Your Best Self with Gem Munro | TDXO Spring Series
As I kick off my series on spring essentials, the most important essential is YOU.
That being said, I couldn't think of a better person to speak to other than my friend, coach, and fitness expert: Gem Munro!
Gem was able to provide all of us with some key notes when it comes to setting yourself up for success with your fitness goals in this new season as well as some recommendations for a fresh start.
TDXO: Do you recommend changing up your fitness activities in the spring?
Gem: As we come out of hibernation (winter), naturally we lack vitamin D. So getting outside for walks, jogs, bicycling, or even taking your HIIT workout outside is encouraged. We also want to combat the dense energy of winter, Kapha energy.
So creating more heat within to burn it off with more intense workouts is necessary at this time. Introduce HIIT or adding a power yoga session to your routine is a great option to move through this sluggish energy.
TDXO: Is there any specific routine information you want to share?
Gem: Welcome to the NEW YEAR!! Some see the 1st of January as the time for new year resolutions, new beginnings, and new exercise/body goals. But we're fighting against the natural energy of the universe as 1/1 is in the middle of winter. A time for going inwards. A time to reflect and assess what needs to be released before spring.
When Spring hits, this is the time to BLOOM. The time to START something new. With this new encouraging energy, we have more motivation to carry out and follow through with our goals, in this case our physical body goals. So start a new routine. Try something new and different.
TDXO: Do you have any tips for staying motivated to workout when life gets in the way (Ie. bad day, social calendar, lack of results, etc.)
Gem: Showing yourself some grace first. We all have bad days and honoring our feelings is important in order to be able to release them.
Remembering that if we get one flat tire, it's counterproductive to slash the other three.
Forgive yourself and try again tomorrow. If it's a prolonged lack of motivation (not just a bad day), then join a community to help you feel supported, motivated, and accountable. Knowing you're not alone in the quest to becoming a healthier version of you, releases the 'grind' mentality and increases the 'flow' mentality. We're not meant to do everything alone.
We're pack animals Run with the pack and you'll benefit from their energy too.
TDXO: Do you have any specific recommendations for cardio?
Gem: The best cardio is the one you can stick to or enjoy.
A lot of people tell themselves that they hate running. If they told themselves a different story, like that they enjoy running and list the benefits of it, they would end up changing their perception thereby changing their reality (they would enjoy running). So choose something you know is good for you, change your perception of it, and BEGIN.
If you want a more scientific approach, then high intensity interval training trumps everything. This is where you push yourself to reach 85-95% max heart rate and then back off when you can't move any harder/faster to around 65% max heart rate. If you're a beginner, start with only 10 minutes of this and work your way up to being able to perform this for 20 minutes.
You burn calories for up to 48 hours after you've finished this workout because of EPOC (Excessive Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption). This is because you never reach your oxygen demand during the workout because you're not working at a steady pace. You breathe intensely to get oxygen, ending up with too much oxygen in the body. The body then has to work to rid itself of this excess (using calories/energy to do so).
HIIT is also very intense which creates more stress on the body, and when the body is stressed is responds by making itself stronger. So you can also increase resilience of the body and make it stronger at the same time. You're working your heart, so you have cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory benefits. You are also activating your fast twitch muscle fibers when performing high intensity short burst exercises. This increases power, strength, and promotes growth in the muscle. Muscle is more metabolically active than body fat, so you burn more calories at rest the more muscle you have.
TDXO: Do you have any tips/recommendations for the woman who has never worked out-- but wants to use spring as their 'fresh start' for health/fitness.
Gem: Don't do it alone! Someone needs to check your form and make sure you're not at risk for injury. Either hire a personal trainer or go into a group class where you have seasoned exercises around you to help you.
Also, if you don't know something or how to perform something, ask for help! You can also start with something less intense and less complicated if you happen to be on your own. The peloton is great, or any stationary bike. Walking a minimum of 30 minutes per day. Find 'Beginner' workouts on YouTube which are free. Take beginner yoga online or in a studio. The key here is to start slow, but just start.
You will not win the race by starting too intense and then injuring yourself and are not able to workout for a couple months
Gem Munro is the Founder of the Boutique Business Collective, a High Performance Life & Biz Coach, and the # 1 Creative Director and Business Strategist. She has a mission to support Entrepreneurs in this industry and help them grow their businesses whilst enriching their lives with her life coaching experience.
For videos, resources, and additional ways to work with Gem - CLICK HERE
For TDXO Readers: The Gem Membership is a library of over 150 workouts performed by Gem LIVE last year. It includes entry to the free FB community for accountability, support by Gem, weekly workout plan, and LIVE Q&A's. It's only $11.11 per month for full access!
