Burn That Spare Tyre

This is a feature I wrote that appeared in Women's Cycling Magazine.

It explains how to get the most out of the fat burning opportunities that cycling offers and also improve your stamina and performance.

Something to think about when planning your bike rides over the next few days.

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Preparation for Peak Performance

This is a piece I wrote for Women's Running Magazine.

Primarily it's about race day nerves and how to calm them, channel any big event anxiety and use it to your advantage but the strategy really boils down to three basic elements which are integral to achieving best performance in any sporting event, business project or presentation:

• Planning
• Preparation
• Practice

Spend a little time getting these right and your event, whatever it may be, will take care of itself.

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Beat The Clock Part 5

Here's the latest edition of time saving fitness tips from our monthly series in Men's Running Magazine.

Try these tips this week - they'll help with your training and your results at work.

Tips cover:

• An emergency snack to keep your energy levels up during busy days at work
• A 20-minute workout plan for when you're really pushed for time but don't want to skip your training
• Instant exercise ideas if you can't even find 20-minutes
• A planning strategy for effective training
• A lesson from sport to help you train more efficiently
• A top tip to ensure you get the best results from your training

You can click on the page image below to read the full tips.

Read previous editions of Beat the Clock here

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Leadership Lessons From Wimbledon

Yesterday I was at Wimbledon for day 2 of the tennis.

I watched Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic and David Ferrer all pretty much cruise to victory despite each of their opponents pulling off some fantastic shots.

Even at this early stage it's an amazing experience and there's a lot to learn from the live action when it comes to what makes people successful.

Here's what all three winners had in common.

The ability to stay focused
Whenever they played a shot that didn't win a point, they moved on quickly.  They didn't dwell on any 'mistakes' but quickly took the learning from the experience and moved on to what was happening next.  By contrast, each of their opponents was clearly haunted by losing strokes for a little while after they happened.

Confidence in their skills
Although they didn't dwell on the fact that a particular shot had lost them a point or let this distract them, they were all very quick to play that same shot again as if to prove to themselves they knew how to do it right. Each time they corrected a wayward shot you could see it boost their confidence.

Know when to take things to the next level (and have the resources to do it)
They were all playing extremely well but whenever required, for crucial game or set points, they were all able to up the tempo.  And for each there were visible signs when this was happening - a more purposeful walk around the court, some breathing techniques, subtle physical gestures or a clear pause for thought.  All small indicators to themselves that it was time to take things to the next level.  Which they subsequently did.

How can we use these observations to help us work, lead and perform better?

Even in the most emotionally charged situations, we must always look and move forwards without distraction.  It's a great skill to be able to quickly assess what was supposed to happen, what actually happened and how this feedback will affect what will happen next.  We can then decide to try the same approach again with subtle improvements or we adopt a new approach altogether.  Either way we avoid dwelling on whatever didn't go as well as we'd hoped and focus instead on behaviour that will achieve the desired results.

When it comes to the need to raise our game, much depends on experience but there's also an awful lot that can be achieved with practice and preparation.  This is one area where athletes traditionally focus more attention than business people.  At work we're often too busy dealing with what's current to spend a great deal of time working on what's to come, although many people do manage to carve out the time when the stakes are higher.

Preparation is often much more considered when presenting projects to key stakeholders or public speaking than it is for departmental meetings or conference calls, but most people have powerful examples of when they spent a little extra time prepping and achieved a much better result.  So, although we don't feel we have the time to prepare, doing so can save an awful lot of time and effort further down the line.  It's a good habit to get into and some would say it can be the difference between success now or your desired results taking longer than you would like.

There's still a long way to go in this year's Wimbledon so keep your eyes on what the winners do best and think about what other aspects of successful behaviour on the tennis court can be translated into success in the workplace.

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Inspiring Wellness Success Story 16

Planning and review lead to 'weight loss and more energy.'  Exciting and lasting results achieved with the simplest of approaches.

Following on from yesterday's blog, I wanted to share a real-life example of the point I made about regularly reviewing your approach to wellness.

Attending our leadership wellness modules gave this individual the opportunity to assess their approach at the time and formulate a new plan based specifically on what they were looking to achieve.  

Very soon they began to experience positive results and by reviewing their approach regularly those results have held strong for more than a year now.

Here's the approach they took.  Nothing drastic, and nothing that anyone else wouldn't be able to copy. In fact, everyone should strive to keep their approach this simple and direct.

The date of the sessions you attended  

April/May and June/July 2012

The lifestyle changes you made during programme 

Walk more and correct my eating

The lifestyle changes you made following programme 

More activity and better food choices and portions

  

The secrets of your success with wellbeing  

Making a plan and continue to revisit it and stick to it no matter what

What advice that you received made the greatest impact on you?  

Creating a plan and listening to the nutritional advice

The biggest benefits of making your lifestyle changes? 

Weight loss and more energy

  

When wellbeing is working for you, what are the key elements that make the difference?  

Walking, more exercise and making a healthy meal plan

Read previous instalments of our wellness success stories here

Image by Flickr:  fd

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Motivation tips from triathlon: 3 clear steps to fast track wellness results

Last weekend I took part in a triathlon.  I entered the event in January when the weather was cold, wet and miserable and I had visions of crossing the finish line in mid-June after completing the course in warm, calm and pleasant conditions.  In the depths of winter this gave me something to look forward to and something specific to train for.

In reality, the weather on the day couldn’t have been more like January.  Cold, wet and miserable.  But it got me thinking.  What makes 1700 people put themselves through a rigorous training schedule throughout a miserable winter in the UK, and then force themselves through 6 hours plus of swimming, biking and running and yet still leaves them smiling?  That’s not even mentioning the 3.30am wake up call most of the field would have had to make it to the start line on time, which was testing for even those of us who love early mornings.

Where does the motivation to do all this come from?  The distances involved – 1.9km swim, 90km bike and 21km run – mean that unless you’re super fit or super crazy, you can’t just turn up on the day and give it a whirl, so much of the last 6-months would have been spent getting up early or staying up late to train, eating well, trying to sleep and recover, and all in addition to managing to fit this into a normal busy work and family routine.

Here are some observations that we’ve made over the years on where individuals find the motivation to rise to wellness challenges, whatever they may be.

Step 1 - Strong personal desire coupled with appropriate action

The reasons people take on challenges are varied but what really matters is that you need to believe in what you are doing without hesitation or reservation. 

The people I saw at the weekend were there to prove they could do the training, go the distance, get the medal, acquire bragging rights for a short period, build their confidence, push themselves to see what they are capable of mentally and physically, and wake up on Monday morning knowing they’d succeeded.  They’d set themselves a challenge and they’d done it.

They all believed that taking part and completing this event would make them happy in some way.  This quest for happiness, fulfillment, growth and development is natural but sometimes the clear link is missing between what people want to achieve and the action they take to achieve their objectives. 

An event such as this has very clear parameters – a date, a description, a start time and a finish line.  If everyone took the time to apply the same principles to the lifestyle changes they choose to take on, success rates would always be high.

Step 2 - Support and accountability

Everyone had some support.  Whether they were there with friends or colleagues who were taking part, or they had an understanding family along with them to keep them company (including many children up and about at the very early breakfast), the fact that others are involved works two ways.

Firstly, once you’ve decided on a challenge, whether it be a sporting event, a healthy eating plan or even getting to bed on time, chances are you’ll need support and assistance from those around you in making the changes necessary to complete your goal.  It’s generally quite inspiring to be around people who make commitments to improve or enhance the quality of life so others respond well and are happy to help.

Secondly, once you’ve committed to making changes to others, your commitment to yourself can grow stronger.  You don’t want to let others down and you don’t want them to think you say you’ll do things and then don’t follow through, so this accountability provides extra motivation to do what’s necessary to achieve a positive result.

Incidentally, as I write this I’ve just come out of a presentation where one of the audience reported losing 1.5 pounds a week for the last 10 weeks and said the key factor was a weekly text from a friend asking for a progress report.  Simple but very effective.

Step 3 - Regular review and a flexible approach

Healthy living choices must be directed towards positive results or what’s the point?  And you’ll only know the extent of your positive results if you stop regularly to review your progress.

Over the years we’ve worked with many people who’ve taken the time to make some lifestyle changes, and maybe even experienced some good results, but then forget to revisit what they’re doing, and why, when the results begin to wane. 

The worst-case scenario here is that people continue to follow the same routines but actually move further away from what they’re trying to achieve.  I’m thinking here particularly of food routines that result in poor energy and ineffective weight management, or exercise routines that lead to injury or stagnating fitness results.  But because these people are doing something, they’re reluctant to change their approach.

In truth, doing something isn’t relevant.  Doing the right thing is what matters and you can only know you’re doing the right thing if you regularly assess your actions and your results. 

The more regularly you engage with what you’re doing, the more accurately you can dictate the extent and the speed of your results. 

This part of the process was very evident at the very beginning of the swim on Sunday which, being positioned in wave 2 of the start I was able to witness.  I counted 3 people who were rescued within the first 200m.  I’m sure they thought they’d done everything required to get off to a good start but it often happens in this situation.  They’d trained to swim, they’d practiced swimming outdoors, in a wetsuit and in cold water, but maybe they hadn’t practiced trying to find a rhythm in open water with 850 other people fighting for space.  It’s a shock to the system and can be quite alarming. 

So, we’re always learning and we always have new information to help us modify our approach.  Even if we don't succeed completely right away, with regular review we are always refining our approach for eventual success.

The bottom line

As long as everyone remains clear on three things, the path to successful wellness is straightforward:

1) Be crystal clear on what you want to achieve, when you want to achieve it and why

2) Take regular and appropriate action

3) Review your progress and actively manage the process until you have achieved success

And if there’s one final point, it would be to think about phase two of the process.  What will you do when you’ve succeeded with the initial challenge?  The reason this is important is that knowing what you’re working towards in the long term helps increase urgency and speed of results with phase one, and will also prevent any backward steps once your initial goal is complete.  Plan ahead and keep moving forwards.

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Bike Week: 7 Good Reasons to Get on Your Bike

It's Bike Week this week, the annual event designed to help people fall in love with cycling.

Last year saw nearly half a million people take part across the UK and I'm sure this year will be just as successful - cycling is a fantastic way for individuals to get in shape and boost their energy.

Over the years many of the people we've worked with have found cycling to be the answer to their wellbeing challenges. Here are some of the most common reasons why.

It saves time
Commuting by bike (even if it's just for 1 or 2 days a week) means you can fit in a workout without eating into work time or family time.

It's social
Cycling is a great way to work out with a partner or with children.  Many people also get friends involved or join clubs or groups and make new friends.

It's easy to get started
Bikes don't need to be expensive and many people even have one lurking in the shed or garage.  All you need to do is make sure it's safe and off you go.

but...

There's lots of kit involved if you like that kind of thing
Men particularly love a sport where they can talk jargon and compare stats and specification.  But if it gets them moving when they can sometimes resist the idea, we can forgive it.

You can enjoy your surroundings
Whether you cycle in town or in the countryside, the view from a bike is different from other perspectives and certainly more stimulating than the view from the gym.

It's liberating
There's nothing like being in charge of your own travel timetable.  With a bike you can go at your own pace and arrive when you want to.  No traffic jams or delayed trains or buses.

And best of all for most people, it's fun!

Cycling allows you to exercise without thinking about exercise
This is the perfect solution for those who don't like the idea of exercise.  When they start cycling they focus more on the commute, the journey from A to B, time spent with the family or time spent with friends, before they think of the element of exercise.  This means they look forward to cycling rather than dreading activity as they may have done in the past.

So, if you've not been out on your bike recently, there's no better time than this week to get the pedals turning.  Encourage your family, friends and colleagues to do the same, and witness the enjoyment and feel-good factor spread far and wide.

Image by Flickr: tejvanphotos

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3 Leadership Lessons from the World of Rowing

As part of a leadership programme this week we took a group of executives to learn to row.

Some were excited, some were sceptical, all were hoping they wouldn't fall in.

Thankfully, no one did.

In the end, everyone loved the experience and drew some valuable insights from their time in a boat.

1. New challenges quickly bring new insights
Taking on a new challenge can be liberating.  Rowing was a fresh experience for everyone and by focusing on the opportunity to learn something new rather than resisting the unknown, they experienced a greater sense of achievement and confidence building than would ever be possible during an afternoon working on familiar aspects of their jobs.  Time well spent, everyone agreed.

2. Change is inevitable - Embrace it for success
We asked participants to take their seat in a racing boat, on a choppy river in windy conditions, and work together as a team to master a very technical sport.  They had to concentrate hard, think on their feet, adapt to ever changing conditions and communicate clearly.  All of which they did, resulting in everyone feeling suitably impressed with their ability to stay focused and pull together despite being placed in an unfamiliar and uncertain environment.  It was impressive to see people flourish so quickly in these new surroundings.

3. Focused team performance can create incredible results
The event included a team race.  Initially this idea sparked a round of 'I'm not sure I'm fit enough for that' and 'I wouldn't want to let anyone down' type responses.  Generally, a little bit of reluctance.  In fact, once they got going, everyone far exceeded their expectations and interestingly also all improved on their performance in a similar but individual part of the programme earlier in the day.

The key was undoubtedly the team element.  Supporting each other in a shared goal with mutual respect and consideration created focused individuals and slick and efficient team performance.  And a fantastically exciting race.

All in all a great experience for everyone, the benefits of which will last for years to come, as will the key learnings as they filter through respective teams back in the office.

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Messing About On The River...

Down at the river Thames today running a 'learn to lead by learning to row' session. Not as easy as some of the group had thought...

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Alcohol, Blood Pressure & Successful Strategies for Healthy Drinking

We’re often asked about alcohol.  People are usually concerned about how much is good to drink, should they abstain completely, or how many nights off alcohol they should have each week? 

There are clear government guidelines on what constitutes the recommended consumption for good health, and there has been much research done into the effects of alcohol on many areas of health, performance and sleep to name a few.

For the sake of this week’s series of blogs to coincide with Men’s Health Week, we’re looking at alcohol and it’s effects on blood pressure, primarily because we come across a lot of people with high blood pressure and alcohol can sometimes be a factor.

It’s important to point out right away thought that it’s not all bad news for drinkers as there is some evidence that moderate drinking can lower blood pressure and help you relax. 

The not so positive news however is that too much alcohol increases the tension in arteries causing blood pressure to rise.  Excessive consumption can also lead to weight gain, which in turn brings with it an increased risk of high blood pressure. 

As with much of our work, successful drinking is all about balance, so how do employees go about finding the right balance?

Many people we work with have an idea of what healthy drinking means for them but there are inherent challenges of working life that can get in the way, including:

• Work-related social events
• Business dinners (and lunches)
• Business travel

There’s also the factor that alcohol is often used as a way to unwind after a busy day or week .  This is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as you bear in mind that just because a little makes you feel good, more will not necessarily make you feel even better.

When it comes to maintaining a successful approach to drinking there are 4 simple steps to planning a strategy for balance, health and optimum blood pressure:

1. Devise a macro strategy

Most people know the consumption of alcohol that they enjoy and they also know (but often only with hindsight) when they’ve tipped the balance into the territory where they feel their alcohol consumption isn’t optimum in relation to achieving everything they’d like to during each week.  If you need to clarify the ideal consumption levels, keep notes for a couple of weeks on what you drink and when, and then make a call on how many units a week and how many alcohol free nights works best for you.

 

2. Apply a reality check

Look at your schedule – family plans, work commitments and social life – and plan your desired alcohol consumption around all of these events to ensure you can enjoy life while remaining within the limits of what works for you.

3. Develop some micro strategies

Be clear ahead of all events, social gatherings and work functions what your limits are and what your non-alcoholic choices will be.  If you plan ahead of time to have one or two drinks and then move on to sparkling water or fruit juice, then this is what will happen.  If you simply have a vague intention to moderate your intake and just hope for the best, you may not end up with the result you’re looking for.

4. Anticipate distractions

Sometimes our best intentions are waylaid by the persuasive abilities of others, so if you suspect that peer pressure or the excitement of the moment may distract you from your best intentions, be ready with mental prompt that will keep you on track.  Remind yourself that you’ve chosen your limits based on what you’ve decided, with a clear head, will give you the best result over the medium term.  Do not be distracted by what can be perceived as short-term extra pleasure. 

If you think you’ll need one, have a reason to stop drinking or not to drink in the first place that you can share with others.  Explain this to those you’re with at the beginning of the night and they’ll respect your choice for the rest of the evening.

So whatever your desired level of alcohol consumption is, even if you're aiming to avoid it completely for a given period, make your plan and review it regularly to ensure you get the right result for you and your healthy living objectives.

Image by Flickr:  isante_magazine

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Simple Strategies for Healthy Blood Pressure

There are two reasons for tackling this topic today. 

Firstly, it’s the beginning of Men’s Health Week and high blood pressure can be an issue for men in all sectors of business.  Read our blog on Men’s Health Week here.

Secondly, as we mentioned in our press release last week, we come across an awful lot of executives at all levels, male and female, who have high blood pressure.  Some already know about it and some don’t. 

So, starting today, we’ll be highlighting a few simple daily behaviours that will employees with high blood pressure bring the numbers back down to healthy levels, and will ensure that everyone else can maintain a healthy, efficient circulatory system for now and long into the future. 

Every business should ensure their people are equipped with this knowledge so they can take responsibility and make informed lifestyle choices.

We’re kicking off with simple food choices that anyone can make, that will help regulate blood pressure.

Get your 5-a-day

You’ve heard it many times and here’s just another reason to make it happen.  A calm internal environment will keep your system running smoothly and reduce the likelihood of physical stress which can in turn aggravate mental stress, both of which will increase blood pressure. 

Fruit and vegetables supply us with vitamins, minerals and nutrients that will improve the strength, immunity and efficiency of the body.  Eating plenty of fresh stuff also leaves less of an appetite for the meals and snacks that rob us of energy, increase stress and aggravate blood pressure.

And forget aiming for 5-a-day as that often means you end up with 2 or 3.  Plan for at least 8 and you’ll make sure you end up with 5 without doubt.  I’m sure that sounds like a challenge for some, but here are some suggestions of how to make it happen.

Breakfast

Porridge with bananas, blueberries & strawberries or omelette with tomato and peppers

Morning snack

Orange and walnuts or carrots, cucumber and hummus

Lunch

Wrap with turkey, spinach and peppers or fish with rocket, tomatoes, avocado and pineapple

Afternoon snack

Apple and oatcakes or banana and rice cakes

Evening meal

Chicken with noodles, onion, peppers and garlic or fish with rice and steamed broccoli and green beans

How to make it work...

Obviously, each person’s food routine needs to be appropriate for their schedule, tastes, objectives and ideas have to be practical, but following these guidelines will help keep blood pressure optimum as well as improving the chances of a productive week with high energy and great sleep.  Even the busiest of employees should be able to try some of the suggestions over the coming days.

Image by Flickr: comedy_nose

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