Monday 27th September 2010

Be your own guru because no one knows you better than yourself! (Beverley)

Well I've had the best weekend, I'm feeling very relaxed and rested and last night I fell asleep in the hotel room watching XFactor and didn't get up till 6am which is just over 9 hours - wow that's fab for me and I'm sure the cutting out of alcohol and cutting down of booze has really helped.

So I woke at six and because I'm in a hotel room I clicked on the tv and good heavens the first thing I heard this morning was 'Britain is the fattest country in Europe and the 5th in the world!'. At last we won something!! Seriously though, this isn't a great thing to hear and I personally think the government are approaching it all wrong - bribery and scaremongering is not the solution!

Moving away from that I was warmed to see people this weekend running, walking and generally moving more whilst I walked through Regents Park.  I think a lot of people resent exercise because of the way it's sold as a way to lose weight yet another time when we're obsessing about how much we weigh as if we don't already get enough opportunities for that!

So ask yourself how do you like to move, what do you enjoy doing or what might you enjoy doing?  I asked myself the question as I lay there this morning and realised I wanted to stretch so that's what I did for ten minutes. I didn't follow a routine or watch a DVD I just started stretching and moving and guess what when I'd finished I felt great ready to face the day.  

Our bodies like to move, we are not meant to be sedentary so how would you like move today?  Not tomorrow - today because the answer might be different tomorrow. For me yesterday I wanted to walk - I don't want to do that today because I've got a shin splint from walking in the wrong footwear :-)

Ask yourself the question 'how would I like to move today' then close your eyes and try and tune into your body, feel how it feels - are you shoulders stiff, is it s bit fidgety - have you got ants in your pants, is it tired.  Ask your body?  Then do it - move in whatever way feels good to you without thinking about how many points you may earn doing it!

Have you ever thought "ooo I'd love to try...." but not done it for whatever reason, maybe you were scared, you thought you may not like it, you knew you wouldn't stick at it.  Well guess what you don't have to stick at it, try it once and if it doesn't work - try something else. 

I love walking but not when it's pouring down with rain!

So just for today try to tune in and ask your body how it would like to move and remember it doesn't have to be for an hour it can just be a few minutes.  Maybe walk to the end of your street and back or dance to a tune whilst you wait for the kettle to boil or whilst you clean your teeth.  

Remember life starts now.

Are you living yet?