31 Days to a Fitter & Healthier U - Your 24 Day Check In

We’ve smashed past quitter's weekend and we are through to the third week of January. Time flies when you are having fun! We hope you are enjoying our ’31 Days to a fitter & healthier U’ so far. We have covered a lot of ground so naturally you might have missed a couple of stops along the way. But don’t worry, we have got you covered.

At the end of each week, we think it is a great time to take a step back, relax and have a look at what we have achieved this week whilst also taking a quick moment to look ahead to what lies in store for us in the coming days.

If you did miss something last week, not to worry you can catch up on Facebook or Instagram or check out last week’s blog – click here

Working hand in hand with our team of experts, every day has featured something completely different but all have the same goal. To help inspire and educate the U Perform family to ditch New Year’s Resolutions and instead opt for healthy habits that we can ACTUALLY achieve every day and that can make a lasting difference to our quality of life.

So, with that in mind, let’s take it day by day and have a look back at what we achieved this week:

 

We started the week on Day 18 and we spoke about SLEEP HYGIENE. This is a really complex subject and is very personal but there are always a few general tips and tricks that we can all adopt to improve the duration and the depth of our sleep.

Keeping it simple, sleep hygiene is all about routine and finding a routine that really works for YOU. Winding down gradually towards the end of the day and reducing your screen time before you intend to sleep are great ways to ensure you are less stimulated and less energetic which will help you initially to get to sleep. 

What does your bedtime look like? How do you wind down and relax? Let us know in the comments below. 

We were also visited by U Perform's own mental performance coach and expert, Charlie Unwin for another in his mindset series. This week, Charlie spoke about another of his pillars; Discipline and how we can be disciplined in our training and daily lives to help us achieve our goals. 

This is definitely not one to be missed! You can catch up over on our IGTV feed - click here

 

On to Day 19 and we set the U Perform family another fitness challenge. We've done the plank, HIIT workouts and press-ups so that only leaves one of our favourites; WALL SITS!

This challenge was simple, see how long you can hold a wall sit and share with us your results! Wall sits are a great exercise as they work almost your entire lower body and can be done anywhere - no equipment needed! 

Although, if you fancy an even greater challenge, why not adding some weights to it and feel the burn in your quads and glutes!

 

Day 20 we took the time to focus in on nutrition as this is something we are incredibly passionate about. We recognise that your 5-a-day can sometimes be quite difficult to achieve but there is things you can do to make this easier. 

Check out our post on social media to learn more and if you are looking for a green superfood blend to top up your portions of fruits, vegetables, probiotics, antioxidants and MORE - click here

As Day 20 was a Wednesday, this meant another edition of 'HIIT at HOME' with none other than Olympic Champion and Personal Trainer Amy Williams. To catch up and give a new workout a try this weekend - click here

 

Day 21 was another bumper special of nutrition tips, tricks and advice. We think it is so important to try and use as many whole foods as possible in our daily diet. Whole foods essentially just means not processed and fruits and vegetables are a perfect example of quality whole foods. 

We set everyone a little challenge on Day 21 to see if they could use as many whole foods as they can throughout their day. This is a great long term healthy habit that we should all look to adopt. Changes only need to be minor to start with until you find a balance that works for you. 

Experimenting in the kitchen is also the perfect family time activity, and during lockdown this might just be a great way to add a little variety to your family routine.

On the blog today, we also tackled the question...Are all calories made equal? We've all heard the expression "a calorie is a calorie" but unfortunately this just isn't true! 

Food calories affect the body very differently depending on their source and how they are consumed. If a calorie really is just a calorie this would mean that carbohydrate, fat and protein calories are equal in terms of their effect on the body which just isn't the case.

Want to learn more? Read our latest blog - click here

 

We reached Friday once more, and Day 22. The focus of Friday this weekend was looking ahead to the weekend's goals. Whether that's a workout, shopping, catching up with friends via video link or just a few odd jobs around the house; we recognise how important it is to acknowledge our goals, however small they might be.

Writing them down and ticking them off as we go is a great way to stay motivated and be productive and getting done the things that are important to us.

We were also joined by Arron Collins-Thomas our Fitness Expert and Qigong Instructor with another fantastic Qigong practice. So far this month, Arron has shared 3 amazing Qigong flows to relax and re-energise the body and mind. 

To take us into this weekend, Arron turned things up a notch and guided us through an Advanced practice that will really get you moving and sweating. This session is perfect for warming up for other activity or even as a standalone workout. 

Give it a try and let us know what you think! Click here to catch up

 

Last but not least, Day 23 where we kicked off the weekend proper with another HIIT workout challenge that anyone can do at home - no equipment needed. Head over to our social media to give it a try and let us know how you get on!

 

We've made it to the end of another week, and we think that deserves a hearty pat on the back and a good night's sleep, ready to go again tomorrow on Day 25. Next week is the final week of our January health & wellness plan! We hope to see you join in!

We will see you bright and early for the start of another week with even more from our founders and experts. Have a great end to the week!