'Infobesity' & Your Wellbeing Objectives

I read an interesting article on information overload yesterday in HR Magazine.

Although I have my reservations about the term 'infobesity', its definitely true that too much information can be a huge distraction and even a stressor when it comes to the ability of individuals to achieve their wellbeing goals.

When we sit down with people at work and ask them what they'd really like to achieve with their wellness, the replies are usually pretty straightforward and the responses usually come pretty quickly because the objectives have been lurking around for a while.  Lurking but often not fulfilled.

In many cases, despite the fact that the objectives are simple, the route to success can become clouded by too much information and too many options on how to achieve wellness goals, whether the goals be to lose weight, increase energy, get fitter, sleep better or balance life in a more satisfactory manner.

A search on Amazon.com for 'fitness' books yields over 200,000 results. Search 'diet' for a further 80,000+ results and 'stress' gives you another 42,000+ results.  And all this pales into insignificance when you think about all the daily articles, blogs, tweets and updates we're exposed to.  You get the picture - finding the right approach can be confusing.

So rather than continually reacting to incoming information, consider a more methodical approach to how you achieve your wellbeing goals.  Don't worry about following the latest diet plan or workout routine but instead develop your own schedule for success based on carefully considered planning combined with regular trial and error.  Designing your bespoke wellbeing plan in this way will work far better and for a lot longer as you can see by reading our recent blog detailing 3 Essential Rules to Maximise Wellbeing.

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12 Top Tips to be a Better Trail Runner

The popularity of running away from the hustle and bustle of towns or cities is booming but if you fancy a change of workout scenery, make sure you're prepared.  

Hitting the trails to run strengthens and tones the hard-to-work muscles that aren't always tested on smoother ground.

In this article I wrote for Women's Running Magazine, I make suggestions on how beginners can build a trail runner's body to cope with the demands.

Top tips covered:

• Hill training
• Strength training
• Activate your core
• Drills
• Improve your posture
• Flexibility
• Agility
• Circuit training
• Skipping
• Speed play
• Stability
• The importance of regular training

 

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3 Essential Rules to Maximise Executive Wellness

Last weekend I delivered a presentation to an audience of Alumni at London Business School.

We covered the headlines of how to fit in exercise, eat for energy, sleep well and balance your life, and everyone left with an individual plan to help them take their health, wellbeing and energy to the next level.

A few things cropped up during the session that I thought would be worth sharing.  The group was diverse - a range of ages, nationalities and all working for a variety of businesses - but the common thread between them all is that they are successful, busy and focused on high performance.

There were three things we concluded are imperative to successful wellbeing within a busy professional schedule:

1. Wellbeing has to be a priority
If it isn't, other things get in the way and there's a danger that a few days of allowing wellbeing to be a lower priority can turn into weeks, months or even years of performing well but always suspecting you could perform better or progress faster in every area of work and life.  We all have nagging thoughts that we could look after ourselves better - the secret is to act on these thoughts quickly and consistently.

2. Wellbeing has to be personal
It might require a little effort but the right wellbeing plan for you needs to be directed towards your specific objectives with exercise, healthy eating and life balance, and it needs to fit into your routine.  Regardless of what job you do, hours you work, travel schedule you follow or how many children you have, it is vital to design your ideal wellbeing schedule that fits in with all of these parameters.  Don't fight the life you've created and use it as a reason not to take care of yourself - revise your plan until it works for you.

3. Wellbeing has to be regular
Related to the other two points, you must take regular action towards optimising your wellbeing and you must also review your progress regularly.  A few minutes each day and every week to plan your lifestyle choices in relation to what you're trying to achieve with these choices will help you stay on track with consistent, positive action.  Putting your wellbeing objectives into context with the rest of your life is a guaranteed way to keep you motivated.  For example, eating well, taking regular exercise and prioritising quality sleep will all help you perform more effectively, experience better energy, balance your work and family life better and ultimately allow you to enjoy everything you do fully. With that thought in mind there are more good reasons to stay on track with your wellbeing than there are to let it slide.

So follow the thoughts of some of the current business leaders around the world and make sure you prioritise these three areas at all times.

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A Lunchtime Workout to Boost Fitness and Energy Levels

For some busy runners, lunchtime is the only time to train.

If this is you, try our latest training plan featured in Women's Running Magazine but, be warned, it's tough.  Which means it's also effective.  Not only will you boost your fitness but this workout is a great way to break up your day, process what's happened throughout the morning and energise yourself for the afternoon ahead.

Remember to get well hydrated beforehand and refuel soon after you've finished the workout.

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Fast-Track Wellbeing Results with Senior Management Buy-In

When wellbeing messages are trumpeted from the top of an organisation, the effect of positive role models, consistent communication and enthusiastic support is invaluable in helping people throughout the business understand how their individual, personal health and wellbeing is important, valued and a priority.

Take some recent feedback below that we received following one of our wellbeing workshops.  With this positive attitude driving the organisation forward, it's easy to see how a wide audience can be engaged, motivated and inspired to get involved.  

Indeed, these sentiments are a major part of creating the culture that many businesses strive for which is one where people welcome the opportunities offered to them by their company to take better care of themselves, resulting in enthusiastic opting in to a variety of initiatives.  People in these organisations actively want to get involved rather than feeling as though they should get involved.

The best wellbeing programmes should always be much more about the carrot than the stick which is why it's great for us to hear comments like this...

'Thank you again for your very informative Health, Wellness and Personal Performance presentation last week for our 60+ members of staff. 

It's extremely important in our high-paced, energetic working environment to maintain a healthy work / life balance and understand how the type of work we do (with the traveling, late nights and international expectations) can effect our overall wellbeing. 

Everyone on the team has made 3 commitments that they are working towards over the next few weeks, with the goal of integrating these new practices into their long-term routines - I hear people chatting about their commitments in the kitchen or commenting on their lunch choice for the day in relation to their goals. 

Clearly, the points raised in your presentation really have stuck with everyone and we look forward to your follow up in a few weeks time. We'd like to have you back to share this presentation with the other areas of the business as well.'

Photo by Andrew E. Larsen on Flickr.com

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3 Fast Fitness Workouts: Ideal for the Weekend

Finally the sun has come out in London so I thought we'd put together some quick and easy fresh air fitness ideas for everyone who's planning to get outside and get in shape this weekend - wherever you may be.

These three workout options are all very simple and require minimal kit.  They're also extremely time-efficient so there's no excuse for not fitting them into your weekend.

Workout 1
For those who like running
Kit required: Just yourself

• Walk / run to your local park
• Run for 5-minutes
• Sprint for 30-seconds
• Squats x 20
• Lunges x 20
• Run for 5-minutes
• Sprint for 30-seconds
• Squat jumps x 20
• Wide leg squats x 20
• Run for 5-minutes
• Run as fast as you can maintain for 1-minute
• Run at an easy pace for 3-minutes
• Run as fast as you can maintain for 1-minute
• Run at an easy pace for 3-minutes
• Run / walk home

Workout 2
For those who don't like running
Kit required: Skipping Rope, Park Bench, Exercise or Play area with Pull Up Bar

• Walk to your local park 
• Skip x 50
• Bench dips x 15
• Lunges with foot on the bench x 15
• Skip x 75
• Press ups on the bench x 15
• Squats x 15
• Skip x 100
• Short rest
• Skip x 100
• Short rest
• Skip x 100
• Press ups on the bench x 15
• Pull ups x 15
• Skip x 100
• Walk home

Workout 3
For those who are really pushed for time
Kit required: Resistance Band

• Run to your local park
• Run as fast as you can maintain for 3-minutes
• Squat jumps x 15
• Press ups x 15
• Lunge jumps x 15
• Shoulder raises with the band x 15
• Run as fast as you can maintain for 3-minutes
• Walking lunges x 20
• Bicep curls with the band x 15
• Wide leg squats x 15
• Triceps extensions with the band x 15
• Run as fast as you can maintain for 3-minutes
• Run home

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Simple Health & Wellbeing Changes That Last a Lifetime

This weekend we begin working with a new group attending a leadership programme we've been part of for many years now.

While looking through some of the wellness success stories from previous participants on the programme I was reminded of a particular Senior Executive who we met in 2007 and have kept in touch with ever since.  

You can read his full review of how he achieved great results here and I wanted to draw specific attention to the simple approach he employed that has enabled him to still be experiencing positive benefits every day thanks to changes he highlighted almost 7 years ago.

'I am a morning person so I rise early and exercise at least 30 mins every day without exception, the minute I start making exceptions is the moment that making exceptions becomes easier and eventually the norm. I am also early to bed, you have to have this balanced if you rise early otherwise sleep deprivation catches up to you. Find out how much sleep you need to perform well and make sure that you get it nightly w/as few exceptions as possible.'

You can read our series of wellness success stories starting here.

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5 Quick and Easy Snack Ideas for Boosting Energy

Since we sent out our new fact sheet on Time-Saving Healthy Eating Tips for Busy Professionals we've had quite a few requests asking for suggestions for meals and snacks.

So we thought we'd begin with these five easy snack ideas.

1. Two/three pieces of fresh fruit with a couple of spoonfuls of low fat, low sugar yoghurt and a sprinkling of seeds.  The protein in the seeds and the yoghurt will slow the energy release of the fruit keeping your energy levels up for longer.

2. Chopped peppers with hummus

All you need is one bag of mixed peppers and one pot of hummus.  The variety of colours of the peppers will give you a blend of vitamins and anti-oxidants.  The hummus will provide some protein to ensure the energy form this snack lasts for longer.

3. Rice cakes with nut butter

Choose cashew nut butter or almond butter rather than peanut butter to ensure you’ve got a lower sugar protein based snack that will keep you full and focused.  Add a piece of fruit or two for extra vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

4. Dr Karg’s classic 3 seed crackers www.drkarg.co.uk and a banana, apple or orange.  Tasty, nutritious, and you won’t believe how filling these crackers are.  Stock up online or get moving to the nearest supermarket or health food shop.

5. Stock your fridge at home with spinach leaves, avocadoes and sweet red peppers.  Stock your office desk with walnuts, a bag of mixed nuts and seeds and a small bottle of Olive Oil.  As you leave for work, put some spinach leaves, an avocado, and a pepper into a Tupperware.  When you’re hungry, chop the pepper and the avocado, throw them in with the spinach leaves, sprinkle on the nuts and seeds and some Olive Oil.  Serve with a side order of walnuts.

Happy snacking!

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