You Don't Need to Start Again... Just Keep Going

I've been away for 3.5 weeks.

We've travelled through different countries, explored new places, walked A LOT, eaten lovely food, had lazy mornings, busy days, travelling days, days where we've been out exploring from morning until night… and I've absolutely loved it.

But here's something I've realised.

I haven't stopped being me just because I'm on holiday.

That might sound obvious, but I think it's something we often get wrong when it comes to our health.

We tend to think in extremes. I'm "on it" or I'm "off it." I'm exercising or I'm not. I'm eating well or I'm "being bad." I'm sticking to my routine or I've completely fallen off the wagon.

And then, when normal life resumes, we tell ourselves we need to start again.

But what if there was nothing to start again?

What if your healthy habits were simply part of your life?

I don't actually want a break from movement

I love being away. I love the change of scenery, the freedom, the novelty and the opportunity to completely step away from normal routines.

But I also need movement in my life.

Not because I'm obsessed with exercise. Not because I feel guilty if I don't do it. And definitely not because I need to "burn off" what I've eaten.

I exercise because I genuinely feel better when I do.

My strength training, yoga, walking and short runs have become part of who I am.

So while I've been away, I've simply adapted. I've done short bursts of yoga in different places. I've strength trained when I've had the opportunity.

I've walked for miles exploring somewhere new. I've fitted in a short run here and there.

And some days?

I've done absolutely none of it.

Because we've been travelling all day, exploring cities, sitting on a ferry or simply enjoying a completely different kind of day.

And that's okay too.

Consistency doesn't mean doing something every single day.

Consistency means returning to the things that matter to you and adapting to make it work. I haven't done a single hour of yoga, but I've done many 5 minute stretches when I needed to and that still counts more than you think!

Your brain loves consistency

There's actually some fascinating neuroscience behind this.

When we repeat behaviours, our brains become more efficient at carrying them out. Over time, habits require less conscious decision-making because the behaviour becomes more familiar and automatic.

That's why showing up matters.

Every time you keep a commitment you've made to yourself, you're not just completing a workout.

You're reinforcing a message:

"This is something I do."

And that can be incredibly powerful.

You're building self-efficacy, the belief that you are capable of taking action and following through.

You just need repetition.

And you need to make the behaviour realistic enough that you can keep returning to it.

That's where I think we've got exercise so wrong.

If your plan requires you to spend an hour in the gym six days a week, eat perfectly and never have a busy day, it isn't a lifestyle.

It's a temporary project.

And eventually, life will get in the way.

Adapt, don't abandon

This is something I've really noticed while travelling.

My normal routine hasn't been possible.

But that doesn't mean I've abandoned it. I've adapted it. And I think that's a really important difference.

Maybe your normal workout is 30 minutes with weights but today you've only got 10 minutes.

Do 10 minutes.

Maybe you can't get to your usual class. Do something at home.

Maybe you're travelling. Walk. Stretch. Explore.

Move your body in a way that feels good.

And sometimes, you genuinely can't fit it in.

That's okay too.

A travelling day or a huge day trip doesn't need to be followed by guilt.

In fact, rest and novelty are good for your brain too.

Our brains benefit from new experiences, new environments and learning. Exploring somewhere you've never been, navigating a new place, trying something different and breaking out of your usual routine all provide stimulation and challenge.

So no, I haven't been following my normal routine for 3.5 weeks. I've been living. And that's the point.

Strength training is about so much more than your body

This is one of the reasons I'm so passionate about strength training, particularly as we move through midlife.

Yes, building and maintaining muscle helps us stay strong, capable and independent.

Yes, resistance training supports bone health.

Yes, it can help us maintain metabolic health and support body composition.

But we're also learning more about the relationship between physical activity and brain health.

Regular exercise is associated with benefits for cognitive function, mood and mental wellbeing and resistance training is increasingly recognised as an important part of an overall healthy ageing strategy.

And there's something else I think matters just as much.

How you feel when you finish. That feeling of, I'm glad I did that. The sense of achievement.

The confidence that comes from knowing your body can do something today that it couldn't do before.

Exercise interacts with a whole range of systems involved in mood and wellbeing, including neurotransmitters and other signalling pathways involved in stress, reward and brain health.

It isn't as simple as saying exercise gives you a magical "feel-good hormone."

But we do know that moving your body regularly can support how your brain and body function and how you feel.

And for me, that's the bit that matters. I don't exercise because I want to spend my life exercising.

I exercise because it makes me feel better and I know I'm building strength and resilience for the future.

This is why I created Lift4Life

I don't want women to join another programme that they throw themselves into for six weeks before life gets busy and they disappear.

I want strength training to become something you do. Something that fits around your life. Something you can look forward to.

Something that challenges you without taking over your life. Something that you can keep coming back to.

Because let's face it, we're busy!

We have work, families, relationships, holidays, weekends away, poorly children, deadlines, social lives and days when quite frankly we'd rather stay in bed.

Your exercise needs to be able to live alongside all of that.

That's exactly what I'm building with Lift4Life.

I ask for a base commitment of 2x thirty-minute strength sessions per week. Because that has been proven to make a difference!

Sessions are online via Zoom and are the recordings are always accessible, so you CAN always fit them into YOUR schedule, not mine!

A focus on getting stronger, building lean muscle, supporting bone health, balance, mobility and the things that help us remain capable as we get older.

Consistency without obsession.

I'm already seeing this happening within the Lift4Life tribe.

Women who are no longer waiting for Monday.

They're not constantly starting a new diet or searching for the next perfect workout.

They're simply doing it.

Again.

And again.

And again.

This is it.

This is part of their life now.

If you'd like to learn more about Lift4Life, hit the link and read all about it. I recommend having a chat with me if you have any concerns or queries and we can figure out if this is the plan for you!

https://www.josteelewellness.com/pages/lift4life

No tie-in. No long term commitment. The people inside Lift4Life are there because they want to be!