Remove the Guesswork: Health, Fitness and Wellbeing for Busy Professionals

Are you looking for something to energize your day and enhance your health? Leanne shares what’s been working well for her recently.

Visit https://www.bodyshotperformance.com/topic/podcasts/ for the complete show notes of every podcast episode.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

Tabata and the 3 ways you can use it to your advantage

Key Takeaways:

Tabata is a form in exercise that originates from the research of Dr. Izumi Tabata and his team from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports at Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. It’s 8 cycles of 20 seconds of high-intensity activity followed by 10 seconds of rest.

Their research found that this form of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a very effective way of getting physiological adaptations in a very short space of time.

Some exercises you can do for Tabata:

Isometric holds

Squats

Burpees

Tabata is a powerful way to exercise and has been proven to be good for cardiovascular fitness.

Before a rich meal, when you want to control your blood sugar response to the food you’re about to eat, doing something like a Tabata sequence has been proven to help regulate your insulin sensitivity and, therefore, your glycemic variability.

A short walk after a rich meal would also help to regulate your glycemic variability or blood sugar levels.

Action Steps:

Consider doing Tabata as an energizer.

Do a Tabata sequence prior to eating a rich meal.

Leanne said:

“Any point in the day that you need to move, get a Tabata… and you’ll really feel the benefits, get all that fresh oxygenated blood moving through the body.”

“If you’re short on time, always think about Tabata. It’s a fantastic bang for [your] buck in terms of the time you put in.”

If you’re interested in finding out what your health IQ is, take the Health IQ test to find out, and get a free 39-page report built around our six signals, which are sleep, mental health, energy, body composition, digestion, and fitness.

If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve heard on this episode and it’s added value to you, share the episode with someone you think could benefit from it. And don’t forget to leave a rating or a review and subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts.

Links to things mentioned in the show:

Check our upcoming online events here

More from Leanne Spencer:

Bodyshot Performance

Bodyshot Performance Limited Facebook page

Remove the Guesswork BOOK by Leanne SpencerRise and Shine BOOK by Leanne Spencer

Leanne’s Email

Twitter: @BodyshotPT

Instagram: @bodyshotperformance

Why is it important to put yourself first? Leanne shares her thoughts on giving priority to yourself in the context of wellbeing even if it means disappointing other people.

Visit https://www.bodyshotperformance.com/topic/podcasts/ for the complete show notes of every podcast episode.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

Putting yourself first vs being selfish

Your non-negotiables

Key Takeaways:

When you feel well, happy, healthy, resilient, and have a good sense of wellbeing, you are a much better father/mother/brother/sister/employee/friend.

Leanne’s 4 non-negotiables that she ensures happen 99% every single day are movement,

Movement: 10,000 steps a day

Sleep: At least 7 hours a day

Meditation: A minimum of 10 minutes every day

Vegetable intake: Vegetables need to be on the plate for at least 2 out of the 3 meals in a day

The purpose of movement is that it isn’t all loaded in one particular part of the day but spread out throughout the day.

Eating between 5 and 8 portions of vegetables a day reduces your risk of chronic disease, cardiovascular disease, and various other forms of mortality.

You can be the best that you can be and help people in the best way you can when you put yourself first.

Action Steps:

Put yourself first in as much as ensuring that you have what you need to have a good sense of wellbeing.

Put your oxygen mask on first. Make sure that you’ve got what you need so that you can better serve or be of more help to other people.

Understand what the non-negotiables are for you that make you feel well and happy.

Glennon Doyle said:

“Train your kids to disappoint you… Every time you’re given a choice between disappointing someone else and disappointing yourself, your duty is to disappoint that someone else. Your job throughout your entire life is to disappoint as many people as it takes to avoid disappointing yourself.”

Leanne said:

“Understand what makes you happy. Understand the value you bring and [have] a good sense of self-worth. Don’t be afraid to disappoint people.”

If you’re interested in finding out what your health IQ is, take the Health IQ test to find out, and get a free 39-page report built around our six signals, which are sleep, mental health, energy, body composition, digestion, and fitness.

If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve heard on this episode and it’s added value to you, share the episode with someone you think could benefit from it. And don’t forget to leave a rating or a review and subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts.

Links to things mentioned in the show:

Untamed by Glennon Doyle: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Untamed-Stop-pleasing-start-living/dp/1785043358/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Glennon Doyle on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glennondoyle

More from Leanne Spencer:

Bodyshot Performance

Bodyshot Performance Limited Facebook page

Remove the Guesswork BOOK by Leanne SpencerRise and Shine BOOK by Leanne Spencer

Leanne’s Email

Twitter: @BodyshotPT

Instagram: @bodyshotperformance

What should you do if you have no choice but to exercise in the evening? Leanne shares her tips on what to do if working out late is your only option.

Visit https://www.bodyshotperformance.com/topic/podcasts/ for the complete show notes of every podcast episode.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

The best time to exercise

What to do if working out late is your only option

Key Takeaways:

The best time of day for most of us to exercise is in the mid to late afternoon where these 4 things peak:

Grip strength

Protein synthesis

Testosterone

Body temperature

Exercise puts us into the sympathetic dominant nervous system state, which means elevated heart rate, elevated blood pressure, elevated cortisol, and even bringing blood sugar into the blood via glycogen released by the liver. All these are not conducive to sleep.

When you sleep, you want to be in a parasympathetic driven state, which is rested and digested. It’s going to be tricky to get to sleep if your blood sugar is very elevated.

Action Steps:

Think about your schedule and figure out when you can fit in your workout. Consider the rhythms of your household as well as the availability of an exercise partner, etc.

If you can only exercise in the evening:

Construct your workout such that the hardest, most demanding part is done in the first part and get it to be progressively easier, particularly in terms of heart rate.

Finish your workout with 2, 5, or even 10 minutes of breathwork and/or meditation.

Take a cold shower or a hot bath.

Consider what you eat after your workout.

Cap off your evening with a relaxing activity. Avoid watching an action movie or the 10 o’clock news or engaging in a lively discussion with anyone.

Leanne said:

“A workout is better than no workout irrespective of what time of day it is.”

“Breathwork is one of the most powerful ways that you can get yourself from [the sympathetic to the parasympathetic state].”

If you’re interested in finding out what your health IQ is, take the Health IQ test to find out, and get a free 39-page report built around our six signals, which are sleep, mental health, energy, body composition, digestion, and fitness.

If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve heard on this episode and it’s added value to you, share the episode with someone you think could benefit from it. And don’t forget to leave a rating or a review and subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts.

Links to things mentioned in the show:

Podcast: When Is The Best Time To Exercise?

More from Leanne Spencer:

Bodyshot Performance

Bodyshot Performance Limited Facebook page

Remove the Guesswork BOOK by Leanne SpencerRise and Shine BOOK by Leanne Spencer

Leanne’s Email

Twitter: @BodyshotPT

Instagram: @bodyshotperformance

How is wellbeing most effectively intertwined with work? Leanne shares her philosophies and thoughts around wellbeing within work and why people should be educated about it.

Visit https://www.bodyshotperformance.com/topic/podcasts/ for the complete show notes of every podcast episode.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

Prioritizing wellbeing

Intertwining wellbeing into work

Interactive wellbeing content online

Key Takeaways:

People have got access to resources for their wellbeing but they’re not utilising them because they feel guilty to take time away from doing work.

We need to find ways of encouraging people to educate themselves and to inspire and motivate themselves to make wellbeing the essence of everything they do.

Wellbeing needs to be supported and underpinned at C level.

We will need to intertwine wellbeing into work for it to be accepted and to be effective.

Wellbeing content is going to need to be more interactive.

Action Steps:

Prioritize recovery, sleeping well, having good mental health and wellbeing, and having good energy and resilience.

Educate yourself on how to stay resilient for life changes and how to stay fit for the rigours of life.

Think about how to intertwine wellbeing into work.

Leanne said:

“Every company is going to need to link with wellbeing as we move into the next phase of recovery and beyond that, back into growth and into a situation where we thrive economically and on a micro-level as a business.”

“If we’re encouraging people to move more, why not encourage walking meetings?”

If you’re interested in finding out what your health IQ is, take the Health IQ test to find out, and get a free 39-page report built around our six signals, which are sleep, mental health, energy, body composition, digestion, and fitness.

If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve heard on this episode and it’s added value to you, share the episode with someone you think could benefit from it. And don’t forget to leave a rating or a review and subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts.

Links to things mentioned in the show:

Sign up to our webinar on 30th July at 11.30 am on mental health here. PLACES ARE FREE BUT LIMITED.

More from Leanne Spencer:

Bodyshot Performance

Bodyshot Performance Limited Facebook page

Remove the Guesswork BOOK by Leanne SpencerRise and Shine BOOK by Leanne Spencer

Leanne’s Email

Twitter: @BodyshotPT

Instagram: @bodyshotperformance

What will the future of fitness look like? Leanne shares her thoughts on what the future of fitness holds based on the latest trends over the last few months.

Visit https://www.bodyshotperformance.com/topic/podcasts/ for the complete show notes of every podcast episode.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

The future of fitness

Online fitness

Shorter exercises

Blending exercise with movement

Key Takeaways:

Animal flow is a combination of breakdancing and yoga.

The downside to doing an online fitness class is that you don’t get human contact in correcting your position. But if you’re not a newbie to exercise, it’s a great format for getting something done.

Exercise does not need to be an hour, and because we’re doing things from home, we might be doing exercises for shorter periods.

Overall fitness -- fitness for the rigours of daily life, fitness for business -- is going to be more important now than ever because we know that there’s a strong link between exercise and fitness and the immune system.

Action Steps:

Take an online fitness class.

Blend exercise with movement.

Build the health of your immune system to exercise and fitness.

Leanne said:

“If you’ve got a reasonable space to exercise, you have a wonderful opportunity to do a class -- literally to have the exercise come to you.”

“I think there will be a general acceptance and an understanding that exercise can be short and it definitely doesn’t take the sort of time that people tend to think.”

If you’re interested in finding out what your health IQ is, take the Health IQ test to find out, and get a free 39-page report built around our six signals, which are sleep, mental health, energy, body composition, digestion, and fitness.

If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve heard on this episode and it’s added value to you, share the episode with someone you think could benefit from it. And don’t forget to leave a rating or a review and subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts.

Links to things mentioned in the show:

Animal Flow

Podcast on movement snacking

More from Leanne Spencer:

Bodyshot Performance

Bodyshot Performance Limited Facebook page

Remove the Guesswork BOOK by Leanne SpencerRise and Shine BOOK by Leanne Spencer

Leanne’s Email

Twitter: @BodyshotPT

Instagram: @bodyshotperformance

Are you facing challenges when doing meetings online? Whether you’re running the meetings or you’re joining the meetings, here are some of the things you can do to make them more energised.

Visit https://www.bodyshotperformance.com/topic/podcasts/ for the complete show notes of every podcast episode.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

The things you can do to energise your online meetings

How to kick off your meetings with energisers

The way to ensure speakers are brief and to the point

Key Takeaways:

Most meetings are set at a default of one hour, but a lot of meetings can actually be done in half that time.

Opening up a meeting with a highlight and talking about something positive can lift people’s energy.

Zoom meetings can be really quite intensive in terms of our energies and we’re constantly being subjected to blue light that’s emitted from the screen. Overexposure to blue light at the wrong times of day suppresses melatonin, which impacts our sleep.

Action Steps:

Energise your online meetings:

Think about the time frame of the online meeting and try to get it into a short space of time as you can without degrading productivity.

Kick off with an energiser.

Open up a meeting with a highlight.

Close the meeting by asking if anyone needs help or support.

Have your meetings standing.

Give the people in your meeting the permission to walk around.

Request everybody who’s speaking in the meeting to stand on one leg to make sure that they will be brief and to the point.

Be careful of the amount of screentime that you’re getting particularly in the latter part of the day and certainly in the evening.

Vary the location of your meeting. You can go to a different room or have the meeting in the garden.

Leanne said:

“It’s really good discipline to have people not only exercise brevity but also make sure they’ve prepared and they’re to the point.

“It’s much easier to keep a meeting short and to the point when people are standing up because it’s so long that they’ll move from one hip to the other.”

If you’re interested in finding out what your health IQ is, take the Health IQ test to find out, and get a free 39-page report built around our six signals, which are sleep, mental health, energy, body composition, digestion, and fitness.

If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve heard on this episode and it’s added value to you, share the episode with someone you think could benefit from it. And don’t forget to leave a rating or a review and subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts.

Links to things mentioned in the show:

Webinar on 16th July - Sign up here

Webinar on 30th July - Sign up here

Sign up for our newsletter at www.bodyshotperformance.com

Ra Optics blue light blockers

Truedark blue light blockers

More from Leanne Spencer:

Bodyshot Performance

Bodyshot Performance Limited Facebook page

Remove the Guesswork BOOK by Leanne SpencerRise and Shine BOOK by Leanne Spencer

Leanne’s Email

Twitter: @BodyshotPT

Instagram: @bodyshotperformance

What are the consequences that we face as we move into a new normality in this time of the pandemic? Leanne shares her insights on the concept of scar tissue that’s going to affect people as we move away from the lock-down scenario.

Visit https://www.bodyshotperformance.com/topic/podcasts/ for the complete show notes of every podcast episode.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

The concept of “scar tissue”

Fitness online

How we can do better as we return to a new normality

Key Takeaways:

As we move into a return to a new normality, some people will be carrying with them quite a bit of scar tissue: the consequences of a lack of human contact, the consequences of potential reduction in movement and fitness levels, an increase in guilt about coming back to work and leaving loved ones at home, etc.

The three things (at least) that are going to affect people when they go back to work are:

Mental health

Immune health

Gut health

We could do things so much better in a way that allows us to prioritise wellbeing as much as we do performance and productivity.

Action Steps:

Be aware of the “scar tissue” that can affect people massively.

Allow yourself to adjust to the new normality.

Exercise your autonomy. See how you can negotiate a slightly better deal for yourself in terms of going back to the office.

Leanne said:

“I think it would be really prudent if we all just cut ourselves some slack and took a little bit of time to allow ourselves to adjust to going back to normal because even if you’re craving it, you’re not going to get that normality you had before.”

“Let’s not sleepwalk back into the old way that we did things because it isn’t necessarily the best way.”

If you’re interested in finding out what your health IQ is, take the Health IQ test to find out, and get a free 39-page report built around our six signals, which are sleep, mental health, energy, body composition, digestion, and fitness.

If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve heard on this episode and it’s added value to you, share the episode with someone you think could benefit from it. And don’t forget to leave a rating or a review and subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts.

Links to things mentioned in the show:

Webinar on 16th July - Sign up here

Webinar on 30th July - Sign up here

Sign up for our newsletter at www.bodyshotperformance.com

More from Leanne Spencer:

Bodyshot Performance

Bodyshot Performance Limited Facebook page

Remove the Guesswork BOOK by Leanne SpencerRise and Shine BOOK by Leanne Spencer

Leanne’s Email

Twitter: @BodyshotPT

Instagram: @bodyshotperformance

How can you get more energy throughout the day and avoid the mid-afternoon slump? Leanne talks about things you can do to improve your energy and what’s called movement snacking.

Visit https://www.bodyshotperformance.com/topic/podcasts/ for the complete show notes of every podcast episode.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

Why you should take micro-breaks

Examples of movement snacks

Building in micro workouts throughout your day

What you can do to avoid sitting for longer than 55 minutes while working

Key Takeaways:

No organisation in the world doesn’t want refreshed, focused, creative, productive people. And the best way to do that is to have micro-breaks.

A movement snack can give you a lot more lasting and slower-release energy.

The person that does an hour of exercise in their day and sits down in an office for the rest of the day is only 4% less sedentary than the person who does no exercise at all.

Action Steps:

Design your day with movement snacks built-in. You can set an alarm to move every hour or every 55 minutes and dedicate 5 minutes to take a movement snack.

If you’re a more experienced exerciser, you could think about building in micro workouts into your day.

Avoid sitting for longer than 55 minutes. Do what you can to not be in a seated position for the majority of those 55 minutes of each hour.

Leanne said:

“In the same way that you might go to the fridge, pick something up, unwrap it, eat it and come back upstairs, you could take a movement snack.”

“We were designed to do patterns of ancestral movement. We were designed to do lots of daily life movement throughout the day, to be on our feet… We were not designed to sit for long periods.”

If you’re interested in finding out what your health IQ is, take the Health IQ test to find out, and get a free 39-page report built around our six signals, which are sleep, mental health, energy, body composition, digestion, and fitness.

If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve heard on this episode and it’s added value to you, share the episode with someone you think could benefit from it. And don’t forget to leave a rating or a review and subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts.

Links to things mentioned in the show:

Gymba wobble board

More from Leanne Spencer:

Bodyshot Performance

Bodyshot Performance Limited Facebook page

Remove the Guesswork BOOK by Leanne SpencerRise and Shine BOOK by Leanne Spencer

Leanne’s Email

Twitter: @BodyshotPT

Instagram: @bodyshotperformance

Are you looking to energise yourself? Here are some not so conventional things that you can do anytime, anywhere to get more energy.

Visit https://www.bodyshotperformance.com/topic/podcasts/ for the complete show notes of every podcast episode.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

Three things you can do to energise yourself

The primary benefits of doing the power pose

The effects of breathwork

Why you should practice gratitude

Key Takeaways:

When you do the power pose, you get about a 20% increase in testosterone, which is needed for energy. It also releases endorphins in your body.

Doing a structured breathing exercise such as box breathing is very effective for changing the nervous system and can leave you feeling refreshed and energised.

A practice of gratitude transforms your day and gives you a shot of energy.

Action Steps:

Do the power pose.

Do breathwork.

Practice gratitude.

Leanne said:

“I love breathing because it’s such an effective way of getting you from a sympathetic stressed state to a parasympathetic rested state in terms of your autonomic nervous system.”

“You can’t be grateful and anxious at the same time. You can’t be grateful and angry at the same time. You can’t be grateful but depressed at the same time.”

If you’re interested in finding out what your health IQ is, take the Health IQ test to find out, and get a free 39-page report built around our six signals, which are sleep, mental health, energy, body composition, digestion, and fitness.

If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve heard on this episode and it’s added value to you, share the episode with someone you think could benefit from it. And don’t forget to leave a rating or a review and subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts.

Links to things mentioned in the show:

Amy Cuddy's TED Talk on Power Posing

More from Leanne Spencer:

Bodyshot Performance

Bodyshot Performance Limited Facebook page

Remove the Guesswork BOOK by Leanne SpencerRise and Shine BOOK by Leanne Spencer

Leanne’s Email

Twitter: @BodyshotPT

Instagram: @bodyshotperformance

Links to things mentioned in the show:

Webinar on Crisis Recovery: What part does wellbeing play and why does it matter? Register for free here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZArdeirpz0tE9IiAZUlQzPsOovwtAZfpv0O

Animal Flow - www.animalflow.com

Foam roller example on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/FX-FFEXS-Massage-Trigger-Muscles/dp/B06WP73GLP/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=foam+roller&qid=1591809368&sr=8-5

Matthew Walker Book Why We Sleep - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Why-We-Sleep-Unlocking-Dreams/dp/1501144324/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

If you’re interested in finding out what your health IQ is, take the Health IQ test to find out, and get a free 39-page report built around our six signals, which are sleep, mental health, energy, body composition, digestion, and fitness.

What are your thoughts on overworking? Jump on to social media and let us know what you think or email me at [email protected]

If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve heard on this episode and it’s added value to you, share the episode with someone you think could benefit from it. And don’t forget to leave a rating or a review and subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts.

More from Leanne Spencer:

Bodyshot Performance

Bodyshot Performance Limited Facebook page

Remove the Guesswork BOOK by Leanne SpencerRise and Shine BOOK by Leanne Spencer

Leanne’s Email

Twitter: @BodyshotPT

Instagram: @bodyshotperformance