Morning guys, what a mental week it’s been with the weather.  but we conquered through the wind on Tuesday night, and what a difference a day makes, as shown in the photo below of how lovely it was the morning after.

 

I am finding what with Christmas fast approaching that people are making more excuses not to exercise, such as five weeks not being long enough to lose 2 stone!!&@*£@! Or shopping to do before the kids finish school, or too cold and dark to want to go out (seriously)! Or  I know what I need to do, but just can’t be bothered to do it!

 

Exercise is so important though, as we all know, not only to keep fit and stay trim and be healthy but it’s also important for our brain health.

 

Even though we know exercise is important to keep fit, to stay lean and to have a healthy heart, it is also important for the health of our brain.  So why do we continuously lack motivation?

 

I read an email from my nutritionist friend Anna Marsh where she stated that some people actually have low levels of motivation due to low levels of the brain chemical dopamine.

 

She also said that you therefore can’t blame the fact that you didn’t take out the trash, make it to the gym or make the right food choices on your dopamine levels.  But exercise is a quick fix for this!

 

You know what I mean, when you don’t feel like exercising, but you force yourself and then, you feel so much better!

 

People also feel more inspired to eat well and look after themselves more they are physically active. This is because you have raised your dopamine with exercise.

 

The most effective way to do it is with a short burst of intense exercise. As little as 5 minutes of exercising at 70% of your maximum heart rate (this HIT training) can increase you dopamine levels.

 

So next time your motivation is low or you are struggling to stick to an eating regime or follow through with anything, just focus on getting the exercise bit done.

 

Fancy doing some burpees now! You know you will feel better for it!