Ups and Downs
Do you dip when you’re ovulating or 6 days before your period, or maybe during your period?
For my client it was her ovulation time and she said she felt like “she was disappearing into herself but thank goodness for these sessions because otherwise I would have sat down and not got up again!”
This experience is so normal and yet it’s so hard for us all to remember.
Our hustle culture keeps telling us to stay consistent throughout the month, to keep pushing on and really we can’t.
Our biology is going against us with that. We have dips, we lose motivation, we drop in energy, we sleep poorly some days and it can’t always be go, go, go.
I really wish for everyone who feels this to have the opportunity to take the rest when you need it. I know that life isn’t like that for many women though and let’s face it, our kids lives can’t go up and down with ours.
Oestrogen and Progesterone are closely linked to the neurotransmitters which control
> motivation
> mood
> drive
> enthusiasm
> confidence
> self esteem
So the hormone rollercoaster through our cycle and into perimenopause means we can’t rely on motivation to keep us doing what matters most to us. I don’t want to sound like I’m contradicting myself, I’m not saying “you can sleep when you’re dead” at all, but sometimes our brains trick us into thinking we can’t be bothered, don’t have the energy or can just wait until tomorrow.
Movement in any form is beneficial, so sometimes we don’t have the energy for a HIIT session but stretching and rolling might suit you instead.
Here are my best tips for keeping as consistent as possible through the rollercoaster - HINT you can’t rely on motivation!!
1.HAVE A PLAN: Don’t just throw in movement in the time that you have between 1 child’s bedtime and yours. You’re much more likely to fail at maintaining a commitment if you leave it to the end of the day and you give it a low priority. Pay yourself first and put time aside for you each day before anyone else.
2.CREATE A HABIT: Habits help you create a process that helps you stick to your plan. If you know what you’re going to do each day then it’s much easier to just turn up and do it without thinking. Get a coach who gives you something to do that progresses you, or have sessions saved in easy to find locations. Make your habit easy to fit in, obvious, rewarding and attractive to you.
3.ARE YOUR GENUINELY TIRED? Really think about whether the way you’re feeling is true, physical tiredness or if it’s mental exhaustion from mum life. Physical exhaustion may mean you don’t have the energy to do a training session, but you may have the energy to do something to benefit your body still. stretching walking meditating. Otherwise, start off session with a positive self check-in and get moving for 10 minutes. If you feel tired still at that point then it’s totally fine to stop and know that you can just come back tomorrow.
4. DON'T RELY ON MOTIVATION! Everything I've just mentioned about hormone and neurotransmitter changes means motivation is up and down at best. Motivation won't help you get out of bed when it's cold and dark. Connecting with what you value in life will! Getting clear on WHY you're exercising and then what that why gives you is the key to keeping consistent when your mind is telling you not to bother!
