The past week, I’ve decided to really focus on creating new habits for a happier me. It’s the foundational steps into becoming better and becoming the person I want to be. While it’s only been a week, I’m already noticing a small difference in how I’m feeling mentally.
I’m hoping these small steps will have a big impact on my mental and physical well-being. And this post is to help solidify these habits and help me stick with them, especially when things get a little rough. The aim is if I tell people what I’m doing, I’m more than likely going to follow through with my statement rather than keeping it to myself.
So, let’s delve into my plans.
At the gym and beyond – well my exercise plans
This is one of the big things I want to focus on. while creating new habits for a happier me. I’ve gained far more weight than what I would’ve liked over the last year and it’s made me feel gross. I really don’t like the image I see in the mirror most of my pants/shorts no longer fit. I tend to gain fat around my bum, hips and thighs so it’s incredibly noticeable to me how much thicker my thighs have become.
So, at the gym I’m currently following Natacha Oceane’s Restart program. I’ve been following it for a while, but my inconsistencies have led me to only now finish week five. Once I complete this program I plan on completing her CUT program to see if that helps.
Restart starts with three gym based workouts and a mobility workout before increasing to five gym based workouts and a mobility workout. Week five has two lower body workouts, one upper body workout, one full body and HIIT workout, and one mobility workout. The mobility workouts are also optional.
Today I finished the second lower body workout and have now completed all the gym based workouts. Week six changes it up a little. It has two lower body workouts, two upper body workouts, one full body and HIIT workout and the optional mobility workout.
I’m following Natacha Oceane’s Restart program and have been slowly making my way through it. As I’m writing this I’ve got one lower body workout left, but hopefully, as you’re reading this I’ve actually finished. One of the lower body workouts also focuses on one strength move. So, for week six it’s back squats, week seven is deadlifts and week eight is back squats again.
What makes it easier to get into the gym is the fact that I work right next to it. I’m there four days to five days a week so it’s just tailoring the time I workout to suit when I’m rostered on for work. Thankfully most of the time the gym is pretty quiet so it makes it easier again.
The way I’m making the program work in my life is:
Sunday: Rest day or a workout if I feel good
Monday: Lower body
Tuesday: Upper body
Wednesday: Full body and HIIT
Thursday: Lower body
Friday: Upper body
Saturday: Netball time
I also plan on including short 10-20 minute mobility workouts every few days (hopefully to become daily), and one to two swims per week. This week was one. It will probably be one until I get used to being in the gym five times a week.
Improving my strength, mobility and stability has become a necessity to help prevent injuries.
I’m also riding to and from work whenever I can. There are four shifts throughout the day and when I have the morning or afternoon shift it makes riding easy. Whereas if I have the open I drive and when I have the close it depends on how I’m feeling as to whether I drive, catch public transport or ride. Going into winter makes things a little bit tricker – but we’ll see how I go. At the moment it’s an 8-9km ride one way, but it’ll increase in a couple of weeks when I move lightly further away.
And I’ll be running whenever I feel like it. Hopefully two to three times a week, although I haven’t run at all this week. I’m hoping that by riding and running I’m getting a decent amount of cardio without going out of my way to add cardio into my routine. If that makes sense?
Hydration is key
Something I struggle with is drinking enough water. By increasing my exercise load I think it will definitely help increase my water intake. But I’m hoping to drink between 2-3 litres of water a day. I’m aiming for two and aiming to build my way up to three litres. My work also makes it easy to drink more water. I can easily get one litre down per shift,
Book club time
I want to start reading more again, so, I’m going to dedicate half an hour every day to reading. I have so many books I want to read. There’s no better time than now to get reading. I’m currently reading a mystery and a spy thriller and I hope to expand to some self-development books too. We’ll see what happens. I think I have a very niche taste in books.
Getting social
Now, this one is a big one. I’ve kind of hidden myself away and isolated myself. I’ve been feeling very lonely as of late and it’s a spiralling effect. Once I feel bad/off with one aspect of my life then the rest tend to go downhill too. So, I’m aiming to see friends a little more often. I have one particular friend that I’ve reconnected with and she makes me feel amazing. We’ve caught up a few times over the past few weeks and I’ve already noticed a difference in how I’m feeling. The fact that we’re both journalists makes it a little easier.
And these are the first things I plan working on while creating new habits for a happier me. I hope I continue building on them and that I can stick with things. I’ll be documenting my becoming better journey on here and on YouTube (eventually).
Are there any habits that have changed your life?
