Mind and Body Fitness by the Sparkle Coach Improving physical fitness also helps to work out your mind

WHEN IT comes to fitness we often focus on changing our body and certain ‘hang ups’ but when we adopt small changes and break old habits, we can not only transform our bodies but our lives too.

That said, our mind is like lifting a kettlebell too so we need to train it.

There are simple steps we can take to feel strong in mind, body and life, which not only encourages you to keep progressing, but also the community around you may begin to echo this positive transformation.

To start with, organise your life and routine as best as possible to incorporate a good wakeup routine that includes exercise of some sort as this will keep you feeling good throughout the day, two recovery periods of around three to five minutes’ meditation when you ask yourself “do I feel emotionally or physically tired at all?”

Then implement a rest zone at night such as switching off technology at a certain time, dim lights and begin a sleep mode.

I used to snack more and feel stressed when actually I just needed a pause of deep breathing in the day. It’s important to move too during our activity periods whether this be going for a walk outdoors, ideally we get 10k steps in a day, or you workout at home or better still in your local park.

You really can exercise anywhere and everywhere, it’s just about moving more to begin with to boost our well-being and even relieve some ailments.

Simple healthy swaps from a period of sedentary behaviours to doing something moving, can have enormous effects. It is then easy to focus on feeding our mind and body well as your gut health which impacts your mental wellbeing, not to mention the fact that eating well and as naturally sourced food as possible can boost our energy levels, help our muscles recover and prevent triggers to overeat.

I’m an advocate for mini wins such as daily goals to sustain motivation so I try to take a break after eating or never eat standing up. You could identify one unhelpful habit with food and swap that habit for eating something healthier, think addition rather than extraction.

I don’t advocate diets, instead ‘add a colourful salad’ instead of biscuits.

For me I love coffee and whilst caffeine is the number one supplement for fat loss, I drink way too much which triggers my anxiety.

So I have started to swap some cups of coffee with tea to start with.

I also make sure I drink at least two litres of water a day as it is so important to keep hydrated.

We know the importance of dental hygiene and going to the opticians, but how often do we think about our feet?

They have a huge impact on our core, posture and with simple changes or getting conditions treated by a podiatrist you can resolve some of these issues.

Don’t get me wrong, self discipline is hard at first but the rewards are felt much longer.