, aim to do the same morning routine. Rinse and repeat until it become habit. Then, once you’ve got your morning off to the best start, take those feelings into the rest of your day.
KICKSTART SALE!!!
If you’ve been struggling over the last couple of weeks with Lockdown lethargy and general January blues, then make the decision to do something positive for your health today:
You get so much for your money and with my help, you’ll be able to create a routine that works with you and fits in with your life:
- 5 workouts a week. No equipment required. 2 bootcamps via video, 1 cardio session and 1 interval training session via podcast, 1 stretch and relax via video. They get slowly harder and longer as you progress through the 8 weeks
- Over 50 recipes to try – all family friendly, quick and easy
- Food diary to fill out each day
- Progress tracker to make sure you reach your goals
- Closed facebook group with LOTS of support from me 🙂
- Weekly emails to check in and keep you motivated
ALL FOR £99 IF YOU SIGN UP IN THE NEXT 48 HOURS!