You Haven’t 'Ruined It All' Over Summer…

Feeling a little bloated? A little sluggish? Out of your usual routine?

Draw a line under August. You don't need to “make up” for anything, simply getting back into a normal routine works.

You do not need to starve yourself to compensate for the holiday treats.

You do not need to survive on salads and vegetables.

And you absolutely do not need to start beasting yourself in the gym every day.

You just need to get back on track.

Start with the basics.

1. 😴 Get your sleep back.
Aim for roughly the same bedtime and wake-up time each day. Get outside into daylight in the morning to help reset your body clock. Get your mornings right and you're more likely to sleep well at night.

2. 💧 Hydrate.
More wine, salty food, less fruit and veg and let's not forget the intense heat we've had, can all affect hydration. During midlife, your body can sometimes be particularly good at holding onto fluid. Drink plenty of water and give your body a chance to settle.

3. 🍦 Notice the incognito treats.
The extra latte. The ice cream. The cake on a day out with the kids.

I'm not saying don't have them. I've absolutely been enjoying all the eating, drinking and fun that comes with summer too!

Food is part of life. Enjoying it matters.

But we need to know when to bring it back.

4. 🏋️ Get moving again.
Staying in an exercise routine can be challenging when your usual routine changes. Holidays, days out, visitors, lazy mornings, that's life.

Don't panic about what you haven't done.

You don't need to squeeze in all the workouts you missed or suddenly exercise every day to make up for it.

Just pick up where you left off. (If you're thinking about starting... keep reading ⬇️⬇️⬇️)

Think 80/20.

Aim to make the choices that support your health around 80% of the time and give yourself permission to relax a little for the other 20%.

Maybe that's your Saturday afternoon and evening. Maybe it's a meal out with friends.

You don't have to deprive yourself.

In fact, feeling like you can't have something can make you want it even more.

But if you're thinking about your health, your strength, your body composition and staying strong, healthy and independent as you get older, I'm afraid there is no magic wand.

You do have to work for it.

But there is a huge difference between working for your health and punishing yourself.

Beating yourself up when things slip won't help. It just creates more stress and makes getting back on track harder. I'm sure we've all had that feeling of continually starting over. Maybe it's the September overhaul or the endless New Year resolutions.

So draw the line and look forwards. No regrets.

But have you considered this... what if there was no need to start over again?

Why?

Because you build a fitness regime that is manageable and sustainable, whatever else is happening in your life.

And when it doesn't feel like such a slog or an 'all or nothing' battle with yourself, you might actually find you enjoy it.

You might actually find you enjoy exercising 😧 because you start to feel better, you notice changes in your energy levels, you notice the shifts in your body, your mood improves and yes.... you look good!

If you're looking for a realistic way to get back into a routine, Lift4Life could be your fresh start.

Your final fresh start!

Just 2 x 30-minute strength workouts a week designed to fit into real life.

Because getting stronger doesn't need to take over your life.

You just need to start.

Take a look 👀 https://www.josteelewellness.com/pages/lift4life

If you want to take a look at my FREE exercise guide to fat loss: https://www.josteelewellness.com/pages/best5