Guest article written by Chris Pinner, founder of Innerfit
Everyone is different.
Your goals, schedule, likes & dislikes are unique to you.
So how can you create the a healthy routine for you?
This article, organised across Innerfit’s 3 Wellbeing Pillars, is designed to help.
Context
As Abi Jones (@pacoach) explains, staying healthy can be hard! “One challenge is how to handle the guilt when you are sick and really need to be at home resting and not working, but the pressure of EA and PA support means that it is really hard to properly switch off and not respond to emails, calls and messages”, says Abi.
‘Health’ can also mean different things to different people. Abi says “For me, healthy means going to the gym every morning before work, drinking water throughout the day, trying to avoid the office donuts and cakes that appear whenever it is someone’s birthday (sometimes I succeed, sometimes fail!), and trying not to take work home with me- both mentally and physically.
Abi continues “We spend so much of our lives looking after other people’s health, wellbeing and time that the very least we can do for ourselves is schedule our own time- for our lives, loves, hobbies, and sleep!”
On that note, here are a few tips to help you create your own healthy routine:
Mindset
Motivation and forming healthy habits can be tough.
So let’s start there: what do you want to achieve?
Is it, for example:
- Fat-loss
- Tone-up
- Muscle gain
- General health
- Something else?
Once you have a direction, try and get specific. By when do you want to achieve it? What does it look like?
And, just as important, ask yourself why you want to make it happen. Your ‘deep-rooted’ why will act as a brilliant motivator down the line.
Movement
Based on your goal, you can then think about the exact type of exercise to do.
Let’s try an exercise – can you answer these questions?
F – Frequency – How many times per week do you want to exercise?
I – Intensity – How hard will you exercise when you do?
Time – How long will you exercise for?
Type – What will your training involve (e.g. cardiovascular training, resistance training, stretching & mobility)
Again, to help stay motivated, it can help to choose exercise you actually like and remember to reward yourself! Reward is a powerful motivator and can help sustain healthy habits.
Nutrition
Your goal will again influence the best decision to make when it comes to diet.
As a starter, keeping a 7-day food diary can help add some certainty on what you are actually eating.
If you want something a bit quicker, why not try writing down the 3 ‘quick wins’ you could make when it comes to food right now, for example:
Add in an extra portion of fruit
Set boundaries for eating out
Eat breakfast
Remember that food is about so much more than just fuelling your body; more than calories in and out. Whatever strategy or tactic you deploy, remember to enjoy it!
Bringing It All Together
Organisation and prioritisation are key skills as a PA. Play to your strengths and organise your week for wellbeing.
Everyone is different. Pen and pad will work for some, excel spreadsheets for others.
Whatever you go with, try to write it down somewhere and make a commitment to someone you trust.
BIO
Chris is the founder of Innerfit. Before becoming a Personal Trainer and wellbeing coach, Chris worked at a top US investment bank, Strategy Consultancy and Sports Marketing agency. Innerfit supports companies to have a positive impact on wellbeing & performance.
