Overlooked productivity hack
Let’s talk about the most overlooked — and underappreciated! — productivity hack out there…
Taking regular breaks during the day!
The problem with taking breaks is that it can feel like you’re slacking…
But you’re not. Any here’s why:
● Being “always on” can lead to burnout and make you less effective.
● Researchers who analyzed 80+ studies found that taking regular breaks can keep you feeling energized AND increase your productivity.
The key is to make sure you follow a few guidelines.
What you do during your breaks — and how long they last — most definitely matters.
Here are just a few ways to get the most out of your productivity-boosting breaks:
● Going outside for a walk is better than stretching at your desk
● Being active during your break can give you a quick shot of energy
● In the morning, think about short, frequent breaks — even if it’s just to grab a healthy snack or look outside
● Later on, longer breaks can be more effective
● If you work at home, hanging out with your pet can give you a boost of feel-good energy
● Spending time on social media isn’t the best idea: it can actually leave you emotionally exhausted AND reduce your creativity
It’s true, some of this can be easier said than done.
If you’re on autopilot (which so many of us are!), it can be hard to check in and notice how you’re using your energy or if you need a break…
And before you know it?
You’re too tired to work out…
Meal prep gets put on the backburner…
And all of a sudden, you’re starting over again.
How to let negativity bounce off you From A St Johns Wood Personal Trainer
I don’t know who needs to hear this but…
Everyone — and I mean everyone! — struggles with their motivation and mindset sometimes.
But that doesn’t mean you give up.
Instead, you have to get tactical.
So, today I want to share a couple of simple tools you can use to keep yourself on track when you’re not feeling it.
They’re affirmations and intentions — and they might be different than you think!
Sometimes they get lumped in the “woo-woo” category but they’re actually backed by studies.
☑️ Affirmations boost brain activity, help you stick with healthy habits, improve self-control, and even help you feel happier and more fulfilled.
☑️ Intentions can help motivate you to follow through on your specific goals.
Together, they help you build momentum.
But what’s the difference? Here’s one way to think of them:
☔️ Affirmations are like an umbrella, protecting you from negativity and distractions by keeping them from you. ☂️ Intentions are all about the things you do UNDER the umbrella to make your goals a reality!
Affirmations vs. Intentions
Affirmations are:
● focused on changing beliefs and attitudes
● aspirational, helping you change or create a positive thought pattern
● usually have a longer-term focus
Here are a few examples of healthy affirmations:
● I am strong, healthy, and full of energy
● My body is resilient, capable, and strong
● I respect my body with nourishing food and regular exercise
Intentions are:
● focused on guiding your actions or behaviors
● practical, focusing on how you want to live, act, or what you want to achieve
● usually focused on your day or a specific task
Here are some examples of intentions:
● I’m going to give it 100% during my workout today
● My food choices today will support my health and fitness goals
● Today I will listen to my body and rest when needed
When was the last time you set an intention for the day? It’s not too late to create one today! 😉
Committed to Your Success,
Imran Ilahi
www.frlondon.com
when do you start your day from A St Johns Wood Personal Trainer
I have a little mindset experiment for you today that just might blow your mind.
What if instead of thinking of your day starting when you WAKE UP in the morning…
You flipped it so that your day begins when you go to bed at night?
Say what?
Hang with me for a sec… because even though this might sound weird, it’s worth trying.
That’s because sleep is SO IMPORTANT it deserves to be a priority (e.g., one of the first things you do) vs. an afterthought (the last thing you do).
Starting your day with a solid 7-8 hours of quality sleep lays the foundation for not only a great day, but for deep health & wellness.
Sleep is basically nutrition for your brain.
If you don’t get enough of it, it can mess with your stress hormones, your hunger hormones, and even the hormones that help your body turn food into energy.
And there’s more…
Being sleep-deprived can interfere with your decision-making skills because it dulls your brain’s frontal lobe. This affects your ability to be focused, sharp, and make great decisions.
And that’s not even getting into alllll the other things that happen when you’re sleeping (like removing waste from your brain, cell repair, and more).
When you prioritize your sleep, you are prioritizing feeling GREAT.
These are the kinds of “little things” (that are actually BIG things!) that we work on in
Committed to Your Success,
Imran Ilahi
wake up call From A St Johns Wood Personal Trainer
I’ve got a BIG wake-up call for you today — about SLEEP!
Did you know that if you don’t get enough sleep, your risk for heart disease and heart attack goes up…
… no matter your age, your weight, how much you exercise, or whether you smoke?!!!
😱
Plus, not getting enough sleep is linked with:
● Cognitive decline & dementia
● Depression
● Obesity
I know I talk about sleep a lot, but the fact is…
One of the BEST things you can do for yourself — mind, body, and spirit! — is set yourself for a good night of sleep every night.
You’ll recover from your workouts better… have a lot more energy the next day… you’ll make better decisions… you’ll be more focused… and you’ll be able to perform at your very best.
And getting enough sleep can help:
● Boost your immune system and mood,
● Improve brain function,
● Lower your risk of chronic diseases
Here are a few great ways to boost your sleep:
● Get fresh air and sunshine during the day
● Work out or squeeze in some activity early in the day
● Make sure you go to bed early enough so you can get 7+ hours of sleep
● Don’t drink coffee or other caffeinated drinks after lunch
● Limit (or avoid!) alcohol
● Don’t eat heavy foods before bed
● Create a nighttime wind-down routine to let your body know when it’s time to go to sleep
● Dim your screens at night or use a blue light filter
● Use app-blocking tools to avoid late-night scrolling on your phone
And maybe most importantly, really listen to your body.
When you have a GREAT night of sleep, notice what helped you make it happen… and do more of that! 😴
Your heart will love these 10 food tips From A St Johns Wood Personal Trainer
Don’t you love a list?
I do… especially if it cuts through the hype and makes my life EASY.
That’s why I borrowed this list from the American Heart Association for you.
It outlines 10 simple ways to streamline what you eat to help keep your heart (and entire body!) healthy, fit, and strong.
And the best part?
These tips will also help move you closer to your health/fitness goals.
You’ll also see they aren’t focused on deprivation OR perfection — instead, it’s all about eating delicious, healthy, and nutrient-packed food!
10 Ways to Show Your Heart Some Love (with FOOD!)
- Balance calories with physical activity — don’t eat more food than you can burn off
- Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables — choose lots of colorful produce
- When you eat grains, make sure they are whole (not processed) — read those labels!
- Include healthy protein sources at every meal
- Use liquid non-tropical plant oils like avocado and olive oil
- Eat minimally processed foods — focus on “real” whole foods as much as you can
- Avoid added sugars — they’re just empty calories that drain your energy and your health, plus they’re linked with weight gain
- Cut back on salt — according to the FDA, 90% of us (!!!) eat too much sodium… aim for less than 2,300 mg a day (about 1 teaspoon)
- Limit alcohol (or avoid it!)
- Put this list on repeat for all your meals and snacks
Committed to your success,
The Elephant in the Room
What’s standing between you and your weight loss goals?
It can be like the elephant in the room…
We know it’s there, but we ignore it, hoping it’ll go away on its own.
But these hurdles drain your energy… resources… and confidence.
And worst yet, they reinforce the old stories we tell ourselves about our ability to change.
Example:
A client told me that during the pandemic, she got into the habit of having a glass of wine before dinner — every single night. (Let’s call her Sara.)
It became given for her. Once she got home from work, out came the wine bottle.
Because Sara was trying to lose weight, that wine habit became her elephant in the room.
BUT… this isn’t even about the wine.
It’s about ANYTHING that helps you “numb out” from the day… a bowl of ice cream, a couple of hours playing video games, a nighttime TV habit, or doom scrolling on your phone.
At some point those habits were serving you in some way — maybe they provided a temporary comfort, a distraction, or helped you escape stress.
👉 But the fact is that now, they’re an obstacle between you and your goals.
Do YOU have any “numbing out” habits that aren’t serving you any longer?
But if you start by targeting those unhelpful habits one by one, before you know it you’ll gain a huge amount of momentum — and be that much closer to crushing your goals.
AND… bonus! Just acknowledging those “elephants” helps take away their power.
Nothing to eat in the house
Picture this: You finally get home after a long day and your stomach is growling.
So you tell yourself, “Time for a healthy, home-cooked meal!”
But then you raid your fridge, cabinets, and…
Not a healthy option in sight.
If this sounds familiar, you are NOT alone.
And it doesn’t just happen with home-cooked meals. Without careful attention, other healthy habits can quickly fall off your radar, too.
Like when your schedule gets a little out of control and you let a few workouts slide…
Or you end up staying up too late one night and spend the rest of the week trying to catch up on your sleep.
We unintentionally create so many unnecessary obstacles that block us from reaching our goals!
👉 Good news: I’ve got a simple formula that will help you stop that from happening…
So you can take control of your environment — and get those results you’re working toward.
All you have to do is come up with a “one-two action plan” that:
→ Makes it easy to stick to your goals.
→ Makes it tough to stray off course.
Here are a couple of examples…
If your goal is to have healthy food available at home:
● Make it easy: Come up with a meal plan and system for your grocery shopping (or maybe even opt for healthy meal delivery or a grocery pick-up!)
● Make it tough to mess up: Don’t keep junk food at home
If your goal is to work out regularly:
● Make it easy: Keep your gym gear in your car
● Make it tough to skip: Join a fitness studio on your commute home, or hire a coach who will keep you accountable
If your goal is to sleep 7-8 hours a night:
● Make it easy: Set a regular sleep schedule and stick with it
● Make it tough to skip: Create a relaxing nighttime routine to prep for bed, and set a reminder on your phone at the allotted time every night
See the pattern? It’s about setting up your space to encourage good habits and discourage the not-so-good.
So, here’s a challenge/invitation for you…
This week, identify one thing you can adjust to help you stay on track — and another that’ll stop you from slipping.
Then, take action!
Simple changes, big results. (Love that!)
Why you need to work backward
You’ve heard the saying, “Begin with the end in mind,” right?
It’s near the top of Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Successful People.
The saying sounds straightforward, but “the end” he’s referring to?
There’s actually a TWIST.
When you create a vision for yourself — aka your goals — you create it TWICE.
● First, in your mind
● Second, in your physical life
And here’s the kicker:
The vision you create in your mind is the BLUEPRINT for what you physically create.
This is why it is SO IMPORTANT to keep the end — what you really want — in mind. And to think about it often!
If you want to take it next level and solidify it (and separate yourself from the majority), then write it down in a journal.
When you do that, your vision becomes your TEMPLATE for success.
On the flip side, when you’re not intentional about keeping your vision in mind, then your circumstances (and other people!) can start to shape what that “end” looks like.
And when this happens, there’s a good chance that the “end” will serve them (or your circumstances) more than it serves YOU.
So, take some time over the next couple of days to create that “end” vision for yourself — and then come up with a strategy to keep it in mind.
And if you want a pro-level tip? Read it first thing every day when you wake up to prime your mind and get you focused!
8 reasons to work out that AREN’T weight loss from a St johns wood Personal Trainer
Hi
A while ago I conducted a non-scientific (but still eye-opening!) poll.
I asked a bunch of people who had a regular workout routine WHY they exercised.
A lot of these people were in their 60s, 70s, and beyond, and most of them had been working out for decades.
Their answer: The mood and mental health benefits!
There is REAL science to back that up. We usually associate cardio with lifting your spirits, but it turns out strength training is also a MAJOR mood and mental health booster.
Studies show that strength training can help with:
● Less anxiety
● Lower depression
● Sharper thinking
● Better memory
● More energy & less chronic fatigue
● Better sleep
● More confidence and self-esteem
● Plus an even longer list of physical health benefits
Still, if you’ve never tried strength training before, getting started can seem a little intimidating.
You start losing this at 30… From A St Johns Wood Personal Trainer
Good Morning
I probably don’t have to ask you if you’ve ever thought about “losing weight” or “burning fat” — but how often do you think about building muscle?
If you’re like most people, you probably don’t give your muscles much thought until you go to pick up something heavy or throw on a swim suit.
But here’s a surprising fact:
Although the idea of building muscle is typically linked with how we look, your muscles are closely linked with your overall health – and also with the aging process.
Here are 7 reasons to build more muscle, starting right now:
1. You start losing muscle around the age of 30. 🤯
Yes, you read that right. On average, people lose around 3%-8% each decade… and then it speeds up after you turn 60.
The sooner you get started on building your muscle “bank,” the better!
Muscle loss is one of the top causes of disability for older people – they become too weak to live alone and are more prone to falls and injuries.
2. You’ll build stronger bones.
Did you know that many people start losing about 1% of their bone mass PER YEAR after the age of 40?
Stressing your bones (when you’re doing it in a healthy way through strength training!) will help boost your bone density and cut the risk of osteoporosis and fractures when you get older.
3. It can help you manage chronic conditions.
Lifting weights can help you cut back on symptoms of arthritis, chronic pain, heart disease, depression, diabetes, and obesity.
4. It can help with fat loss.
If you’re trying to lose weight, strength-training workouts are an important tool – and they can help you keep (and maybe even build a little) muscle as you get leaner.
5. It can help sharpen your thinking.
Studies link regular strength training and aerobic exercise with better brain function. 🧠
6. It’ll improve your quality of life. Your everyday activities get easier – starting ASAP! Plus, it can improve your balance and protect your joints from injury.
7. It helps you keep your balance.
Again, this can help you avoid slip & fall accidents now and as you get older.
Plus… having toned muscles is great for your confidence and energy level!
The sooner you get started, the sooner you’ll start feeling (and seeing) results.
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