Looking after your body, mind and soul is key to achieving optimal health. There are so many things we can do to protect and enhance our health and wellbeing and while sometimes it can feel overwhelming to start something new, I’ve got some tips on how to go about that too!

1. Exercise. Moving your body is key

When we exercise our body there are a number of magical things that happen. Firstly, movement is crucial for your lymphatic system. Try to start moving more every day, even if it means getting up to stretch every 20 minutes or doing a set of tricep dips while waiting for the kettle to boil (ah-hem… me!…) Finding an exercise that you enjoy is crucial! There’s no point sweating it out at the gym if you don’t enjoy it. Engaging in exercise that fits your lifestyle, body type, goals and needs are essential to maintaining your commitment as is finding the right teacher/trainer/instructor to guide you through it. You might even want to start classes with a friend, it’s always better doing things together and knowing you’re going to support each other.One of the important aspects of exercise is sweating! Sweat helps our body eliminate toxins and move fluids which can benefit your quality of life on a daily basis. Regular exercise is essential for holistic health: mental, physical, and emotional but If you don’t like to work up a sweat with exercise, try a relaxing infrared sauna to sweat the good stuff!

2. Drink more water

Our body is made up of around 70% water. Water is a natural compound in our body, making it essential to maintain health and wellness. This ‘liquid gold’ helps protects our Tissues, Spinal Cord, and Joints. It also helps the Body Remove Waste, aids in brain function, mood. digestion, eliminating waste and toxins and helps muscle.

The benefits of optimizing your water intake include increased energy, better immunity, boosted metabolism and healthier skin. For optimum health avoid drinking chemically treated water, and drinking water from plastic bottles. Filtered water is next level in taste, smell and health!

3. reduce stress

Stress can appear in various forms; physical, emotional and environmental. All these impact our health and wellbeing, depleting us of our precious energy reserves.

• Breathe deeply – Take a few minutes a day to practice mindful breathing. If you meditate or have been wanting to start, there is no better time than now!

• The act of mindful breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing the heart rate, boosting your mood, and improves overall health. Deep breathing helps to restore the mind and body, preparing you for rest and will improve your overall wellbeing.

• One of the trillion things I love about Pilates is the intentional focus on breathing.  Not only are you benefitting from the exercise itself to tone, strengthen and align your both, but for the entire session your mind is so deeply focussed on your body and breath! It’s not all the time that we truly connect to and deepen our breath, and if you’re not keen on meditating, make Pilates your movement mediation! Your body and mind will thank you – ppsssttt… click here to get my online Pilates program for 14 days free.

• Find activities that help you relaxing into zen – A hot epsom salt bath is an easy, relaxing way to soak up magnesium to soothe muscles, aches and pains. Relaxed muscles equals deeper relaxation. Ask your partner/husband or lover to give you a shoulder rub, or indulge and book yourself in for one! Put the kettle on and make your favourite hot drink and carve out some time for yourself, where you can sit quietly or read your favourite book or magazine.

• Sing and Dance like no one is watching! Experts swear by it, and I can too! There is no better way to release a wave of stress than to crank up the tunes to your favourite song and sing and dance your heart out. It’s such fun to let yourself go and get into the feel of a song, jumping around, dancing and allowing movement to flow through your body is one of the best ways to literally move through stress. Worried about it being too loud for your neighbours? Try a set of headphones

4. Get good quality sleep

We know 8-10 hours of sleep is a good indicator of a good night’s sleep. But we also need to look at the quality of that sleep.We could have 8-10 hours of broken sleep (hello to the mama’s out there!) but if we don’t get deep restful REM sleep, we aren’t going to be fully rested and energized for the day. The quality of sleep is a huge factor and needs attention. If you’re waking tired or are up multiple times through the night, have trouble getting to sleep then here are some steps to help you get some much needed sleep.Limit eating at least 2 hours before sleep – that way our body can get ready to wind down – rest and digest. If we go to bed on a full tummy chances are your body will be working hard to digest what’s inside instead of resetting and restoring! Let alone having an upset tummy will not help us sleep. Switching off electronic devices at least 1 hour before sleep, stimulating the mind before sleep will only prolong our body’s ability to naturally wind down and keeps us in the alert phase. Read, listen to gentle music, set your diffuser on with relaxing essential oils, stretch, meditate or practice mindful breathing to help you mind and body relax. Not only will you feel better but your energy will help your skin and mood glow – they don’t call it beauty sleep for nothing!

5. Have fun and be in the moment

There are times when we need to knuckle down and focus, do our work, meet deadlines, pay bills and keep the household running – that is part of life. Though when the scales start tipping and we spend more time doing ‘serious’ things we can get stuck and bogged down in a heavy state. Have you ever watched your children or nieces/nephews, friends’ babies and are in ore of how they have no other care in the world then enjoying the moment? Life seems so simple, huh? And it is hugely because they are focussed and present in the moment and playing.  Let this be our lesson to return to our inner child and have fun. What is it that you enjoy doing? I know for me it’s being outside and soaking up some healthy vitamin D, spending time in nature, walking, catching up with friends, picnics, laughing and playing with my family. Whether it be playing your favourite sport, listening to, playing or watching someone make music, art, cooking or hosting a games night, find what brings you happiness and then DO MORE OF IT! How can you go wrong?

Now if the mere act of reading this makes your cortisol levels rise, relax…take a deep breath and roll your shoulders down. You do not need to climb Mount Everest! Baby steps are what will lead us to walk. Gradual change is actually more likely to build habits that last, so hold on and let’s break this down, step by step!

Start with one thing that feels achievable and makes you feel good. It could be winding down your evening routine slightly earlier so you can tuck yourself into bed 5, 10 maybe 15 minutes earlier. Taking a bath before bed to help your mind and body relax, or delving into a book to settle into bed. Pick just one thing on the list that resonates with you and start small to incorporate it into your life. Once that becomes solid, start building on to the next one and see the changes shift. If it’s exercise, try some gentle stretching or mat sequences that are going to help you unwind and set your body into relaxation. Focus on breathing, tuning in to your body and letting your body relax – it’s a sure fire way to get you ready for deep sleep!And if you want to explore some mat movement to help you get there, you can get 14 days free to my online Pilates program by clicking here your body will thank you for it!