Instructor, Lisa

Yoga has boomed in popularity in recent years – and there are a lot of good reasons why.

From the physical benefits to improving your mental health, yoga is packed full of the key ingredients you need to succeed in your other sporting endeavours, your personal relationships, and your professional life.

Thinking about yoga might make you consider trying Pilates too. We’ve got you covered - you can find out more about the benefits of Pilates in this blog post.

But we’re here to talk about yoga, and all the fantastic things it does for your body, mind, and spirit. Let’s get into it!

Yoga Improves Sports Performance

A small 2020 study on football players showed that adding yoga into their fitness routine for 10 weeks helped them to prevent injury, plus reduced muscle fatigue and soreness.

It might not seem immediately obvious, but yoga makes us stronger. Never mind weight training – being able to hold your own body up (which many poses require you to do) is pretty cool.

Yoga also increases your endurance. The practice opens up your posture which heightens your respiratory capacity.

This ultimately means you will perform more efficiently with increased speed and power. Something that all athletes – whether professional, recreational or weekend warrior – will want!

Yoga Increases Range of Motion

Yoga encompasses a huge variety of movements, and you end up activating muscles that you may not use in your other sports.

By performing this realignment of your body and increasing your range of motion, you are also improving your...

• Flexibility

• Balance

• Agility

• Core

• Co-ordination

• Posture

All of which help to reduce your risk of injury. What’s not to love?

This has especially huge benefits if you are a runner, as so many of your muscles will tighten up while you’re training.

Yoga Helps You Relax

Yoga is a mindful practice. As with Pilates, a huge amount of emphasis is placed on your breathing.

The more you focus on the breath, the more relaxed you feel. This focus actively helps to relieve stress and reduce your anxiety and irritability. As a result, it also improves your sleep patterns.

Yoga is a Brain Booster

Practising yoga increases your clarity of mind and focus, which ripples into every other aspect of your life.

Waking up your muscles increases your blood circulation, making you more alert and energetic. The more energy you have, the more productive and focused you are.

All of this combines to help get your creative juices flowing. That bright spark of an idea you’ve been looking for could be just around the corner- and yoga could be the key to unlocking it.

Yoga Keeps You Grounded

More than anything else, yoga makes us present. By clearing your mind of clutter, you become more aware of not just your body, but your mind too.

Yoga roots you firmly in the present moment you are experiencing. It allows you to just be, in a world that never stands still.

Hopefully, this blog has shown you just how brilliant yoga is for every part of your life. Your body, your brain, and your business will thank you if you start this lovely practice.

You don’t need to do a super long session either – just ten minutes each day will give you amazing results.

You might think you aren’t flexible enough, but that’s exactly why you should add yoga to your routine. You’ll feel the benefits of a stretch quickly and improve your flexibility at the same time. It’s a win-win!

If you want to try out yoga for the first time or get back into it after a break, come along to one of our NETworkout yoga sessions.

Hosted every Friday morning at 8.30 am, the session begins with a quick networking opportunity, where you can have a chinwag with some of our lovely members. Then your session will be led by either the gorgeous Vicki or Lisa – you can meet more of our team here.

You can grab your 14-day free trial to experience the best of what Club Synergy has to offer here.

We can’t wait to welcome you soon!

Image by Sydney Sims

Burnout has become an increasingly common affliction in the past few years – so  much so that a 2020 survey showed that two-thirds of employees in the UK have  experienced it.  

Burnout is something of a creeper – it gradually gets worse and it doesn’t go away  on its own. Plus, it is still something of a taboo subject, especially for business owners. 

Looking after our body and mind is the most important thing we can do – so why  do we struggle so much to prioritise ourselves? 

Let’s break the stigma, shall we?  

This blog will explore the causes and symptoms of burnout, before giving you  effective strategies to break the cycle. 

What is Burnout?

Burnout is when you find yourself in “a state of physical and emotional exhaustion”. 

Burnout isn’t having a few overwhelming days in the office. Burnout occurs when  you feel exhausted all the time, no matter what you’re doing, because of long term stress. 

What Can Cause Burnout?

Burnout can be caused by: 

• An unmanageable workload  

• A lack of work/life balance 

• Working from home 

• Money issues  

• Concerns about job security  

You could also experience burnout due to personal circumstances, but we’re going  to stick to the professional ones here. 

What are the signs of burnout?  

Here are a few key signs to look out for: 

Feeling tired 

I don’t mean having a few days with low energy – it’s endless fatigue. 

This can lead to sleep issues and having no energy left to contribute to other areas  of your life.  

A Pessimistic Outlook  

If you’re experiencing burnout, it can be hard to find joy in life. When this is your  daily feeling, rather than occasionally having negative thoughts, it’s a red flag. 

You may also feel helpless or trapped, and full of self-doubt. 

Feelings of Isolation  

Feeling alone is a key symptom of burnout – you aren’t sure others will understand  what you’re going through.  

This also leads you to become detached, acting irritable and impatient towards the  people you’re closest to. 

Poor Work Performance  

Burnout will lead you to become disengaged, less creative, prone to procrastination, and more easily distracted. Tasks will take much longer to  complete than they should as a result. 

There can also be physical symptoms, such as regular headaches. 

This sounds like a lot of doom and gloom, but understanding what to look for is  how you break the cycle. 

Let’s get into that now! 

How to Break the Cycle  

Find Your Support Network  

Having people you can rely on in tough times is key. 

You might want to talk to your family, partner, or friends. Or, you might need an  entirely different sounding board.  

Building up a group of other professionals can be an amazing resource when  you’re struggling, as they will understand what you’re going through. 

Open and honest conversations will help you to feel a million times lighter – and  show you that you aren’t alone. 

Make Self-Care A Priority  

When you feel overwhelmed, you often stop taking care of yourself.  

You deserve the best, so build some healthy habits into your day. Make sure that  your daily routine includes some ‘me’ time. 

Have a bath, read a book, and get a good night’s sleep. Giving your mind a  moment to relax regularly will work wonders.

Set Boundaries  

I can’t shout about this one enough: take time off!  

Your time outside of work is precious – and you probably need to give yourself  more of it. Keep your evenings and weekends sacred. Don’t answer your emails  and put your phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’ – there are very few things that can’t wait.  

By giving yourself time to switch off, your mind and body reset, which can help  you think about things differently. 

Move Your Body  

Unleash endorphins with some gentle exercise. The benefits of exercise for stress  management are long proven, and it can be so helpful for breaking the burnout  cycle.  

Engage in any activity you like, and make sure it’s something you enjoy. You’re  again giving yourself the joy of ‘me time’, with some health benefits chucked in for  good measure. 

Hopefully, this blog has helped you understand what burnout is, the signs to look  for, and how to break the cycle.  

Burnout isn’t just bad for you - it’s bad for business. We spend so much time  working in and on our business. It should be something that lights a fire in our  belly! 

If you want to take control of your burnout, Club Synergy is here to help.  

Our NETwalking sessions give you an hour on the phone with a like-minded  business owner. You can chat about anything - not just about your business, but any issues you’re facing too. Plus, you get some mindful exercise in the process.  

We also offer a variety of at-home fitness classes, getting you away from your  screen to work up a sweat. From PT to Pilates and running clubs, there is  something for everyone.  

Click here to start your 14-day free trial today.

Your heart is racing, your cheeks are flushed and you are doing a fine impression of a deer stuck in the headlights…

Image by Austin Distel on Unsplash

You’ve just been asked to prepare a presentation and it’s needed tomorrow!

Often the temptation is to dive right in to PowerPoint or Canva and get lost down the rabbit hole of slide creation, jotting down your speaker’s notes as you go and hoping for the best.

While in this state of “gotta get it done”, taking some time out might be the last thing that comes to mind but in the (usually credited to a blunder) words of Ronald Reagan - sometimes “don’t just do something, stand there” is the better option.

And while at Club Synergy, we would always advocate going for a walk or gentle run over standing still to help fuel creativity, the principle is a sound one.

Taking 15-20 mins to plan your presentation, and really consider WHO you are presenting to will make sure your words and images hit the mark. Really thinking about your audience, has the added benefit of moving your focus from your performance to the recipient’s collective experience.

Review your AUDIENCE, while taking a short walk and the presentation will practically write itself on your return.

A is for AWARENESS - How aware of the subject matter, your company or you as presenter are members of your audience likely to be? What does that mean for the context you set your presentation in?

U is for UNITY - How likely is it that members of your audience will be in agreement with the subject of your presentation? Do they need to be influenced to consider an alternative view? Will differing views be represented in the audience? What does this mean for how/what you present?

D is for DEMOGRAPHICS - WHO will be in attendance? What is the make-up of the audience? In-company or wider representation? gender, age, cultures represented. Joining in in-person or online? What does this mean for your presentation content, delivery method, audio-visuals you might use?

I is for INVESTED - How invested do members of the audience need to be by the end of the presentation? Is your purpose to entertain, inform or facilitate action taking afterwards. How will you know if you have attained the level of investment you need during the presentation?

E is for ENVIRONMENT - What do you know about the physical environment you will be presenting in? (layout, temperature, access to toilets, background if presenting online etc) Does it need to be modified or changed in any way to ensure the most positive experience for your audience? How can you make sure this is done before the event?

N is for NEEDS - On top of considering the environment, what does each member of your audience NEED from your presentation. Do they need tangible evidence to re-present to their audience or convince a line manager to act differently. Do they need confidence that the action they are thinking of taking is the “right” one? Do members need to have their voices heard/an opportunity to question you or is a one-way flow more appropriate on this occasion?

C is for CREDIBILITY - Do people see you as a credible presenter for this topic area? If not, or if you are unsure, how can you establish your credibility quickly and without taking focus from the audience? Can you ask a widely trusted colleague to introduce you and the reason you have been asked to present? Do you need to circulate any information before the presentation?

E is for EXCLUSIONS - What should be LEFT OUT of your presentation? what is un-essential? What information could be better conveyed by a different medium? THIS COULD BE THE WHOLE PRESENTATION ;)

Good luck!