In last week’s blog, I talked about health and self-care and in this blog, I will be sharing the process and formula I use to keep myself healthy in body and mind. This is the system I use when coaching my clients.
Here is the step-by-step process that I recommend:
1. Sort out your hydration on a daily basis. The majority of people I meet are dehydrated on a daily basis which negatively impacts their performance. I recommend increasing your water intake to 3-5 or more litres. The size of your body and activity levels will determine just how much you should consume. The more the better though.
Our bodies are around 60% water. This fact alone should tell you that hydration is of vital importance to your health and performance. Losing as little as 2% of your water weight can have a noticeable effect.
It could lead to altered body temperature control, reduced motivation, lethargy, and making exercise feel more physically and mentally draining.
The brain is also strongly influenced by hydration levels. Studies have shown that even slight dehydration (1-3% body weight) can impair brain function. This can range from mood, concentration, poor working memory, and even headaches.
Several studies have shown that water can relieve certain types of headaches in those who are dehydrated. So next time you have headache water should be your first port of call.
The benefits of water don’t stop there. There’s limited evidence to suggest that water can treat kidney stones as increased frequency of water can dilute the concentration of minerals, making them less likely to crystalise in the kidneys.
Now here’s one I’m sure most of you are aware of. Hangovers are unpleasant! But did you know that water can help? Alcohol is a diuretic so makes you lose more water than you take in. Being well-hydrated at all times can counteract these effects and help reduce the severity of hangovers.
I’ll finish on the water topic with probably the most important reason for my industry as a personal trainer. Water can help with weight loss. Studies have shown that a litre of water has been shown to increase metabolism by 24-30% fur up to 1.5 hours. So drinking 2 litres of water a day can increase your energy expenditure by up to 96 calories a day.
Water is a massive subject in itself and I’ll probably take a deep dive into it in a future blog. Moving on to the next step.
2. Improve the nutrients your body has in it by eating a diet rich in whole foods. You can find lots of food ideas in books like the Pinch of Nom, or websites like BBC Food. Our Platinum and Diamond Elite clients also have access to a members area that is full of recipes.
3. Supplement with daily micronutrient vitamins and minerals. Our coach Pablo Jareno has already written a piece about the benefits of supplementation. Also, check out my blog on Vitamin and Mineral supplementation for advice and recommendations.
4. – Learn how to manage day-to-day pressures by relaxing. A great and extremely healthy way to do this is to meditate. The headspace app is a great resource for learning the art of relaxation.
5. – learn how to improve your overall fitness by focusing on all the components of Fitness. The 11 Components of Physical Fitness include:
- Agility
- Balance
- Body composition
- Cardiovascular Endurance
- Coordination
- Flexibility
- Muscular Endurance
- Muscular strength
- Power
- Reaction Time
- Speed
If you are new to physical fitness then remember that you can always download our movement is medicine ebook to get you started. It is a 22-page book with exercises to get you
6. Monitor the conversation between your own ears. Due to early years of negative social conditioning, many of us grow up being self-critical, developing low self-worth and self-esteem issues.
Creating a more compassionate self-chat (internal dialogue) is the route to becoming more self-secure. Using mirror work, affirmations and positive self-chat are all keys to success in your emotional fitness.
The excellent book by Louise Hay – You Can Heal Your Life has everything you need to know in it.
7. Create a daily schedule whereby you work on your physical, mental, and emotional fitness and take great care of your body by hydrating it and fuelling it correctly.
We are all responsible for our own health and wellness and your own personal self-care process will determine how effective this is.
Worried about your health, or confused by all the information out there? Don’t know how or where to start then get in touch. I and the DMC Fitness crew would love to help.
I will be writing more about health and self-care in the future so check back regularly. In the meantime, if you want to read another excellent guide on health and self-care, The Art of Mindfulness from relaxlikeaboss.com is an excellent resource and is well worth a read.
Until next time, “Strength for Life”,
Davie McConnachie
Davie McConnachie is Scotland’s leading health and wellness coach, multi-award-winning gym owner, motivational speaker and the founder of DMC Fitness, a fitness education facility known as the premier choice for 1-2-1 personal training. He has inspired thousands of people to fall in love with fitness – his true purpose and mission in life.
Diving into the world of fitness and wellness has helped Davie to deal with his own trauma and inner demons. He, overcame many dark times using his own unique methods to continue his cycle of healing.