I'm currently taking a week out. A rare treat for me, as it's the first true break I've had from both work and working out this year.
Sometimes I do or see things that suddenly remind me just how far I've come with the lifestyle changes I've made. For example after checking in for my outbound flight, I headed to an airport eatery for breakfast. In the past I would've chosen an unhealthy fried meal. Today I opted for scrambled egg on gluten free toast with smoked salmon. Similarly I ensured I had sufficient water to keep me hydrated for the journey. The "old me", who I saw many of on the same flight, chose to consume alcohol instead.
These might not sound spectacularly huge differences, but I do feel that the choices I make these days are based on being better informed about what I am doing, and more importantly what impact they have on my health and well-being.
This short vacation straddles the tail-end of my most recent workout programme with Luke Bremner Fitness. An aim this time around has been to focus on the restricted overhead movement I've had in my shoulders. As always Luke has done a seriously good job of assisting me. The strength in my arms and the flexibility in my shoulders are both greatly improved.
A couple of Tuesday mornings ago, whilst trying to complete a dumbbell Cuban Press routine at LBF, Luke could see that I was starting to struggle. He then said something to me, that would prove to be very effective, "Relax Derek." I immediately stopping panicking about what I was asking my body to do, and completed the set with ease.
Since then Luke has used the word "Relax" several times during my Tuesday morning routine to aid and guide me. I've also adopted a new technique with my home workout routines, where I take a few extra seconds at the beginning of each exercise to ensure that both my mind and my body are as relaxed as they possibly can be. The results I've achieved doing this, have been amazing.
If you're like me and have been struggling with a specific type of exercise or can't push through a particular weight barrier, then I strongly urge you to do what Luke says, and relax. I'm confident you'll also be astonished at what you can achieve.
