How Flexible Are You?

Although physical flexibility is a good thing, that's not what we're talking about here - Got ya! 😉

I want to pose the question about how flexible

you are in your health routines?

(This aspect of your approach and mindset, may just allow you to create positive change with alot less stress attached. )

I am a firm believer in approaching your individual health with the LEAST possible amount of stress attached. Life is stressful. Why would we want to ADD more stress, especially when it has to do with our wellbeing? It makes ZERO sense to me. But we've all been there. We just need to re-learn how to create an enjoyable and sustainable approach to our deep health.

Flexibility in your routines will help with sustainability

The old school mindset is to;

-Create / find / be given a program or plan (be it exercise, diet, rehab etc)

-Follow it exactly as is or else "you fail"

The problem with this approach is it doesn't account for LIFE. REAL LIFE. When shit happens... then what? Having the ability to "bend, bob and weave" our way over, under and around life's obstacles, without losing our routine (or self-confidence) completely is a major game changer.

I believe a plan is good, but only for the purpose of direction. I don't believe that it is your everything anymore. The pandemic is a prime example. Lots of people (present company included) had plans blow up in their face, for reasons completely out of our control. From my perspective, those years truly taught us that we can have the best plans, programs and intentions but there is only so much within our personal control; we have to be willing and able to be flexible.

If you miss a Session/Day in your Routine...

What's the voice saying in your head? Anything here sound familiar?

"You suck!",

"Nice one, dummy",

"I blew it!" or

"I'm basically starting over now"....

If so, the first thing we have to realize is NONE OF THESE ARE TRUE. One day doesn't make or break YOU or your routine. Your health does NOT need perfectionism, it needs progress and sustainability. Think about it; If our bodies truly broke down that fast, just from missing one day, most of us would be in much worse places health wise than we are now!! We need to relax and be ready for these days to happen. Now of course, if these "missed days" are happening regularly then we're having a totally different conversation. However, that also probably means "your amazing plan" perhaps needs some tweaking (and isn't that amazing for you) 😉

Two things to help yourself:

1) Plan for missed days. You know life will happen, so plan for it. Be ready to miss a day for whatever life throws at you on any given day.

2) Prepare flexibility by incorporating it INTO your plan. This means, if you miss a day then you know you can do 'A, B or C' instead (and feel happy with having done it). For example:

-You know that if you miss a day of your weight routine, you look at your next couple days schedule before bed and put your session in your calendar so it's locked and loaded.

-You didn't sleep well the night before, so energy is low. Instead of your usual run today (which would stress your body more), you opt for a nice walk instead and do a few stretches afterwards with breathing exercises.

-You ate out last night and had some fast food with your work event. Instead of "punishing yourself", you simply work back in some of the foods that make you FEEL GOOD and have ENERGY today, while focusing on NOT beating yourself up (because the event was awesome!)

Understand that TIME and NATURE create health - Not that "one day" you missed...

Health is a lifelong process and adventure, NOT a 6-week or 6-month "start and finish" type endeavour. Understanding this, creates flexibility and reduces stress in your chosen routines. "That one day" that you missed last week ...

...will NOT erase all the good you've done the past few weeks,

...will NOT immediately drop your health into a dark hole, never to to return,

...will NOT mean you "failed".

It just means life happened one day - which means you're alive! Good on you! 👍 It's really not the end of the world... or your health.

Understand that the body knows best... We need to re-learn TRUST and LISTENING

What I've learned over the past handful of years, as my flexibility in my own health practices has evolved, is how amazing our physiology is. When you begin to re-learn to trust and listen to your body, you begin to be reminded that WE ARE a part of nature. In nature, BALANCE happens over time, and in it's own way.

This means, when you're stressed out or exhausted one day and perhaps choose to go for a walk in nature say, instead of doing a run or pushing weights around, your body will balance out in the coming days. In other words, sure you feel a bit drained / overwhelmed today, but IF YOU LISTEN to your body and provide what it needs that day rather than push it, in a day or two your body is going to feel ready, willing and able to do your regular routine (if not push a bit more!).

What's more, is that not only does this feel great on both days (rather than feeling like poo on the day you "push through it"), but you gain a sense of CONTROL and UNDERSTANDING in yourself when you realize you DID THE RIGHT THING for YOU each time.

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I am increasingly passionate about helping others find this intuitive approach to their deep health and helping people create flexiblity in their health practices, WITHOUT unnecessary stress attached. If you'd like to chat about how coaching can help you, visit our website here and book a FREE 10min discovery call with me, 'Coach D'.