If you do ONE thing for yourself, make sure it’s from this list
Forget January – September is the REAL New Year. Now is the perfect time for a reset and it’s time to prioritise YOU. We’ve asked Kent top wellbeing experts to share their tips on how to make the most of ‘me time’.
After the long summer stretch, September has swept in with all its back-to-school / work feels. This is what makes it the perfect month to get going again – and also the month when we can feel very much in need of a re-boot.
Whatever our age, to most of us September will always be the ‘new pencil case and a fresh notepad’ kinda month. It’s the chance for a clean slate – and some headspace. So we asked some of the best local health and fitness experts to share their ONE top tip for making the most of some ME time.
PROIRITISE YOU
Kathryn Freeland, Stede Court Private Fitness Retreat
IF YOU ONLY DO ONE THING: Book a date at the start of every school year, before everybody else puts things in your calendar, that is just for you. Whether it is a recharge weekend retreat or for a longer total recharge; your mind and body need time to relax and reboot. You will leave feeling refreshed and motivated and you will have exercise and food ideas for the year ahead. If possible stick to the same dates every year, if it’s in the diary, the family has been warned and the deposit has been paid – it will happen!
STRETCH
Beatrix Ballach, MyTime Pilates
IF YOU ONLY DO ONE THING: After all the fun and fresh air we get in the summer, September can often mean a dramatic reduction of movement and sudden return to our desks or hours spent behind a wheel, driving the kids around. Both of these involve sitting and all too often people are slumped with rounded shoulders. So this Pec/Chest stretch is a brilliant, simple exercise that can revive you during the day if your neck is starting to ache and you feel that your shoulders are stooping…
When you have some time to yourself, find a quiet little spot where you can relax and make sure you breathe deeply into each stretch. Hold each of these for 20 seconds and do them x3 in a row. In between each round, shake out your body.
This is a great movement to open the front of the body and to lengthen the chest muscle. Stand sideways to the wall pressing against the arm closest to the wall. Then turn your whole body away from the wall as much as you can and as much as your shoulder will allow and is happy with. A light pull is great. Feel and enjoy the lengthening and stretch through the front of your chest.
SET THE ALARM EARLIER
Holly Finch, One Life Health Fitness
IF YOU ONLY DO ONE THING: Making time for yourself can feel overwhelming at times, but it’s essential so that you can feel your best self when juggling your family and commitments too. Ensuring that you move your body in some way first thing in the morning will relieve stress and energise you; whether that be a 10-minute stretch flow, a 30-minute walk in the sunshine, or even a home workout with the kids, you’ll boost your endorphins and feel happier for the day ahead!
Whilst it may feel daunting to set an earlier alarm, I find it the most beneficial time for that precious YOU-TIME because you can exercise before anyone else has risen, before your work emails start, and you avoid anything else happening during the day that takes higher priority and changes your plans to exercise.
NEVER SKIP BREAKFAST
Kat Bright, co-founder of The Health Boost
Making time to have breakfast is essential. The old adage breakfast like a king really does hold true. Eating a breakfast with a good balance of nutrients means your blood sugars will be more balanced – so means more energy and better mood throughout the day.
Eating breakfast, and in particular including protein, becomes even more essential as we get older. After 35 we need to preserve our muscle mass as much as we can, not just to look leaner, but also for metabolism, glucose control and hormone support. While sleeping our bodies are in a catabolic state (breaking down muscle and bone for repair) and the quickest way to switch our bodies to an anabolic state is to feed our bodies protein. Your breakfast should contain a good amount of protein as well as some fibre and healthy fats. We have some excellent quick breakfast ideas on our website, which you’ll find in our recipe section here.
FRESH AIR
Maryann Richmond-Coggan, Green Farm
IF YOU ONLY DO ONE THING: Get up, get outside and give yourself the first 30 mins of the day. Exposure to sunlight in the morning is essential in boosting your mood and getting on top of those stress levels. Bright morning light as soon as you wake up sends a signal to the brain to produce ‘happy’ hormones that not only improve your mood and energy throughout the day, but also help you sleep later on at night.
Even better if you can get outside and into nature – a local park, the woods, your garden – taking the sunlight (even if cloudy) and getting your body moving. At Green Farm we are always up and about early, and our guests love it too. Whether to feed the animals, wake the chickens up, have an energy boosting cold water swim, or merely walk the dogs around the fields and Fairyland. It is a magical time and one that we savour every day! Come and join us.
STRENGTHEN YOUR CORE
Alex Hart, founder of Define Pilates, Tunbridge Wells
IF YOU ONLY DO ONE THING: Pilates isn’t just about getting a toned tummy (although that’s a fantastic bonus!). It’s a fun and effective way to build a strong, stable, and balanced core that supports our entire body. Pilates engages those deep abdominal muscles that often get neglected in other workouts. By targeting these muscles, we can improve our posture, stability, and overall body alignment.
Pilates exercises are designed to work the entire core, including the back, hips, and glutes. This comprehensive approach helps us develop a strong and balanced core, reducing the risk of injuries and enhancing our overall athletic performance.
It’s also a fantastic stress-buster. As we focus on our breath and movement, we enter a state of mindfulness, leaving behind the worries of the day. It’s like a mini-vacation for our mind and body, leaving us feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. So, let’s roll out those mats, put on some energizing tunes, and get ready to strengthen our cores at Define Pilates.
LEARN TO BREATHE – PROPERLY
Jaime Cooke, SPN, Tunbridge Wells & Sevenoaks
I discovered breathwork and meditation earlier this year and it has been a game changer for me. I get up at 6am, (when the small people are still in bed) do a couple of gentle stretches and then sit on my meditation cushion. I start with 3 styles of breathwork to bring myself into the parasympathetic nervous system – so I can then sit in meditation without my monkey mind jumping all over the place.
Since starting this regime, I seem to have more hours in the day, better clarity and focus and less stress in my personal and work life. The reason for this, is deep breathing brings more oxygen into the thinking brain. I look forward to my daily sessions and wake up eager to bring myself into this serene state as the benefits can be felt immediately after.
SPN runs regular breathwork sessions and this month, we’re super excited to host an extra special ‘one-off’ class on Thurs 21 Sept at 12.30pm with LA practitioner Terry from Bionic Breathwork.
MEDITATE
Natural Fit, Tunbridge Wells
IF YOU ONLY DO ONE THING: At Natural Fit, we firmly believe that achieving a harmonious life begins with nurturing your personal well-being. And what better way to embark on this journey than through the embrace of Mindful Mornings.
Mindfulness is a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment. Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress.
In the midst of the bustling juggle of modern life it’s so important to pause and reconnect with the essence of you. Dedicate a few minutes each morning to the following practice. As you wake, grant yourself the gift of pure awareness. Close your eyes and feel present in the moment. Beginning with your head, gently invite any tension to dissolve as you move down your body, releasing each knot, each burden, until you reach your toes. It’s so simple, but effective.
LEARN A NEW SKILL
Ellie Keighley, Ellie’s Gym, Chilham
IF YOU ONLY DO ONE THING: It is important to remember when juggling family and work commitments that you are not defined by them. Remember to make time for yourself too! One way to do this is by discovering a new hobby or learning a new skill, such as martial arts or weightlifting. This can give you a sense of personal accomplishment outside of your daily routines.
A common misconception is that exercise will make you feel more tired, however studies have proved that regular activity can increase energy levels inside the body and induce better sleep at night. Add to that the feel good endorphins, and a motivating Personal Trainer who tailors sessions to you, and you’ll leave your ME time feeling refreshed, rewarded and ready to tackle the rest of your day.
BUILD IN A NEW HABIT
Lucy Parker, FLOW Yoga, Tunbridge Wells
My top tip is to link an established habit, like dropping the kids off at school every morning, with a brand-new habit that you’re trying to establish, like going for a run, taking a mindful walk or being more sociable. When we link the two, we have a far greater chance of success.
Take time to work out what new habit you really want to build and start small with your daily commitment, working up to bigger and better things as the habit takes hold and you start to feel the benefits. You can even use your car, or house keys, as a tangible reminder to stick to your habit and not sabotage your good intentions. Create a mantra, or affirmation for yourself that you repeat every time those keys find themselves in your hand. Finally, don’t forget to give yourself a high five every time you succeed!
GUT-FRIENDLY SNACKS
Virginia Hills, founder of Virginia Hills Nutrition
IF YOU ONLY DO ONE THING: Snack smart! After continuously grazing on food and drink throughout the summer holidays it feels hard to give up the sweet stuff. Allow yourself a snack – starving yourself will only make the biscuits even more tempting – but make it filling and something that will fill you up for longer.
Good choices are: 2-3 squares of good quality dark chocolate and a handful of unsalted almonds, cashews or walnuts; add goji berries or blackberries for some extra sweetness. Or a boiled egg and a pinch of black pepper or celery salt (make a batch on Sunday and leave in the fridge for easy grab and go). Try chopped carrots, peppers, radishes, cucumber, mange tout and hummus – great to share with the kids when they get home from school or apple or pear and almond or hazelnut butter with a pinch of chia, sesame or flax seeds if you have the time. Kids love this too!
TUMMY TIGHTENING
Mary-Therese, Achieve Health
IF YOU ONLY DO ONE THING: Pull your tummy in whenever you think of it. Especially when you are having a conversation. Have a trigger that you do a lot of during the day, texting, emailing, walking the dog, drinking cups of tea. Whenever you do that pull in your tummy. Don’t beat yourself up if you forget just keep practising and you’ll forget less often.
This is the fastest and easiest way to get lazy abdominal muscles doing some work which ultimately strengthens the core. The strengthened core will help you look taller and slimmer. You are trying to create new habits. Always remember 30 secs of exercise is better than no secs of exercise. Exercise has a cumulative effect so keep just adding something into your day, however small it is.
GET THE GEAR
Charlotte Shaw, Top to Toe Fitness, Macknade Faversham
IF YOU ONLY DO ONE THING: Book a one hour slot in your calendar that is purely for you. Treat it like an appointment – If it’s more ‘official’ in your diary, it’s more likely to become part of your routine and stick! At TTF we offer 6:30am sessions every Mon, Weds and Fri in our indoor and outdoor gym. Our early morning Coach, Jo, always advises – get in and out before your brain has realised what’s going on! But if you can’t make the early sessions then why not try a 9.30am session after the school drop off? If the weekdays are not an option, you can book on to one of our weekend sessions.
Maybe consider investing in quality activewear. It doesn’t have to break the bank (stores like Tesco and H&M offer great options). Plus, don’t forget to invest in a good sports bra if you need one. When you have comfortable, attractive workout attire that you love, it can boost your motivation to exercise. Feeling good in what you wear matters!
GO SOMEWHERE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
Clare Rodea Ryan, Co-founder of The Quaives Retreat Centre, Wickhambreaux
IF YOU ONLY DO ONE THING: My top tip for making the most of some ME time would be to take yourself away from the home and from work to somewhere local that you adore or somewhere you haven’t been to before that you’ve wanted to explore.
Going somewhere different on your own with time to just reflect and be, gives you new perspectives. Having a bit of distance from your every day places and people can be extremely energising.
The best treat you can give yourself is a mini-retreat. Even if it’s for an hour or a few hours. If you’d prefer not to be by yourself book the retreat with a friend or family member, but someone you genuinely adore and find easy company.
LIFT WEIGHTS (EVEN LIGHT ONES)
Sarah Best, founder of Findurfit
IF YOU ONLY DO ONE THING: As a qualified Personal Trainer who specialises in helping women in their midlife find long term health, strength and mobility through exercise I’ve created a series of ‘bitesize’ workouts that aim to combat the loss of muscle mass women experience from their mid-thirties.
Even light weights can increase lean muscle mass, which in turn can help boost metabolism and burn more calories at rest. This is why my ‘Fitness Bites’ often involve weights (you can go as light or heavy as you like!) and can be scaled to any fitness level.
If you only do one exercise? Use weights while doing squats or lunges. These are functional movements we need everyday – whether we’re getting in and out of the car or up from a chair – building these muscles now will enable us to keep strong, balanced and mobile in later life.
Short bursts of highly effective, focused exercise – like my workouts – are ideal for women that want pre-recorded sessions that can be done anytime, anywhere, fitting around their busy lives. The end result is you’ll feel fitter, leaner, stronger – and more confident – into your thirties, forties, fifties and beyond.
TAKE UP A TRIAL OFFER
Victoria Pack, founder of VWell Studio in Hythe
Of course, there’s no ‘one-size fits all’ when it comes to exercise – everyone needs something different, at different times right? Finding an exercise that you really love and that suits your needs is crucial if you want to sustain your fitness regime. Accountability is also key – the community feel of a fitness class helps us all stick to it.
VWell is a premier wellness studio, located in Hythe, Kent, providing a comprehensive range of wellbeing, fitness and holistics therapies to sculpt and tone your body and mind. With 30 scheduled classes a week – there’s something to suit everyone, whatever their busy schedule – from a stress-busting Springwall™ class or restorative Yin yoga, to an immersive Sound bath.
You may need to try out a few classes to find the one you love best. So make sure you take advantage of any introductory offers available when you visit a new studio. For example, at VWell we offer 25% off your first class with code FIRST25.