Your Health "To-Do" List
Your Health “To-Do” List
The Things To Do Today Before Starting With a Personal Trainer or Coach
At the start of each year there is an influx of people joining gyms and starting
It's a booming industry and deservedly so. Our health really should be a priority for all of us, not only to live a long life full of fun with people we love, but because we perform better at everything, including at work where we make our living.
But so often people will join a personal Trainer or a new facility expecting to have their lives turned around, only to find that they're exercising more and that's it. This isn't a bad thing of course, but the thought that you need to pay someone to shout at you for an hour to loud music, doing the same or very similar exercises over and over again is almost laughable.
Now, as a coach, I'm all for people coming to me and asking for help to get fit and healthy physically and mentally. Complete clarity, I didn't have a coach for the first 2 to 3 years of training. Of course, my results weren't as good as they could have been in that time. I made many mistakes and was injured a few times, but I also gained 20 kilograms in two years (I was trying to add muscle). So while a coach is a great way to get results, I also believe fully that you can do it yourself.
Plus, there are plenty of things you could be doing that cost little to nothing and which I 100% believe you can implement into your life successfully before even needing to see a coach. Here are a few things you can start today to help you get fitter, leaner and feeling better overall.
Movement
You should be moving most days of the week. This movement isn't simply walking to your car after work, unless you specifically parked far away to do so. There needs to be intention behind it, with the goal of moving more. (If you want to check what training I believe you should be doing and how much, check out this article here.
The training template provided in the link above covers higher level concepts around training, but you can also be doing your own thing, in your own way. For example one of my clients (and best friends) Chris skateboards, surfs, plays indoor soccer and touch football. He even rides to work sometimes. So in terms of overall movement for health, he's got it pretty covered. He just happens to also like lifting heavy things and being pretty jacked...awesome.
For you, this type of movement should be the basis. You can easily play a sport, ride a bike or go for walks without the need for a coach. Again, while a coach will help you reach your goals much faster, adding more movement into your life is a great way to start your journey towards a healthier life.
Nutrition
Nutrition is always the most difficult thing to get right, but beyond the calories, macronutrients and diets, there are some simple things we can be doing today to help us feel better and lose weight.
Firstly is protein intake. Protein is like the building blocks of our body, used heavily for the repair and maintenance of our cells. It also makes us feel satisfied when we eat it, that is, it keeps us fuller for longer. By ensuring we have a good amount of protein with each meal, we are self limiting our cravings. If you go to a coach and start training as well, you'll need to be getting enough protein in to recover adequately from the training.
Another simple thing you can add in is your 5 servings of vegetables. Yes this has been recommended for years now, and yet people still don't do it. The reason 5 servings is recommended, is to ensure you're getting the micronutrients, the vitamins and minerals, required for all of the processes within the body. Adequate vitamins and minerals means you'll feel better and have more energy. Variety is the important, especially in terms of colours, but don't stress if you don't get every colour everyday. Quality is also important, as this determines how many micronutrients you'll actually get from those vegetables.
Sleep
Sleep really is one of the simplest ways to feel more energetic, have more focus, manage stress and stay lean and healthy. As recommended by basically anyone who has ever written something about sleep, the magic hours are 7 to 9 hours. Some people can operate on less, but they are very much in a small minority.
So going to a coach when you're not consistently getting at least 7 hours of sleep, only to be told you need at least 7 hours of sleep is a waste.
The second part of the better sleep equation is the quality of sleep. This can be improved by:
limiting to screen time to 30 minutes before bed
keeping the room dark as can be
Keeping the room cool, around 18 to 19 degrees Celsius is ideal for most people
Hydration
Water is the foundation of life on Earth. It's also pretty important for humans; we're made up of up to 60% water. So it's no surprise that water is a great way to be healthy. In the human body, water helps to dissolve and transport substances, it starts chemical reactions, it lubricates our tissues, it regulates our body temperature and it provides minerals.
Along the way, we've confused "consuming liquids" with staying hydrated. Coffee, tea, energy drinks, soft drinks. They all provide some hydration, but not a lot, leaving us with a feeling of drinking a lot with out actually getting hydrated.
The simplest way to tell if you're hydrated is by your urine; if it's a pale gold colour or lighter, you're hydrated, and anything darker is starting to, or already in dehydration.
As a recommendation, drink close to 2 litres a day. Hotter days will require more. If you exercise, you'll also need more.
Sun and Nature
Fat loss is the most common goal when it comes to this whole health and fitness thing. Yet we often forget the reason we want to achieve the goal is to do with our mental health. More confidence, more clarity and focus, less anger and fear.
One of the simplest ways to improve our mood and mental health, at least in the very short term, is to get outside, see the sun, experience nature, and see some green. This is a very simple habit to bring into your life, as it can be as little as 15 minutes per day to have a positive effect. Plus the added Vitamin D will help with sleep and energy levels and your immunity.
Each of these points are a simple way to feel healthier; things you can implement today to provide you with a step change on how you feel without the need for a coach. Before you even see a coach, do these things and you'll be hitting the ground running when you're ready to bring training and more in depth nutrition and lifestyle changes into your life.
If you’ve checked off everything in the to-do list and you’re ready for more, book in for a FREE Intake Interview below to take the next step with your health.
HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL RECEIVE WHEN YOU JOIN PEAK
Access to the Fundamentals Program: Not just one session covering all you need to learn, but up to 8 sessions of programming to take you from beginner to knowledgable or to improve you current training methods.
Vision Casting Session: Beyond your normal goal setting session, this will be cover your goals AND provide you the blueprint and habits required to achieve your goals across multiple areas of life.
Free Custom Nutrition Plan: A nutrition plan not only based on your goals, but also on your current schedule and capacity, the nutrition will be designed for you.
Unlimited Access to Coaches: Access to coaches for help with training, nutrition or mindset
Access to In Depth Mobility Library: learn how to take care of your own body with a 50+ video exercise archive that will help you feel great from head to toe!
Free goodies such as shirts, books, sweat towels: look and feel the part not only with your training and nutrition, but with your accessories too!
And much more…
Simply fill out the form on the right and I’ll be in contact with you within 24 hours to discuss the best time for the interview. I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have before the interview as well.
