Sometimes you just have to start. You don’t need to know what you will do. Where you will go. Just get going.

I have opened with that as this week I have sat and looked at the screen and thought, ‘I have too many ideas and don’t know what to write about!’

So here I am telling you to just get going and start.

Now it doesn’t matter what that is. Building model aircraft, painting a wall, picking up your old musical instrument, getting your tax return done. It could be anything.

I will use exercise as an example as I feel that a lot of the lessons I have learnt and passed on to those in the gym flow over to a lot of other areas of our lives. And this one is definitely one of them.

I started last week with motivation being a myth, that none of us are really ever truly motivated all the time.

A lot of the time when it comes to starting something it takes a an ‘oh shit’ or ‘fuck it’ moment. We all need something to really jerk us into reality to think, ‘I need to get my butt into gear and do something now!’

With exercising that might be a visit to the GP that prompts it. Might be some old pair of jeans or something you once wore that doesn’t fit like it should. A kids comment! We all know how kids can tell even the harshest of truths! It could be a looming deadline for something completely unrelated and you realise there are other things you also wanted to do.

But I want us to start before we hit ‘fuck it!

And again, this isn’t just about exercising or joining a gym, it is about all the things in life you may have been putting off like I mentioned before.

The exercise example, you just need to start. And that can be as simple as if you aren’t doing any right now, going for a walk. Or if you want accountability and have a dog, take it for a walk. Dogs love a walk! 

You can do a 10 min bodyweight session at home. Three sets of 10 push ups, 10 air squats, 10 crunches with one to two minutes rest between sets and you have started a resistance training program. Even if you did that same routine every second day for a month, maybe adding a rep or a set every few sessions you would be so much further along than you are now.

It doesn’t need to be complicated, drawn out, or even overly difficult, and it definitely does not have to be perfect! It just needs to be something that you aren’t doing right now. You will find motivation comes as you keep going. As things become habit and easier to accomplish.

When you start out any new endeavour please know that perfect is the enemy of good, in that anything that you do to take a step towards that new thing is good enough.

Like the exercise session I gave you earlier. It isn’t perfect, it isn’t optimal training, it won’t have you become the strongest human on the planet, but to start with, it is good enough. We can teak things later.

So just start.

I hope there is something you have been putting off doing, something that today you decide, I am doing this now! 

And.

You just start.

It is August!
And the last official month of winter!

I say official because we all know that Armidale winters can come back and bite us. Even in November with a dusting of snow! So I only say official end. It may still be around in a couple of months.

Although this winter has not been too bad when it comes to frosts and snow. A year ago we had 30cms of snow, to this year barely looking like dropping below zero so far.

But that does not change the fact that for all of us it gets tougher to get to the gym. More difficult to take the dog for a walk. Too dark to get into the backyard.

The days are still shorter this time of year, the temperature isn’t exactly swimming cossie type temps, and the comfort foods at home are so, um comforting haha.

So it is cold, dark, and sometimes a bit miserable. But you can get through the winter slump, after all plenty of people have done it over the years! It is simple, it just might not be easy.

Most things we do in life aren’t driven by logic or because it is for the best, they are driven by emotion and helping us feel better right at this moment.

Generally speaking we aren’t the best at doing something a bit uncomfortable that will help us in the long run.

Hence why the fitness industry is full of ridiculous short term quick fixes that lure you in with incredible results and promises of an incredible life in only a few short weeks.

We love a bit of instant gratification.

And health and fitness is not at all about instant gratification.

I want you to take a second today and think. Think about a time when you put something off that you know you should do because it is for the best, but it was a bit big to get stuck into right now, and the alternative was super easy to do. Comforting. Familiar. So that is what you did. 

How did you feel after that little comforting feeling was gone? Once you got to the end of the day and the thing you should have done was still there? 

You might have found it hard to sleep. You might have become anxious, irritated, annoyed at yourself.

And then once the bigger, tougher thing was done, you felt lighter? More relaxed right?

When the daylight isn’t around as long, the temp is low and we have just finished a pretty average workday it can be easy to just think ‘ah I will go home and get warm and do something at home’. Short term gain, long term pain. To be blunt, that is what that is.

Grabbing your gym bag, heading to the box and seeing everyone else and getting in an hour of good effort. The opposite.

One of the things that had me start to fall in love with CrossFit was that the session was planned for you. All you had to do was turn up. We took the hardest parts away for you. The thinking about what to do, and how to do it.

So really the excuse that you just don’t really know what to do or think about what to do is gone. All it is is turn up. We do the rest.

Now the winter thing.

It’s really cold. Well, we are indoors and have heaters.

The daylight is so short. Lights, we have lights, and we turn them on.

I just feel like I have less time right now. Your workday is the same length as it is in any other season. You only need three hours a week to make a huge difference to your health.

I’m just not motivated enough. Motivation is a myth. Habit is what drives it. None of us are ever motivated to do the hardest thing, but once we start it and see things happening, motivation comes. Motivation is seldom there initially.

Look, I know I am being a bit of a hard arse there, but I want to convey to you how flimsy most excuses are when it comes to looking after your health and wellbeing. 

Going to the gym might seem like an exercise in vanity so you think, ah other things are more important. But that is old thinking. 

The benefits of being fitter, stronger, and overall healthier are pretty well publicised and I would think pretty clear to us all. 

That is what getting to the gym is about. Being healthier. Living better for longer. 

Yes you will likely look and feel better, but it is about so much more than that. The physical health benefits are numerous. And I haven’t even touched on the mental health benefits of it.

So here is the question this week.

Is it worth it to sit at home in winter, staying in, just to avoid a few hours a week where you might do a little hard work and having your health slide backwards?

Yes, that is right slide backwards. The less you move the more you become unhealthy, being sedentary has been linked to an increased risk of premature death. I know that sounds scary and is a tad dramatic, I was just using it to highlight the risk of just hibernating in winter versus the long term benefits of getting out there and either starting or keeping on going!

Choosing to stay on the lounge because it’s a bit inconvenient, cold, or dark is an easy trap to fall into, but when you look at what’s really at stake for your physical and mental health long-term, those excuses just don’t stack up.

Look, I get it. Recognising that you’ve been letting yourself off the hook is the uncomfortable part. But taking action doesn’t mean you have to figure it all out alone nor do you have to beat yourself up about it or get cranky at those around you.

That’s literally why we are here at CFA.

If you’re feeling stuck in this winter slump and the thought of starting or starting over feels overwhelming, don’t worry about the big picture today. Just send me a quick message. Shoot me a DM or drop me a text saying ‘PLAN’.

We’ll sit down, cut through the head trash, and put together a simple, painless step-by-step plan to get you moving again. No pressure, never any judgment, just a way forward.

You don’t need motivation. You just need to take the first small step. Talk to you soon.

At this time of year you might hear the word audit and freak out a bit. Because it can be preceded by the T word, tax.

Today though I am not talking about that.

I saw a click baity post recently that said ‘If you are horny, you are healthy.’

Look there is some truth in it, but sexual desire isn’t the only thing to gauge if you are healthy or not. Hence why I reckon it was a click bait headline. Oh, and here I am using it too…haha

Have you thought lately about where you are at when it comes to being fit and healthy and what you are doing to improve those areas of your life that can in turn improve all other areas?

The Mid-Year Health Audit

The audit I want all of us to undertake right now is a health audit. Not only getting a check up at the GP and getting bloods etc checked, but sitting down and auditing where you are at right now in relation to your Movement, Eating, Sleeping, and Headspace.

Beyond the Clickbait: Spotting the Signs

So back to that click bait headline.

When we aren’t the healthiest we lose interest in things, and that desire is a good one to get people’s attention. After all, it is one of the few things that even if it is ‘enough’ we always think more is better!

But just as important to look at is a lack of interest in other things. Maybe hobbies, catching up with friends, even TV shows you love. When conducting a health audit it can help to look at a wane in interest in even some of the simplest things. Even just conversations.

Breaking Down the MESH Framework

So today, let’s look at all the things that can help us at this time of year! I will go through it in the order of MESH.

Movement

Movement. How much are you getting? Is it good movement? Do you feel invigorated after? How long does recovery take afterwards? Are you doing any?

Eating

Eating. How regular are you eating? Are you eating the rainbow? How much protein do you get? Drinking enough water? Is take away more common than not?

Sleep

Sleep. Do you feel rested after you wake up? How many hours a night unbroken are you getting? Is this ‘normal’ for you? Are you going to sleep easily? Or are you tossing and turning? Do feel like you need to nap through the day?

Headspace

Headspace. Where in your day might you feel anxious? Sad? Worried? Are you feeling increased stress in aspects of your life? Can you switch off? Or are you ruminating on things? What do you find your mind wanders to the most?

Overcoming the Winter Slump

All of this may seem a bit overwhelming. But we aren’t looking to change absolutely everything all at once. And once we ask a few of these questions it may not be that we have to change much at all, it might be a few small tweaks and you are back on track.

It is now July, winter is almost half done and usually people aren’t looking at getting into an exercise regime and they are turning to a few of those ‘comfort foods’ that we all know so well. This can be the time when it all gets packed in, the mornings are dark and cold, the evening can seem miserable. But in reality, the days are actually getting longer, the sun will rise earlier soon and the darkness won’t be as long lived.

How to Conduct Your Self-Audit

So this to me is the ideal time to grab a pen and paper, or open your notes on your phone or computer and start asking those few questions.

To make it not too overwhelming though we can take each piece and look for one thing.

Maybe that is; Movement, is it good movement? Well, it could be better. So then this week, once you can try to improve that one movement. Do one more quality rep, spend five more minutes on your walk, add half a kilo to a lift.

On that piece of paper, divide it into four, you can use columns, rows, or blocks, just whichever makes the most sense to how your mind sees things.

Then in each of them write Move, Eat, Sleep, Head.

Then in each one of those write down one thing you would like to improve in each one of those.

So it might end up with, get to the gym three times a week, eat an extra serve of veggies each weekday, listen to calming, soothing music or sounds for 10 mins before bed, do a five minute morning brain dump.

You have then done your own self audit, and put measures in place to improve yourself right away.

Let’s Build Your Plan Together

BUT, if you are left thinking you are overwhelmed still and aren’t sure where to start, send me a message. We can sit down together for 20 mins and come up with a great plan based off your audit. It doesn’t matter if you are a member here at CFA or not, I would love to help both members and non members with this.

This really is the time of year to get a solid plan in place, people that start and/or recommit to themselves in winter tend to stick to their programs a whole lot better than people that make it a new years resolution!

So, either get onto your own audit and plan now, or shoot me a message and we can get your underway right now.

Alright, let’s start today with a quick reality check. If you are currently spending more than six to twelve hours a week at the gym… you’re either training for the Olympics, or you are actively hiding from your teenagers.

And look, if it’s the second one, I get it. No judgment here. But let’s find you a slightly more healthy escape plan, hey?

If a little is good, surely more is better? Right?

Well, not always. Actually possibly not in most circumstances. After all, the dose makes the poison.

Exercise is not the exception to this rule. There is a correct dose for it, and most people are overdosing. 

For the regulars here you know that I recently turned 50, and something I noticed through my forties was that there were times where I had to do what I could in the gym just to maintain where I was at because, well life becomes more than just you when you have a family and other commitments.

Looking back to your 20’s you had no real responsibilities, you could spend hours doing almost anything you wanted if the desire was there. Problem for a lot of us the desire may not be there! Well the desire is, but it is usually around socialising, sleeping in, and generally just enjoying ourselves.

And then in our 30’s life kicks in pretty well. Families, new houses etc, clubs, job promotions. There just seems so much that happens in that period. And sometimes we forget we need to look after ourselves. So then, back to the 40s.

Now all through this we are fed a steady stream of health and fitness ‘information’ by someone telling us we have the same 24 hrs in a day, get your arse to the gym! Get there everyday! Give it your all! Sign up to my next challenge!! Spaces are limited!!!

So you think ‘Ah it seems I have to live in the gym to get anywhere.’ You either choose to do the be all and end all challenge, last a couple of weeks and pack it in, or you don’t even start at all because that is better then ‘failing’ at it.

Just because you don’t hit the gym twice a day for the next few months and end up a pile of sweating heaving mass on the ground does not mean you are failing.

In fact, if you are managing a career, forming an awesome family, getting some down time and managing to get to the gym three or five hours a week then you are absolutely thriving at this thing called life.

Actually if you are late 30’s and 40’s then getting to the gym between three and five hours a week is the sweet spot! Provided you are being efficient with it.

The old days of training like Arnie are long behind me. Look I don’t mean I was ever in any way shape or form anything like the great Schwarzenegger, but I did follow his routine for a while back in the 00’s. It was tough! Double session days, huge amounts of volume, and oooooh the food I had to eat to recover! Not to mention trying to get heaps of sleep to help as well.

As I have matured, yeah let’s go with that instead of aged, I have learnt the beauty of increasing intensity over volume and so being able to get into the gym, get a good workout in in around an hour, and then be on your way is such a good way to be when you have all the other life commitments to deal with.

All of the stresses and pressures of life can already have our stress hormones like cortisol pretty elevated. So if you throw in going to the gym twice a day and severely limiting calories then you can end up with shitty sleep, and just not recovering well enough leading to being more tired, run down and unable to hit your goals. Which just ends up wash, rinse, repeat.

Throw in an ‘end date’, ie you will do this for a six, eight, or 12 week period, then you get to have a break! And it is all set up to be a short term quick fix that just does not lend itself to being a great sustainable program to be incorporated into your already busy life.

I am going to use a car analogy again here. Those that have had much to do with me over the years know that I will use analogies, and cars are a good one because most of us have one, and most of us do routine maintenance and treat them reasonably well.

What I mean by that is most of us get them serviced, keep an eye on the oil, water, and tyre pressure. And we keep it fueled well.
We also don’t tend to designate a six, eight or twelve week period where we take our car out and a couple of times a day just redline it and drive it like we stole it! We tend to drive our car steadily, making sure not to get the revs up into the red too much, preserving it and having it last longer.

So my comparison with us as people is why would we treat our cars so very well? Regular service, decent fuel, not pushing it to its limits for short intense bursts but then turn around and treat ourselves the exact opposite.

Short ridiculous all out bursts of effort, starving for fuel, not checking in on ourselves, followed by a period of sitting around feeding ourselves crappy fuel and then returning to somewhat of a similar previous state and think ‘oh, I better get in on that short stupid intense, crazy calorie restricted program for the next little while again’

Wouldn’t it be better to train at the gym, with a cool bunch of supportive people three to five times a week, get some good fuel in, drink plenty of water, get decent sleep, and check in with yourself a bit to make sure you are still on the right track?

I know for me the answer is simple.

Train for life.
Not for a prize, not for glamour, not for status, not for the accolades.

Find the thing that you can keep doing year after year that will help you stay well, that will grow with you.

I don’t normally blow my own trumpet, it feels ick to do so.

But I need to tell you that I have had people training with me here since I started.

My first client ever, is still a member.
When we started CrossFit here in town I still have someone from then, in 2012.
We have members that are over 10 years strong, we had two recently celebrated seven and eight years, and another today six years.

All of these people are busy, really busy. Kids, careers, social obligations, running businesses, community responsibilities, clubs, study, etc and they get in, they help each other out and they stay fit and healthy.

If you are sick of doing the all out, and then nothing, and still feeling like crap, drop me a message, we can sit down and have a chat. If you feel you are just a bit stuck, same thing, let’s come up with a plan to get you back on track.

After almost 20 years I have kind of learnt a thing or two about helping people stay healthy for life, so if you want that kind of help, I am here for you.

Life can happen to you. There is no doubt of that.

Only last year there was a pretty sizable asteroid that passed so close to the Earth that its course was altered by Earth’s gravity and that asteroid wasn’t detected until it had gone past. So yeah, something like that could hit the planet and that is just stuff that happens we can’t control.

So yes, life can just happen to you.

So, do we sit around and say, ‘well what is the point of it all?’ and do nothing?

Or do we make small decisions each and every moment of our days to get us to different points?

Granted, some people will say ‘ah it is all so futile!’, and I am hazarding a guess they are in the minority.

So the majority of us go about having some form of influence over certain parts of our lives.

Each day you have choices to make. And you can make easy choices, which are sometimes the right choices. And you can make hard choices, which are almost always the right choices.

Getting up and out of bed to have a decent breakfast. Can be an easy choice, and a good one.

Hitting snooze a few times, grabbing a coffee and something from the servo on the way to work. Easy choice, probably not the best one.

Getting up, having a good breakfast, spending 10 to 15 mins thinking about your day and brain dumping all the things you need to do, taking your time to prepare, putting the important thighs in your calendar/diary like getting to the gym, taking the dog for a walk, picking the kids up from school, and then going about the day doing the hardest tasks first. Hard choice, but by far the best of the three here.

Each and every day we have decisions to make. And they may seem small, ie what to have for breakfast, but all of them you have ever made, right up to this point in time now have led you here, to where you are, either reading or listening to this.

But beyond that I want you to think where you are right now, in life, with everything, and think of the parts of it that make you happy, and the parts that make you not so.

Which parts of it can you have an influence on that make you not so happy?

Look at those parts, then make better decisions around them.

A great example is getting to the gym at your preferred time can’t happen or is a little inconvenient. So you can make the decision to not go at all (easy, and not the best) or go at a different time and get your daily workout in (not so easy, and for the best).

Plenty of us take the easy option. Yes, I have too, I have blown off the gym to go do something that wasn’t in my best interest. Usually nothing because, well, it was easier at that time.

It certainly wasn’t the best.

So what parts can you make an impact on?
How can you make an impact?
More importantly, can you make an impact with a small decision today?

Daily small decisions in the right direction are what add up to huge results.
Think about school or work. On your first day you knew NOTHING!

Then as the days go on and you have all of these small tasks and experiences you get to a point where you just know stuff. Things come easier because each and every day something small and new was introduced.

I am not saying that deciding to go the gym at a different time today will have a massive impact immediately, but if you go even when it isn’t the most convenient more often than not you future self will thank you for that.

The habit and health that come with it are incredibly invaluable. And it comes from small changes each day.

The path to doing well with your health and wellbeing isn’t exactly glamorous, it is simply a habit, a day in day out thing you do that snowballs into something that you can rely on and be proud of in the future.

Today the task is have a quick look at your daily things. Take one thing and make a better decision with it.

Go for a 10 min walk instead of doom scrolling as soon as you get home.
Go to the gym at a different time because you couldn’t make your regular time.
Choose the brown rice over the white.
Park a bit further away from the entry to the supermarket.
Pick up that book gathering dust instead of searching netflix and not finding anything. (Oh and actually read a bit of it.)
Pop your phone on the charge 30 mins before bed and away from you instead of going down rabbit holes. You won’t hit snooze four times in the morning then.
Choose the veg instead of chips when going for a counterie.

Try that one thing, then see if you can make a little streak of it.
It will all add up.