Following on from steps 1 and 2, let’s focus on what would make a great 3rd step.
Step 3 is Sleep!
Sleep is vital to improving our health, it’s where we grow, where our muscles rejuvenate and where all cells are rebuilt. When we are rested fully we also make far better decisions in life.
A tired person generally makes poor food choices, as they reach for foods to provide energy, when they simply haven’t rested enough to recover from the previous day’s activities. Think of substandard sleep as the pebble that starts an avalanche of poor choices.
Picture this scenario:
You’ve decided it’s time to get fit and healthy, you pick the activity you’re going to do and you decide the foods you’re giving up. This person fails because they haven’t thought about how they will recover from the extra activity and changes in diet.
The first area people don’t consider is spending the time focusing on how much energy they currently have available. This may seem back to front, but stay with me. Go to bed at a reasonable time without distractions, without your phone and without tv or music. Make sure your last meal is at least 3 hours before going to bed. After doing this for a few days to a week, you will wake up with more energy and clarity to tackle extra activity. A fully recovered, energised person doesn’t eat late at night and doesn’t over rely on caffeinated drinks to assist them through the days. A rested person chooses better foods that provide balanced energy output throughout the day.
I aim to be in bed ready to sleep at 9pm every night; I know that this will provide the recovery I need to grow from the day’s exercise. This allows my body to rejuvenate itself and prepare me to fly out of bed at 4am and into work and training.
Sleep is the most valuable, yet often overlooked, foundation block.
I also grab a nap every afternoon, I plan this into every day. This shouldn’t be confused with falling asleep randomly; I make it an appointment in my day and I go to bed and sleep. I try to drink a tea or coffee beforehand, this is because the caffeinated drink helps me spring back into the next appointment or training session upon awakening. The nap usually lasts between 20-40 minutes depending what’s available. Plan these into your day, I believe these naps are worth 1-2 hours of sleep at night. The siesta is common in many countries and you should consider implementing them into your day if possible.
Make sleep your highest priority, and watch your decisions improve. Build a consistent amount of sleep and rest. Remember the triangle previously mentioned, all sides need to be equal to improve. If sleep is good and consistent, food choices will improve and be chosen for the correct reason and exercise will be attended more consistently.
I look forward to providing more simple steps to an improved you, in this series.
Feel free to contact me, if you’d like to work with me on your specific goals.
Jonty
