MyBod Holistic Health

Wanting to address movement issues that are holding you back? 🤸‍♀️🧘

Want to improve your health, energy and happiness and you don't know where to start? 🏃‍♀️🚴‍♀️🏋️‍♂️

Let me help.

There’s 3️⃣ ways you can work with me:

1️⃣ From the end of August I have space coming up in my diary for TWO (2) new regular in-person clients.

Not only can we get to the core of what motivates you and address movement and mobility - we can also take a more holistic approach to health to address:
✅Sleep quality
✅Inflammation
✅Stress or adrenal dysfunction
✅Underlying infections
✅Poor gut or liver function
✅Hormone imbalance
✅Over exercise or under eating

DM or email me [email protected] for a free health audit to see if this is for you. 📩

Once these spaces are filled I'll be closing the books again! 😳

If you want a 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 option to get going on your movement journey, you're sick of the standard squat, lunges and burpees, and you want to move differently using only bodyweight and improve your mobility, balance and strength in the process, I have TWO options for you:

2️⃣a pre-recorded series of 12 bodyweight workouts that you can work through in your own time delivered to your inbox – DM or email me [email protected] for more details.

3️⃣Mybod In Motion LIVE online bodyweight training - join the Group on Zoom Tuesdays and Thursdays 6am and we'll workout together. Yup. I'll do it with you. Next intake starts 10 September. DM or email me [email protected] to join the waitlist.

It turns out that physical movement is not only good for our body, it's also shown to play a big part in improving brain health and cognitive function - ie it helps us think better.🤓🧠💡🤯

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to reorganize, adapt, and grow by forming new neural connections throughout life and it's heavily influenced by our behaviours and experiences.

Among these behaviours, physical activity has proven to be a powerful tool in promoting brain health and enhancing cognitive capabilities.

When we exercise and move, we stimulate the release of neurochemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF, especially, plays an important role promoting the growth of new neurons and strengthening existing connections.

So if you want to think better, get moving

My client HG said this this week:

“My back has never felt so good!

I’m so happy with the results from what we’ve been doing.

I’ve always had a bad back from around 16. It was at its worst after I did the Coast to Coast and I eventually had to have surgery.

While that resolved the shooting pain down my leg, I still experienced an 8/10 in terms of general back pain.

But over the time we’ve been working together this last year, I reckon it’s down to a 3/10 and I’m confident there’s more improvements to come!”

It’s great to see consistency paying off and recognition that the journey continues

Here's something I found interesting today:

A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that exercise can reduce women’s risk of early death by up to 24%, while men who exercised for the same amount of time only reduced their risk by 15%.

'“There are so many busy women who just have a lot on their plate. They are caretaker of the household, maybe have a job outside of the household, maybe have kids, and are really, really busy. This study lets them off the hook,” said the study’s senior author, Susan Cheng, director of the Institute for Research on Healthy Aging at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles. “You don’t have to feel guilty about not exercising three to five times a week because it turns out you can actually do less.”

Cheng and her colleagues found that women who engaged in 140 minutes of weekly physical activity reduced their risk of early death by 18%, while men had to do 300 minutes -- more than double -- to experience the same 18% risk reduction, compared to people who were less physically active.'

Women Get More Health Benefits From Exercise Than Men Women who spend the same amount of time on a treadmill, playing pickleball or just taking a brisk walk derive more lifesaving benefits from the exercise than men, according to a large new study

Starting next week!

MyBod In Motion Live online bodyweight training.

You can join me from the comfort of your own home, no equipment needed and we'll focus on improving strength, mobility and balance. I'll be doing it with you, so I know exactly how it feels.

This is designed for busy professionals to fit movement into your day first thing.

It's designed to help you move better and easier through your day AND to complement your existing routines - mobility and mutidirectional strength work to improve your gym squats, lunges, push, pull, lifts, and twists. Movement at all angles for more agile bodies that can perform better at your chosen activities.

Doors close Sunday 28th July 12noon, join me here:

Unlock Effortless Movement with MyBod In Motion - MyBod LIVE online bodyweight group training designed for busy professionals like you who want more from their workouts. We start 30 July 2024!

Are you someone who exercises regularly, maybe doing group fitness classes or weights, and while you’re fit and strong, lately, it feels like some everyday movements aren’t as effortless as they used to be?

Like…. You remember it being easier to put on your shoes and do up your laces, get up and down from the floor, or maybe you’re feeling a bit stiff in your back and hips after sitting for a while?

Or, you’ve been exercising the same way for a while but now you’re getting a little bored and you want to try something different?

Mybod In Motion, my LIVE online bodyweight group training programme is your ticket to a new level of ease and vitality.

Designed for busy professionals like you who want more from their workouts - we start next week 30 July - 5 September and you can join me here:
https://www.mybod.co.nz/unlock-effortless-movement-with-mybod-in-motion/

What is Animal Flow?
Here's Mike Fitch - Animal Flow Creator to tell us all about it.

https://youtu.be/7Hc8PtTShws?si=C4uiKT-y_Rd_8cKA

If you want to know more - get in touch!

What Is Animal Flow? Soooooo what IS Animal Flow? While we’ve spent over 13 years answering that question, this video says it all perfectly in 2 1/2 minutes.PS. We suggest watchi...

Getting to the gym in the morning is hard at this time of year - it's dark and cold, you're wondering if you'll get your favourite car park close to the gym, or if someone's beaten you to your favourite spot in the group fit class.

You've been going to classes for a while now and you've hit a plateau... everything seems... the same....

That's why I came up with MyBod in Motion LIVE online bodyweight group training:

- its designed for busy professionals like you who want more from their workouts.
- to give you back time and make it easier for you in the mornings.
- to show you can get a great workout, and move differently without needing anything extra - just you and your commitment to be your best.

The next intake starts 30 July so join me here:

Unlock Effortless Movement with MyBod In Motion - MyBod LIVE online bodyweight group training designed for busy professionals like you who want more from their workouts. We start 30 July 2024!

"A growing body of research continues to demonstrate that going barefoot or wearing minimalist shoes can help to restore foot strength, increase muscle size, and improve gait:

In a 2021 study in Nature, participants wearing minimalist footwear increased their foot strength by an average of 57.4 percent over six months.

The study also showed improved balance and a reduced risk of falls. Going barefoot is especially crucial for children, says Galahad Clark, seventh-generation cobbler and founder of minimalist footwear brand Vivobarefoot, as this period is when foot strike is established. "

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/why-walking-barefoot-can-actually-help-your-feet

Vivobarefoot minimialist shoes are 20% off at https://www.solemechanics.com.au with my code MYBOD15 until 31 July!

Why walking barefoot can actually help your feet Recent studies highlight the advantages of going barefoot and minimalist footwear, but experts advise a gradual transition to avoid injuries.

My new Vivos arrived!

OK, I might have got the kids size 🤣(they go up to 38!) but you can get 15% off all Vivos with my code MYBOD15 at https://www.solemechanics.com.au AND you can book in for a FREE online fitting on their website!

A QUESTION FOR WOMEN - or more specifically, MUMS - how do you get your exercise or movement in each week?

"When you ask people 'why don't you do more physical activity', the most common reason is they don't have enough time," says Lyndall Strazdins from Australian National University.

"Half of the world are insufficiently active, and within that group there is the consistent gender gap which widens over time."

That gap is particularly profound in heterosexual couples with kids, Professor Strazdins' research published in 2022 found.

"Juggling the priorities of caring responsibilities, the home, work — carving out that time [to exercise] is really tricky."

Professor Strazdins says women have less leisure time, and it's also the quality of that time that is an issue.

Men 'borrowing' free time from women is driving the gender exercise gap As family demands increase, women's physical activity becomes more limited, but the same doesn't happen for men.

Looking for easy to use tools for home use to improve movement/wellness/recovery?

I’m placing an order next week so if you want to get your hands of any of these, message me by end of day Monday 8 July and I'll add to my order:

Spiky Ball - for muscle release and activation - handy for travel as it takes up hardly any space $20
Toe Spacers - for better foot function, to help realign toes and relieve bunion pain $10
Massage Stick - for self massage, recovery and releasing tension $35
Small Foam Roller - like a big one, but travel sized $30
Acupressure Mat - for foot activation, circulation, relaxation (lie down on this and you’ll have the best sleep) and pain relief $50
Massage Gun - my favourite recovery tool, I’ve got one at home and one at work $230

✨ BUSINESS OWNERS, EMPLOYERS, CONTRACTORS✨

Did you know exercise products that meet certain criteria are tax deductible and not subject to FBT? 😲

Exercise New Zealand (EXNZ) has partnered with the IRD, in the EXNZ Stress Management initiative so that businesses throughout NZ can contribute to the wellbeing of their staff through exercise programmes provided by REPs registered Exercise Professionals (like me!) who meet recognised international standards and who have been endorsed to deliver this programme.

So, if you're an employer, self-employed, or a contractor and you want to find out more about how you can benefit from this programme contact me. I have limited space available!

Quadrupedal Movement Training is on the up - if you're wondering what it is, and why you should try it, check out this Guardian article.

“It’s a way of reconnecting with our natural selves,” says Darryl Edwards, author of the book Animal Moves and founder of the Primal Play Method. “I don’t want to be a caveman. I’m happy in the 21st century. But I want to move in a way that feels more natural and instinctive.”

Is moving like an animal the secret to good health? ‘Animal flow’ bodyweight workouts are gaining popularity for their strength and mobility benefits. How do they work?

So I said last week that when we when we decide to make changes to our life and be ‘better’, if it isn't congruent with our self-beliefs our critical inner voice will tell us we’re being inconsistent and BAM.

Self sabotaging behaviours turn up.

So why does that inner critical voice keep stopping us from doing the things we say we want to do?

Here's some common reasons behind us giving in to our inner critical voice and self-sabotaging our goals:

📝Fear of change: Change is unfamiliar and unsafe and often all our subconscious wants to do is keep us safe – and safe is that which we know.
📝Fear of missing out: Our goals often seem to include doing something we like less and something we might not like more – less food, less alcohol, less fun, more exercise, more pain. We know that we’re missing out on stuff we like to get to our goals and we also know once we get to our goals we’ll have to keep on missing out on that stuff.
📝Fear of failure: The fear of trying our best and failing to reach our goals can have us not trying at all or sabotaging our efforts.
📝Stress: To find relief, reward ourselves or rebel from our stressful and busy lives, we often turn to unhealthy habits to escape or feel better about our day, our life or ourselves. We usually blame these in-the-moment decisions on lack of willpower or motivation, but there’s typically something more going on under the surface.
📝Worthiness: When we believe we don’t deserve what we’re working for, we consciously or unconsciously ensure our goals are continually out of reach.

As we tune into the inner critical voice, self-sabotaging behaviours emerge. If this sounds familiar, drop me a message.

Is lack of willpower stopping you from reaching your goals?

If this is you, one of the things to understand is that we are constantly making decisions – turning down seconds at dinner, dragging yourself to the gym when you’re rather go home, saying no to more drinks. All this tests our willpower.

Each time we exercise willpower, it drains us a little bit more and it needs time to replenish, making the next temptation just that little bit harder to resist.

Ever noticed it's easier to say no to something in the morning than in the afternoon? Willpower is a limited resource so don’t go around wasting it.

Here's some strategies so lack of willpower doesn't factor in anymore:

🌟 Remove temptation: Each time we say ‘no’, our willpower is diminished, so taking temptations away (not having chocolate in the house or turning off your inbox so you can focus on the task at hand) means we don’t have to unnecessarily use up our willpower.
🌟 Get enough sleep: It helps us focus better.
🌟 Stabilise blood sugar: Low blood sugar is associated with lower self-discipline. Choose food wisely to keep blood sugars stable.
🌟 Enjoy life: Positive experiences make us feel good about life and makes it easier to be disciplined, so take some time every day to do something enjoyable.
🌟 Stress less: Take a walk, meditate or do what we need to do to reduce stress and our willpower will grow.
🌟 Make a plan: Having a plan to follow in times of lower willpower can help us stick to it. An ‘if-then’ plan can help – eg, if I’m going out and I’ve resolved to reduce alcohol intake, my ‘if-then’ plan could be ‘if I’m asked if I want a drink, then I’ll get a soda water with lime’.
🌟 Exercise your willpower: Just like a muscle, exercise will make our willpower stronger. Focus on small tasks that are easier to control and over time, our ability when faced with larger decisions will be better.

Goals.

You know what you want and you know how to get there. Yet something's not going right in terms of implementation.

I've been talking to a few clients these last weeks about goals and motivation and more specifically, how often we know what we want and what we need to do, but somehow we're getting in our own way.

So I reckon it’s time to look at excuses - what we say we want and how our actions move us closer to those things or further away.

Are the things we put in the way of our goals (too cold, too dark, too busy, too tired, too hard, lack of willpower, lack of motivation….) problems we need to overcome or are we masking another issue (fear of change/success/failure, self-sabotage, all or nothing thinking)?

If the goal you set initially is no longer the thing you want to achieve, that’s OK, it’s time to reassess or reframe that goal.

If you’ve been making excuses for not doing the things you promised yourself it’s time to ask why.

Over the next few days I want to look at excuses, willpower and self sabotage.

Time flies!⏳ It's already June and I dunno about you, but it's really crept up on me! Did you make some health goals way back in January with lots of enthusiasm? 💪✨

I wanted to check in and see how its going for you.🤔

If you're trucking along and ticking off your goals, being consistent and making progress - that is AMAZING!!! 🎉

If a few things have gotten in the way, 🙋‍♀️remember it's normal to hit a few bumps on the road, and that this is a good time to reflect and realign.

If you're more in the second group,🙋‍♀️ here's some tips to help you get back on track:

⭐ Revisit Your Goals: Are they still relevant? Adjust them to fit your current lifestyle.
⭐ Celebrate Small Wins: Every step forward counts!
⭐ Find Your Why: Reconnect with the reasons behind your resolutions. What motivated you in January?
⭐ Seek Support: Join a community, find a workout buddy, or get a coach. You don’t have to do it alone!

It's never too late to renew your commitment to your health and wellness.

What’s one health goal you’re focusing on this month? I'm keen to know so share below.

LAST CHANCE to join MyBod In Motion LIVE online bodyweight training to:

• Enhance mental clarity and decision-making
• Build a reliable exercise habit
• Boost your mood and outlook
• Start your day with exercise to stay active and moving all day long
• Protect your health by making morning workouts a priority

We start NEXT WEEK so join me here:
https://www.mybod.co.nz/unlock-effortless-movement-with-mybod-in-motion/

Getting to the gym in the morning gets harder at this time of year - it's dark and cold, you're wondering if you'll get your favourite car park close to the gym, or if someone's beaten you to your favourite spot in the group fit class.

You've been going to classes for a while now and you've hit a plateau... everything seems... the same....

That's why I came up with MyBod in Motion LIVE online bodyweight group training - its designed for busy professionals like you who want more from their workouts.

- to give you back time and make it easier for you in the mornings.
- to show you can get a great workout, and move differently without needing anything extra - just you and your commitment to be your best.

We start the next intake next week so join me here:

Unlock Effortless Movement with MyBod In Motion - MyBod LIVE online bodyweight group training designed for busy professionals like you who want more from their workouts. We start 11 June 2024!

5 reasons to exercise in the morning :
💫 Boosts your metabolism for hours post-exercise – kickstart your day with a morning workout and maximise your calorie burn💫 Improves mood and reduces stress levels – helps you stay positive and stress-free throughout the day💫 Enhance productivity and concentration – improve your focus and efficiency at work💫 Regulate sleep patterns – enjoy better quality sleep💫 Increase energy levels – avoid mid afternoon slumps Join Mybod In Motion – 6 week online bodyweight group training starting 11 June!

https://www.mybod.co.nz/unlock-effortless-movement-with-mybod-in-motion/

Are you someone who exercises regularly, maybe doing group fitness classes or weights, and while you’re fit and strong, lately, it feels like some everyday movements aren’t as effortless as they used to be?

Like…. You remember it being easier to put on your shoes and do up your laces, get up and down from the floor, or maybe you’re feeling a bit stiff in your back and hips after sitting for a while?

Or, you’ve been exercising the same way for a while but now you’re getting a little bored and you want to try something different?

Introducing Mybod In Motion, your ticket to a new level of ease and vitality.

My LIVE online bodyweight group training programme is designed for busy professionals like you who want more from their workouts.

Join now!

Unlock Effortless Movement with MyBod In Motion - MyBod LIVE online bodyweight group training designed for busy professionals like you who want more from their workouts. We start 11 June 2024!

Functional Health Client Win! 🙌 🙌

I don't talk a lot about my Functional Health clients but I have to talk about this one!

For the past 6 months I've been helping a client implement what I’ve learnt from Stewart Gillespie and Functional Medicine Services - FMS and she’s feeling amazing with no symptoms to report!

This is someone who had a hysterectomy a few years ago following years of debilitating period pain 3 weeks out of every 4, only for the same pain to return 2 years later, along with weight gain, fatigue, gut issues/pain/cravings, sleep issues and getting sick often – she’d drop with flu like symptoms after every time she exercised.

With her full trust and commitment to the process, we’ve been able to get her to a point where she’s thriving again after she thought she’d tried everything! No more pain, no gut issues, no fatigue and sleeping well again! Oh, she's lost 10kg along the way too!

Symptoms might be common but they are not normal and you don't have to 'put up' with them. Sometimes it just takes a little trust and some thinking outside the box. 😀

My idea of a ‘good’ workout has changed over the years.

I got to thinking about this recently when a client shared that her partner was laid up in bed, exhausted from his personal training session, and that he probably won’t be able to move for several days – the result of a very tough workout after 3 weeks off with a flu, on top of shift work.

I remember when I used to think that the sign of a good workout was when all the muscles hurt so much afterwards it was hard to move and all you can do is sleep. My ideas have shifted since then, but for some people, I’m sure this still their measure of a good workout. And that’s OK, we all have different goals, value different experiences, and have different expectations.

So these days a good workout, for me, connects body to mind and addresses my needs for the day and that can change day to day. It considers how I’m feeling at that time (and that’s determined by several things – sleep, hydration, nutrition, stress, energy, how much movement I’ve had in the days before, and how my body is feeling), and generally has the aim of leaving me feeling better than when I started. A good workout will likely address any niggles that I’m feeling at the time, work towards improving movement quality, and on those days when I’m feeling good, challenge the body to be stronger in every angle.

A good workout doesn’t have to involve high volumes or repetition, excessive sweatiness, or getting into the ‘calorie-burning zone’ (especially if you’ve been trying to calorie burn for ages and it doesn’t seem to be working – then maybe its not, and you actually need a different approach).

It doesn’t have to always yield a personal best score of any kind (whether that’s an amount you lift or a time to beat) and it doesn’t always have to leave you dead on the floor for someone else to scrape you up.

Depending on your health goals, most of them can be achieved safely over time, it doesn’t have to be dramatic and its probably better if it’s not, so you’re more likely to repeat it. Those days of suffering for your health, and those inspirational memes that tell you ‘Unless you puke, faint or die, keep going’ (thank you for that quote, Jillian Michaels) should be long gone.

A good workout may look more like progress over time and result in more energy, improved mood or sleep and reduced sugar cravings.

What does a good workout look like to you?

Who’s joined me for the Movement of the Day Series this week? Some feedback coming in but I’d love to hear more if you gave today’s movement a go - DM me or comment below!

🌟 Unlock Your Movement Potential 🌟

Are you tired of the day slipping away without a moment for yourself?

Join my FREE 5-Day Movement of the Day Series!

Just 5 minutes a day is all it takes – no gym, no fancy gear, just your dedication to feeling great.

Consistency is key, and I'm here to make it easy for you.

Sign up now and see the lasting changes in strength, mobility, and well-being!

May24 Movement of the Day Series Free 5 Day Experience

What most people miss is that you don’t have to spend hours at the gym to see benefits in health and fitness.

Consistency is key to seeing results.

While longer workouts are great, short, daily sessions can also lead to significant improvements over time. A regular 5-minute routine can give you lasting changes in strength, mobility, and overall well-being.

That's why I created this FREE 5 Day Movement of the Day Series.
This is the ultimate solution - all you need is 5 minutes a day. No gym membership or special equipment needed. Just you and your commitment to feel your best.

Join me anywhere, anytime – I’m making it easier for busy people like you to stay consistent and committed to your fitness goals with this FREE 5 Day Movement of the Day Email Series.

Join me here:
https://mailchi.mp/mybod/may24-movement-of-the-day-series

If you're looking for your Winter Motivation and you're not sure where you left it, I've got you.

One of the things I hear the most from the busy people I work with is that far too often, the day just gets away from them. Between work, family and well, life, it’s a struggle to make time to exercise or do other things to take care of their health.

It always seems to get worse at this time of year as the days feel shorter and it's so much easier to put off those exercise sessions you promised yourself you would do.

That's why I felt obligated to create this FREE 5 Day Movement of the Day Series.

This is the ultimate solution - all you need is 5 minutes a day. No gym membership or special equipment needed. Just you and your commitment to feel your best.

I’m making it easier for busy people like you to stay consistent and committed to your fitness goals with this FREE 5 Day Movement of the Day Email Series.

We start Monday 27 May - join me now!

May24 Movement of the Day Series Free 5 Day Experience

With the shorter days and the temperature dropping, it can get really hard to maintain motivation for your fitness goals.

Winter often brings a sense of lethargy and a desire to hibernate indoors. But staying active and committed to your workouts during this time is important for both physical and mental well-being.

With less sunlight during winter, it can have a major impact on our mood and energy levels. Many people experience symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that occurs typically during autumn and winter. This can make it really challenging to stay motivated to exercise.

The last few weeks I've been busy putting together a Winter Motivator Series, and best of all, it's FREE!

More details to come, you don't want to miss this!