6 Weeks to Summer Holidays! … Ready?

Posted on June 1, 2020 by Rocio Dos Santos in Column Rocio Dos Santos Arenas, Columns, weight loss, Wellness 0 Comments

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Can you smell the summer vibes in the air, that fresh smell, the sun ray sparks and relaxed ambience? Parks are slowly filling up with picnics and pop up evening aperos. Our new normal is social distancing but nobody said our summer should be postponed, we shall adapt.

Photo by Angelo Pantazis on Unsplash

During this Big Pause the world has been through many of us have taken up new initiatives and hobbies wanting to better our health and overall fitness. My aim is that you keep up the good work or start it if you were waiting for some extra motivation as I have just that coming for you!

For the next six weeks you will find an article helping you reach that fitness level you want for your well-deserved summer holidays including exercise routines, recipes, tips and tricks to help you reach that goal!

However this pause has affected you I am sure. It has put quite a lot of things in perspective and given you more than enough time to think many things through … have you noticed what is the one thing in common we all have had? Self – prioritization.

For the first time in a long time we have had time to ourselves and families, time to enjoy the hours of each day in a way me might had otherwise forgotten.

Do not lose this skill, keep it, as it is paramount for our six-week plan.

What is it that you would want to achieve regarding your Health and Fitness?

A new habit
Better meal routines
Taking on a new sport or a sport all together
Toning your body
Including more fruits and vegetables in your days
Mindfulness and meditation
Learning a new skill

Take a pen and paper, have a thought and write down what is it that you would like to achieve before the summer. Make it something that you will do with pleasure, that you deep down want to do and are sure that will bring you a smile.

Let’s make a plan around it! There is a vital importance in writing things down whether it is physically or electronically, it makes a thought become reality and turns a mind wonder in to a must achieve goal.

1.Once you have determined your goal, the aim is to reach it step by step. You can’t reach the top of a staircase unless you walk up each small step first and that is just what we will do. This new goal will become your new mantra and you shall work hard during the next six weeks to achieve it. Nothing comes gifted to us and consistency will be key.

2.Have a thought of what your days look like from Monday to Friday and write down the gaps in between were you find yourself scrolling through social media, trying to find something to watch on Netflix or sending podcast version WhatsApp audio notes to your friends. All these gaps can be used more wisely and that will become the spare time you don’t think you have but in reality, you do.

3.Do you take public transport to reach work or go by car? Would you be able to walk or take the bike more often? Do you cook at home or tend to eat out and order in? Small changes to your already established routines will ignite new neuronal connections in your brain as you feed it with novelty and extra activity, being extremely beneficial to your overall health and fitness improvement.

Image par Дарья Яковлева de Pixabay

Small changes are key, achieving your goal will come with empowerment which will be fed by these small successful changes.

4.How do your weekends normally look like? Write down what you would like to change from them and when do you find yourself more active … is it mornings or evenings? There is nothing worse than wanting to take in a new habit and feeling like it is the worst thing ever. Forcing yourself to get up at 6am to go for a run when you hate it will not make you suddenly love it, dragging yourself to the gym at 7pm after a log day of work when you do not even look forward to it will not last for long. Instead you want to choose something that works for you and with you, something that you will be looking forward to and that even on the worse of days, will make you feel way better after doing it.

5.Are you alone in reaching this goal or do you have a support group or partner doing it with you?

Check for groups on social media platforms, at your kids’ school, at work or around your neighbourhood. Embrace the new goal as a partner challenge with your loved one or involve your whole family in it. Consistency will be key as mentioned earlier and it is always best achieved if in a support group.

This doesn’t mean that alone you cannot make it, the contrary, you will be incredibly resilient by doing so and will achieve a whole new level of self-satisfaction.

Once you have all the answers, take a look at what you have written, and I am sure there is a sense of realization that indeed there is plenty of time and eagerness for your new achievement.

Whether it is health related by wanting to incorporate better meals and/or plan them in advance or fitness related in wanting to improve your routine or incorporate one, there has never been a better time to start than NOW!

Come back next week and take in the tips on how to ensure this plan comes to life, steps on how to incorporate healthy dinners each day , drafted fitness plans for families, singles and couples and a delicious Sweet potato Brownie Recipe.

About the author:
Rocio Dos Santos Arenas is an Holistic Health Coach specialized in gut health conditions and food intolerances and is a trained Pilates and Yoga instructor and movement enthusiast. She is currently living in the French part of Switzerland spreading knowledge and awareness about the importance of a healthy body and a healthy mind and transforming people through an active lifestyle with group classes, courses, workshops, retreats. She recently found her company Activ Wellness to provide you with the guidance, tools and support you need and bring changes and so you become stronger, healthier and more focused.