Work/life Balance

Precision movement philosophy phrases to live by

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After last weeks blog about checking in with your goals for the last quarter of the year, I thought I'd follow that with some motivational inspiration. Sometimes we get so bogged down with the day to day stuff we forget the big picture reasons for living and enjoying life. So here are the Precision Movement phrases to live by... Everybody say Om! 

 

1. You are what you absorb 

Sadly just eating the right foods is now not enough if you are not absorbing their goodness! How do you know if you are absorbing the nutrition you eat? Well you should feel good for eating highly nutritious food but most of us don't know what good feels like if we have only what we feel like now to compare it to. So my recommendation would be to get your gut tested and see how functional it is. See our partners page for contact information on Karen Maidment and Hannah Richards who can help with this. 

 

2. Movement is the foundation of life 

From the movement of blood and transport of nutrients and removal of toxins to getting around town movement is absolutely essential for life. It's also really important to move well, efficiently and effectively to minimise injury and discomfort. I believe movement is as important as breathing, eating and sleeping.  Stagnation leads to injury, depression and indifference.  So move more and move well - if you need some help with this you know where I am. 

 

3. Your body is a thoroughbred 

We can take our body for granted. We don't think about what it does every day to enable us to live, to see, to hear, to communicate, to move, to breathe, to digest food. Our body is a gift, it is our house and we should take care of it like it's a thoroughbred race horse or a top of the line sports car. You wouldn't put sludge in a sports car so don't put rubbish in your body. You want to nurture your body, feed and water it well, give it sunlight and fresh air, move it regularly and give it a bit of challenge every day to make sure it can withstand the toughness of life. 

 

4. Study your user manual 

Too many people assume they know how to move well. Here's what happens - we are born, we teach ourselves to move (amazing!), we continue to learn good movement and sports in childhood and hopefully our teen years. Then we go to university and we either continue (super amazing!) or we stop moving. Then we go to work and it's basically all over. I'm generalising here but you get the idea. When we enter the work place we teach our bodies to adapt to the sitting work environment which can give us all kinds of issues. The greatest gift you can give yourself is re-learning good movement either through a sport like martial arts or dance or working with a movement specialist to support you and get you back to your sports. 

 

5. If you don't use it you lose it

I am a personal testament to this! If I don't exercise regularly I start to lose my strength, my stability my tone and my shape. Many of the people I work with begin to lose their postural endurance and flexibility.  You've got to make an ongoing commitment to yourself to maintain your body. You'll live a longer happier life if your body is agile, functional and well taken care of. It really comes down to loving yourself enough to take care of yourself. 

 

6. Get in your discomfort zone

Comfort doesn't lead to growth or change. I purposefully placed myself in some very uncomfortable situations this summer to remind myself what it's like for my clients to change movement patterns and posture - it can be frustrating and uncomfortable both physically, mentally and emotionally. So I do know what it's like to start something completely new - I highly recommend it regularly. The joy comes when you master something that you've been struggling with - that's growth, that's change, that's a life worth living and an example worth setting to your children, friends and family around you. 

 

7. Movement is a constant teacher 

I'm finding more and more as I work with clients watching them learn and connect with their bodies that movement serves as a fantastic teacher. No matter how long you have been training you can always learn some new movement or reconnect with how movement feels in your body. To me, mastering movement is not about just exercising it is about really understanding how your body works and serves you. I highly advocate using movement and sports for challenge and personal growth. I am still humbled by movement - it's always been my greatest teacher. 

 

8. Mind over matter 

Firstly the brain is the control centre of movement. We don't move unless the brain is motivated towards something. Many things are involved in the motivation of movement. One of the important factors is how you feel about/towards that intention. If you dislike what you are doing your brain gives a different output in contrast to if you do like what you are doing. So, when moving, even if the movement or exercise is something you don't particularly like, train your mind to find the benefit in it and feed that information through the brain and attach it to the exercise. The brain/mind/body will avoid things it doesn't like - so override the dislike factor - reframe it. The saying mind over matter is never more true than it is here! 

 

9. Be present 

When anyone comes to work with me in the studio yes there are reps and sets and alignment and gains and goals etc. But what I really think they gain is the experience of being present in their body. It might sound a little kooky but going to the studio or the gym and just going through the motions, the reps, the sets, thinking about work or what you'll do afterwards is really not as beneficial as being present with your body for your workout. Movement is an enriching educational experience. It's an outlet, a form of expression, a release of energy or a way of conjuring up energy. But all this good stuff only happens when we are present in our movement. It's like anything really - when you are present you are alive and the experience is banked. When you are somewhere else you're just wasting what you're doing in the present. 

 

So there you have it - 9 magical philosophical paragraphs to live by.   Now go forth and conquer... :D 

Is this the best hotel gym space in London?

 

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As many of your know Precision Movement has been making extensive additions and changes to our little Mayfair studio space courtesy of Grosvenor House Apartments.  And though she be little she is (mighty) fierce and versatile.  Here are the new changes to the space and how they optimise your workout.

 

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The rig 

This March we had a custom designed BeaverFit rig installed into the ceiling.  This has been the most anticipated change in the studio since we moved in.  The rig will be used for pullup/chin up and brachiation training. Also check out the fat GRIPZ for extra intensity without extra load.  It has proved super popular so far! 

 

 

 

Suspension Training 

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The rig also enables us to use TRx, Crosscore180 and Olympic Rings for suspension and aerial training.  Bring on the strength!  The rig is 3.5m long meaning we can have someone working on the Kinesis, someone working on the TRx and someone in the weight area quite comfortably.

 

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The floorspace 

The matted floorspace has been increased by a third meaning more workable space for people to use and more people using the space at the same time.  It also means the floorspace becomes more versatile - we can bring out a barre for a ballet workout or clear the space for kickboxing or a yoga based work-in.  We have had some guests using the space to practice their karate katas and MMA moves.  We have left the space open for just this purpose because no single person's workout is the same and we want to cater to that as much as possible.

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We now have adjustable weights up to 41kg each alongside the original rack of 1-10kg.  We have a few olympic bars and weight plates for more traditional strength training as well as weighted medicine balls and powerbags.  The original Kinesis cable machine is still installed as well.

 The bring out put back system 

We have lots of different equipment that can be used in the space - kettlebells, powerbags, battling ropes, agility equipment, olympic bars, medicine balls.  We bring out what we need into the space for your specific workout and then put it back to open the space up again.  It sounds really obvious but many gyms, particularly hotel and residence gyms are the same space as our little studio but packed full of machines which limits the type of exercise you can do in the space. Training has moved on past machines... there are some uses for machine work but at Precision Movement we are more steered towards challenging your body in different ways. Which is why we think our space is becoming one of the best hotel gyms in London. 

The space is being used more than it ever has been and it's being used in many ways, for all kinds of movement, workouts and sports conditioning.  If you haven't been down to visit yet, then please do. We'd love to have you! 

How to be healthier and happier at work

I love my job!

I love my job!

Last month I was invited to speak at the Lansdowne Club in Mayfair about the tragic death of Moritz Erdhart. I posed the question 'does the responsibility of your health and wellness lie with the company or does it lie with the individual?'  In part 2 of this blog I'll be focussing on how you the individual employee can take responsibility for your own health and wellness at work.

The buck stops with you

I truly believe your personal health is your own responsibility.  That is not to say you should automatically know how to attain optimal health - that is what health specialists are for.  But, however many health benefits your company offers you it is your responsibility to use them.  I think we can all attest to feeling sharper, more productive and more amiable when we are well rested, well fed and have a sense of content and happiness about our lives.  

Stop, think

Every time you order a meal you are making a personal choice about how to nourish your body.  Only you can get to the gym, or get to the 5-aside football, office rugby game or pilates class.  Only you can make a decision to sort out your desk related back pain.  And it also your choice (within reason) about when to leave the office at night. 

The LifeRez - It's a state of mind

You can minimise the chances of injury or illness by taking responsibility for your health now and making LIFESTYLE changes that you can maintain for the foreseeable future.  A few blogs ago I wrote about Precision Movement's Life Resolution campaign - making smaller manageable health changes that you can maintain for life. At work your priority is work but health and wellness will make your work more enjoyable.  The liferez system is perfect for implementing health and wellness into you work life.  

The essentials

There are a few small essentials that you can easily incorporate into your work place.  Start with your work station - ask for an ergonomics assessment to ensure you have the best possible posture when you are working.  Drink more water and you can start by adding just one extra glass of water a day.  Make sure you leave the office at lunchtime for fresh air, natural light and movement.  There are many more things you can improve easily and you can find out what they are and how to implement them on Twitter page and Facebook.

3 ways to create a healthy and happy workforce

Happy at Work

Happy at Work

When I spoke at the Lansdowne Club in Mayfair last month I asked this question:  

Why companies are responsible for the health and wellness of their employees?  

Would you leave a machine to run your business without applying the proper maintenance check?  Health and wellness in the workplace influences sick days taken, how staff represent your company - do they look tired and overworked? In turn these factors influence productivity, retention of staff and ultimately the success of your company.  So what can companies do? 

1.  Culture of health and wellness

Develop a culture of health and wellness as part of the work place.  Make it part of your company ethos.  If you actively encourage a healthy workplace you will find your staff will continue that.  I truly believe people want to be healthier.  

Ideas

a.  For an in house client meeting order from a healthy organic deli and offer fresh salads and fruit instead of sandwiches, cakes and cookies.

c.  Set up lunch time workshops for staff to learn about a wide variety of subjects that impact their health and wellness.  I talk about posture and alignment and how to minimise the risk of desk related aches and pains.  Often experts in their field will come and speak for free.

d.  Offer an ergonomics assessment to all your staff.  Actively encourage good posture and movement throughout the day by recommending staff leave their desk for lunch.  Have a water cooler that staff can walk over to throughout the day.  

2.  Reward value not volume

If you put in place a rewards system based on being available day and night on the blackberry, working late into the night, setting up competition between your team members on who can stay at the office the longest, employees will do what they need to one keep their careers and two get ahead.  Over time this will not serve you or the employees.  Create a culture of rewarding value not volume of work.  This is a tough one as every company competes for business and has deadlines to fulfill.  However, a job well done which takes a little extra time is much better than a rushed shoddy job.  Giving employees a feeling of pride over their work is also part their of health.

Ideas

Again you can begin with small changes.  What and how you reward will be individual to each company.

3.  Budget

what would be more costly to your business - a budget for health and wellness that retains staff and increases productivity or replacing the same position 3 times in 18 months?  Set aside a budget for health and wellness as part of the maintenance of your company.  Any benefits that you can offer employees particularly ones that take care of their health and wellness are always greatly received and play an important part in staff retention.  

Ideas 

a.  Instead of going out for a big lunch to celebrate the company anniversary do something interactive and fun like a game of dodgeball.

b.  Take a team bonding day with a private walking tour around an art gallery.

c.  For the company Christmas party arrange a healthy cooking workshop that is interactive and ends with a big festive meal.  

You can also consult health experts and consultants about implementing a bespoke structure that will work for your company.  I personally think a cost efficient and relatively easy way is to build health and wellness lectures and workshops into company lunch times or friday afternoons acts as a continual reminder, motivation and inspiration to employees to take care of their health. This is one of the things I do.

The facts are simple - a healthy workforce makes a healthy successful company.  If you are not actively promoting health and wellness in your company you are missing a trick.  Look at what the 46 healthiest companies in America are doing....

http://greatist.com/health/healthiest-companies

The health and wellness of employees is not just the responsibility of the company.  Find out how you as an employee can take responsibility for your health and wellness, whether your company promotes it or not, in Part 2 of this blog.

The Life Resolution - the only one to make - EVER

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

Have you set your New Years resolution (NYR)?  No?  Good!  Don't do it.  Seriously do not set a New Years resolution this year.  Here is what is faulty with the NYR...

Faulty goods

Often we set a short term goal that can be achieved within 3 months - to stop smoking, lose weight, go to the gym, stop drinking so much etc.  Some of us achieve it most of us lose interest.  If we do achieve our goal (yay - well done you!) we are prone to slip back into our old ways and vow to ourselves in 9 months we'll try again.  

Why?  Because life is too important.  We are creatures that seek out good times and fun.  We want to participate.  So how do we deal with the conundrum of good times v being good?  

Golden Goods!

Precision Movement challenges you to set a Life Resolution (#liferez). The liferez is a lifestyle change.  It starts with taking a good look at your life and saying what can I change here to be healthier, happier and have optimal wellness and enjoy my fitness?

Instructions

The liferez is exceptionally easy to assemble.  You choose your changes and when, where and how to implement them and the reasons for doing so.  Ideally make one small change each month.  If you feel your change is successfully implemented and fits well with your life then go on and change something else.  

Completely customised

Your liferez is designed by you.  You can choose anything you would like to improve from as little as one less cup of coffee per day to taking your first vacation in 5 years.  We all have different needs, priorities and responsibilities so make changes that serve your life.  If getting to the gym 5 days a week is impossible for you then don't include this in your liferez.  Seek out what would work better for you.  Measure your progress by your own life yard stick.

Second class post and loving it

The liferez is an endurance event - it's your life.  You wouldn't want to sprint through your life akin to same day DPD delivery would you?  You'd want to take your time, sit in the post office for a while and enjoy the view, take a few travels, maybe get lost and redirected before arriving at your destination a la 2nd class Royal Mail.  With the liferez you'll make smaller steady changes that you can work into your life over time.  They'll take a little effort in the beginning but will soon feel routine.  

T&Cs

With the liferez you will value the T&Cs and you get to make up your own.  My T&Cs are based around the 80/20 rule.  80% of the time I am golden and 20% I splash out and throw caution to the wind.  My T&Cs stipulate that after my splash out I return to my golden ways and this keeps my liferez in check.

Guarantee 

The great thing about the liferez is as long as you use it consistently it has a lifetime guarantee.  It will always serve you.  

Want to know more about TheLifeRez?  Follow me on Twitter and use #theliferez or on Facebook. Contact me at KT@precisionmovement.co.uk

5 top must-have tips for a long healthy career

kid superhero

kid superhero

If you are in business and or climbing the corporate ladder you'll know all too well that feeling of invincibility. It's a divine trait and can also be equally as detrimental - unsuspectingly to your spine and your heart.

Clients come to me in their mid-30s to mid-40s with back, neck and shoulder pain and in their mid forties to fifties with heart trouble. One way or another, a life time of stress will get you. And when it does you will have to stop completely to heal and recover. There is nothing more soul destroying than being close to the height of your career and having to take 6 months or longer off because you can't get out of bed.  It's probably not something you think about at all - and I am with you that you shouldn't have to. An awareness and application of a few basic support systems can minimise the risk of present or future work related back pain and injury. Here are my top 5 counteractions to minimise the risk of irreparable damage to your spine so you don't have to think about it!

1. Your state of mind. No one is invincible. If you are striving to achieve a top job it is an endurance race not a sprint. Pace yourself and take time out. The first step is to rethink the invincibility cloak - save it for dress up with the kids!

2. Your body heals and recovers from the stress you put it through daily when you sleep. Sleep is not an option for minimising injury and illness prevention in the future - it is a necessity. Both quality and quantity are important. Aim to sleep for 8 hours a night ideally between 10pm and 6am. Take out any electronics from your bedroom and switch off lights at the mains. Your room should be pitch black and as quiet as possible for a really good quality of sleep.

3. The food you put in your body becomes you. If you eat sugary processed foods your body will be starved of the nutrients that heal and restore from daily stressors. Also not eating enough will cause stress and impair effective recovery. Every cell in your body is renewed over 7 years. So short term fixes will not work well for injury and illness prevention in the future. Make a commitment to yourself to make a change for life - feed your success by eating what nature grows for you.

4. Movement is absolutely essential for injury prevention. If you sit at a desk during your working day you MUST make an effort to move either in the morning or in the evening. Exercise plays a direct role in maintaining good posture and keeping your joints strong and stable. A balance of high intensity and restorative exercise is also important. Too much high intensity will stress you out and could lead to an over-training injury. The quality of movement has a huge impact on how successful it becomes for injury prevention. If you turn up the gym and have a go on what looks good or manageable I would suggest seeking advice. At the very least find a good trainer or corrective exercise specialist with experience, top qualifications and a passion for their job to design and regularly upgrade a programme for you.

5. Strive for a balanced life. Spread your energy and interests wide. This idea is about giving your brain a new stimulus - a chance to work in another way. It is said that a change is as good as a rest right? So change your stimulus to give your brain a rest. Mental stress is as detrimental to your body as physical. This will mean stepping away from the office - and the blackberry.

Implementing and making a habit of these 5 suggestions helps to optimise your health to give you the best possible opportunity to enjoy a long, healthy and successful career.