At the end of a week that has seen glorious sunshine, proper snow and Leonard getting back on a bike after all these years (The Archers....what could possibly go wrong),  I ask  "How was it for you?"

I am going to challenge you now and ask you - why do you exercise? This isn't a test or a trick but is a genuine question that I ask you to ask yourself. There is no right or wrong reply but I think sometimes it helps to dig a little deeper and connect with that inner voice that first sent you to participate in whatever your choice of exercise is.

There is a popular belief that we often start exercise to change the way we look but we keep exercising because of the way it makes us FEEL.

Maybe you love how exercise makes you feel and always have. Perhaps you come because your friend does and you enjoy sharing that with her. Maybe it is the only time away from all the chaos of life and you enjoy your "me time". Possibly you know that this is an essential part of your life to help you be the best version of you.

Do you come to classes because "you feel you ought to"? That is fine and a perfectly common reply but I would push a little further and ask why you feel you ought to? Is it your health? your weight? advice from a medical professional or friend or because everyone else does it so you think you should? This is one of the most common reasons for lacing up the trainers or un rolling your mat but if you can scrape off a few more layers, perhaps you will find you get so much more out of it by asking yourself why YOU think you should be turning up. Get to know your own personal reasons and you are far more likely to stay with it.

How was it for you? Next time you finish your class or walk or run, take a minute to think about that - how do you feel? What has it done for you?

One of my many favourite client lightbulb moments has been when, after I have taken the trouble to prescribe specific exercise/stretch/mobility moves the individual comes back and says "You know that exercise program you gave me? do you know what? I think it has actually helped" and this is always said with some element of surprise and always amuses me as though I too, will be amazed.

As we slide towards a time of year that is busy, often stressful and hectic and possibly a little overwhelming; a time when we may feel pulled in many different directions or that we are struggling to meet expectations of others but often of our own doing, our exercise time can SO EASILY be sacrificed for "more important" tasks because "there isn't time".

So I ask you again - why do you exercise?  If it is to help manage your achey joints, feel stronger, feel calmer in mind and spirit, to give you time to respect and value you own needs, to manage your weight, to have time out from everything else, to manage your mental health, to keep up your energy levels, to meet up with friends and have the social benefits, to keep some semblance of routine and structure, to build strength and tone, to feel great..... why o why o why would this be the thing you sacrifice when it is most needed?

I KNOW how busy it all gets but I also know (believe me, do I know!!) how quickly one skipped class becomes a week becomes pushed into the corner becomes the elephant in the room sometime in January... Who doesn't want to celebrate with good food and drink and parties?

 Of course this is par for the course and quite rightly so.... and I am not here to nag and preach, but to make some suggestions as to how we can make some subtle adjustments so that the last 11.5 months of turning up, working out, feeling great does not vanish in a puff of smoke up the chimney with the last echoes of Ho Ho Ho!

Rich food, alcohol, delicious snacks, late nights - FABULOUS! However if unchecked can lead to inflammation (achey joints), overloaded liver (poor sleep), weight gain (just... big sigh) so let's consider some simple steps to keep our exercise where it belongs - as part of our lifestyle and not a fad or a quick fix. That way we are so much more likely to keep it in our lives. 

I talked last week about motivation and the need to just keep turning up.

(Doing your exercise when you are totally lacking motivation is a huge win as that shows you that it is indeed a well formed lifestyle habit so well done! )

Don't worry about a full hour or sticking to 4 x a week. Be realistic. 15 mins with some weights or on the mat is done and dusted before the mince pies are ready to come out of the oven. A brisk walk is great to share with family (or escape them!) while someone else empties the dishwasher.

 By the time everyone has agreed on which Christmas movie to watch, you could have knocked out 10 squats, 10 lunges, 10 shoulder presses, 10 bicep curls and 5 roll downs. Set the alarm just 15 mins earlier for a quick fix before the day starts?

Totally exhausted at teatime? Can you find a quiet space for just 10 minutes for some deep breathing and stretching. You are not letting yourself down by not doing a weights or Pilates class. You are winning by still making time for you and what you need and getting on your mat.

It doesn't have to be about how much you work out  but that you continue to show up for you and just check in. Move, breathe, stretch,

psst - you have The Snack bar for some support and Clare and I are planning some Stocking Fillers too... watch this space. We are here for you!!

It makes such a difference if you know WHY you do it. Many years ago, I had picked my daughters up from school and needed some milk. I pulled up on Lymington High Street and parked outside Tesco (this was over 20 years ago!!) and said to my girls aged then around 8 and 6  "Just wait in the car. There is no need for you to come.  I am literally going to run in, turn round and run straight back out again" to which my youngest became helpless with laughter - "what a funny thing to do Mummy - why are you going to do that?".... a very fair point!