Some say that the act of running isn’t the hardest part of starting to run, it’s getting out the front door!

In this series of short posts I’ll help you establish a running habit. Unlike many beginner running articles we WON’T start with the first step outside but rather by tackling some of the obstacles that lurk behind the front door so that you can smooth the pathway to progress.

I’ll get this out there from the get-go. There will be times when you question the relevance of the tips shared. If you stick with the series there will be times when you feel frustrated and feel like you’re getting nowhere. Please trust the process - it brings together all the cornerstones I have used personally to start and keep me running as well as maintain an early morning walk, meditation practice and learning a new language.

Let’s get started…

Grab yourself a notebook (great excuse to buy a new one….stationery addiction anyone?). This first task is simple in one respect and massive in another. It won’t take you long to do and, as promised, doesn’t require any movement apart from your pen! But it will set the scene and give you a point of reference as things get more challenging.

Think about your ultimate running goals and complete this sentence.

By the end of this month I will…

This might be a distance goal, for example:

• ‘Get out and cover one mile’.

It might be activity or pace related, for example:

• ‘To run, walk, jog or jeff a mile'‘.

Jeffing is a run/walk technique developed by Olympian, Jeff Galloway which allows runners to build stamina and distance with much less strain. I’ve used the technique to help me complete many a marathon.

Or you might prefer a frequency goall:

• ‘ To run 2 times a week irrespective of distance covered’.
  

Now it’s time to think about and WRITE DOWN your reasons for wanting to achieve your ultimate running goal. Here are some prompts to help you:

• In what ways will your life be better for achieving this goal?

• What benefits will it bring?

• What impact will it have on your day to day?

• What possibilities will it open up for you?

• Is this goal linked to an even bigger ‘ONE DAY’ goal?

And if you want to share your thoughts with me, you can email me at connect@clubsynergy.co.uk I’d love to read them and promise to get back to you.

See you again soon for part 2!

Kelly

Raising your heart rate can raise your bottom line!

What if there was something you could do for 20 mins that would give you 2 hours more creative and productive time in your business, would you do it?

And if that thing involved getting a little out of breath, would you still do it?

I am of course referring to raising your heart rate with a little exercise.

Research has shown that doing something that raises your heart rate for just 20 minutes has a significant effect on your productivity and creativity for up to 2 hours afterwards.

Exercise directly impacts our creativity, focus and problem solving abilities by generating Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor - chemicals that feed the parts of the brain responsible for focus and problem solving.

So what kind of exercise helps us be more productive and creative?

Basically anything that raises your heart rate into the aerobic zone. So brisk walking, running, a short online dance workout, some forms of yoga....the list is pretty much as long as you want it to be. If it raises your heart rate, it also boosts your brain!

And this in turn boosts your business...

The benefits are not just short term. Research by neuroscientist Dr Wendy Suzuki has shown that regular aerobic exercise also reduces the risk of developing dementia by up to 30%. Amazingly, the Alzheimer's Society have put the figure at 60% reduced risk when exercise is combined with stress reduction, lowering alcohol intake and developing healthier eating habits.

Ok so for some of us, the risk of Alzheimers may be far into the future, with the more immediate concern being the current state of our own and our business health.

Deep down we KNOW that we feel better, make clearer decisions, have a sense of flow to our days and make nicer partners, parents and colleagues when we make time to exercise.

But....

1. the desire to serve our clients and customers, and put their needs first

2. juggling doing with growing and planning and

3. An outdated but heavily programmed sense of guilt about taking time out for us during the working day

All make it hard to commit to even 20 minutes of exercise.

So how can we overcome these barriers?

The research shows that the productivity and creative benefits from exercise come immediately after the event, so fighting the mind monster that says......

"You can't go for a run or to the gym in working hours"

Needs to be addressed.

As business owners, most of us will have the luxury of being able to, if not control, then certainly influence our working hours. We CAN block out a couple of 30 minute slots a week, call the appointment DEVELOPMENT and take that time to build in a walk or a short workout.

And yes putting on Spotify or Apple Music and dancing round the office DOES count! Remind yourself that this 30 minute investment will energise you for the next two hours. Making it far more likely that what you produce in those hours will be so much better than the output of chaining yourself to the seat and staring blankly at the screen.

And if you use the post-workout time for activities that grow your business then all the better - planning, sales calls, bundling and scheduling your social media content for the week.

Ok now that we have given ourselves permission to move more during the working day, let's look at how to get started incorporating exercise into your week.

Often, starting a new exercise habit falls by the wayside as soon as life (and business) get in the way. I would suggest that is because we try to do too much, too soon.

We tell ourselves that of course we will be able to go to the gym, three lunch times a week.

Then all it takes is that client email that pops into your inbox at 12,45 to scupper your plans. Before you know it the afternoon has gone and you promise yourself that you'll start again tomorrow....sound familiar?

The secret? Start small, ridiculously small. And the starting point may not be what you assume it will be.

Let's try a little experiment...

Grab a post-it note.

1. First of all write down WHY you want to start or continue exercising

I'm guessing that your answer might include things like, to invest in my longer term health, to keep up with the kids, to feel better and perhaps drop a couple of pounds, to have more energy, to be able to complete a physical challenge like Kiltwalk or a 10k run.

Stick this post it somewhere you will see it regularly while you're working.

2. Now write done ALL the reasons and excuses you have given for not sticking to an exercise habit...

- too busy
- not enough time
- can't run
- no classes near me
- no one to go with
- no one to watch the kids

And cnoose ONE of these reasons/excuses.


3. Now write down all ways that could help you achieve your aim.

Consider things that seem really 'off limits' right now like hiring a personal assistant to do all your admin, taking on a live in nanny to look after children, hiring a personal trainer to come to your home/office as well as things your trusted friends would suggest and really practical suggestions too.

I'm going to ask you to consider each of the ideas you've written down and answer these questions:

- If this idea feels a bit 'out there', is there a more practical version you could adopt?

For example, you might not be able to hire a nanny, but could you arrange a reciprocal arrangement with a fellow business owner?

- On a scale of 1 to 10, how big an impact would this idea have in helping you overcome your main barrier to exercise?

Any idea scoring 7 or above gets marked with a STAR

- On a scale of 1 to 10 what is the likihood of me doing it?

Any idea scoring 7 or above gets marked with a HEART

Is this idea a one-off thing or something you could see yourself doing on a regular basis?

Any idea that could be done on a regular basis, gets circled.

Now look for the idea that has a STAR, HEART and is circled. This is a golden starter habit.

But we're not quite done yet, as your starter habit is probably still too big to guarantee longer term success.

Write down what a scaled back, 2 minute version of the habit looks like.

So…

- looking after each other's children for an hour, becomes check with your business owner friend what their availability is each week on a Monday

- one 20 minute walk a week, becomes taking 2 minutes away from the desk and walking round the room

- running 5km becomes putting on your running shoes or putting on your kit (perhaps under your work clothes) on the morning you will eventually start running.

Now here is your homework…

Put this 2 minute habit into practice this week and once you've completed it celebrate like crazy! In performing the habit and celebrating it, you are creating new neural pathways and setting yourself up for success.

The idea is that the habit is sooooo easy to do, it's almost impossible not to be able to do it and in turn you build up the desire to do more.

Repeat this micro habit for a week or two and then scale up your commitment. So your 2 minute walk round the room, becomes 5 minutes down the street/round the garden.

Putting on your trainers becomes running outside for 2 minutes.

Checking in with your friend becomes leaving your child with your friend for 5 minutes and stepping outside.

And both changing your mindset and changing your habits become even easier with a sprinkling of accountability thrown in, so to help with that, I would love you to try ONE MONTH free access to Club Synergy - helping you carve out the time for exercise AND working ON your business

We’ve all heard the term and probably think we don’t need one. There’s no way you could be addicted to your phone, is there? You decide when to use and when not to use it, don’t you?

Research suggests otherwise with a scary 61% of people addicted to the internet and digital screens. Almost two-thirds of device users would benefit from a Digital Detox - A set period of time away from smartphones, computers, tablets and televisions.

If that last sentence sent a shiver down your spine, read on…

Signs you might benefit from a Digital Detox

• you constantly check your ‘phone

• you find it hard to concentrate in between ‘scrolls’

• when you can’t find your mobile, you experience feelings of fear, panic or distress

• your children, partner, friends tell you that you’re never really ‘there’ even when you’re in the same space

Makes for some tough and pointed reading, doesn’t it? It was a comment from my youngest daughter that made me question my own level of connectivity and start more mindful mobile use. Before that, I would justify my device use by telling myself that the reason I was always online was to be there for the members of my community, after all I am running a business! On closer inspection there was a big dose of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) driving my constant compulsion but in stepping away from the phone and stepping outdoors much more often. I’ve experienced real benefits. And so could you.

Why should you consider a Digital Detox?

Being constantly connected impacts our health, family and social life. It can affect our sleep, our self-worth and our significant relationships. Here are 5 reasons to ditch digital for a little while now and again.

1. To connect whole-heartedly and whole-mindedly with others, give the important people in your life the attention they deserve and avoid the guilt that follows questions like - “Daddy, do you love your phone more than me?”

2. To reduce the impact of blue light from our screens on our sleep. We know that blue light hitting the eyes sends signals to the brain that it’s time to be awake and alert. Breaking the habit of bedtime scrolling will promote better sleep.

3. To tune into the creativity and productivity that follows engaging with nature and working with analogue material - an excuse for a new fancy notebook if ever there was one!

4. To build your attention span, research suggests that the average human now has a shorter attention span than the proverbial goldfish! (goldfish 9 seconds, Average human 8 seconds!)

5. To enable you to focus on ‘deep work’ and get the things that really matter, done.

So if I’ve held your attention longer than a goldfish, let’s take a look at ways to make digital detox as painless as possible.

How do you detox digitally?

The secret is to start really small and specific and build from there. Too much too soon and we know that you’ll soon be back to responding to every ping, pop-up and promotion! (It’s not your fault, the feel-good chemicals released when we pick up our device to respond have your brain stuck in a habit loop!)

Here are some suggestions to get you started:

• Set a time goal for your detox, whether that’s 1 hour each day or a day each week, pledge to be unplugged

• Agree with all family members that mealtimes are device-free zones

• Set a specific time of day to check emails, messages and notifications and stick to it! (Ok, maybe a couple of time slots per day is more do-able and less likely to have you stressing about all the stuff you might be missing!)

• Turn off notifications on your phone and pick up your computer or laptop only

• Invest in a basic phone for calls and texts only or turn on the ‘greyscale’ or eye comfort feature on your existing smartphone - much less of a dopamine hit than all those lovely colours so your mobile becomes much less attractive

• Get outside and go for a walk when you’re tempted to dive for the device - replacing one habit with a much healthier one.

• Join a regular class, event or get-together where mobiles are not allowed - detox and new connections!

And if you really want to ditch the device (for a couple of hours, I’m not a monster!) boost your well-being and delve into deep work look out for my new In-Person Active Accountability sessions popping up in the New Year!