Remaining zen with high energy. How does that work?
Those of you who have known me for a while may know that there was a time when I was even less Zen than I am now. Yes, I know, hard to imagine huh!! 😂
I was living constantly on the edge, as though I was walking on the top of a cliff and any little thing could push me over and into the brink. Resilience was absolutely not in my vocabulary!
This was a result of life having thrown a couple of huge curve-balls at me and living with a control-freak who told me every decision I made was wrong ❌ and constantly tried to push me down. It resulted in me second-guessing everything and having such low self-esteem that the smallest challenge could completely knock me sideways and I spent my life in constant fight or flight mode 👊🏃♂️. This is when the body is like a tightly coiled spring, ready to run or fight at a moment's notice, heart rate elevated, blood pressure raised, cortisol and adrenaline coursing round your veins and it is in no way good for your health!
It's taken 5 years and lots of therapy, but I've now moved back from the edge of that cliff and although I can still take weeks to make a decision which many of you could make in 5 minutes 🙄, I'm getting there!
However, in order to keep me Zen and put energy back when I'm feeling sapped, the outdoors comes to my rescue. Walking in the hills🚶♀️, camping wild 🏕, jumping in cold water🏊♀️, and yes, bizarrely, sometimes walking on cliff-tops 😲 with my beautiful Springers, Bramble and Pip 🐶🐶, restores my soul.
Getting outside in nature is well-documented for being good for mental health, and add in some exercise and activity and you get the double whammy of improved physical fitness as well!
I recently spent 4 days on Dartmoor, walking, camping and wild swimming with my lovely friend Susie and a great outdoor adventure leader, Martin Corfield of MC Adventures. Look him up on Instagram and Facebook - I would highly recommend him, but equally, I'd highly recommend just getting out there. For an hour, a morning or a multi-day trip. All that matters is you just do it! Here are some reasons why:
Walking or running outdoors can:
Improve cardiovascular fitness
Reduce cognitive decline
Increase leg strength and bone density (especially if you carry a rucksack with a flask of coffee and some healthy snacks!)
Improve sleep
Balance hormones and reduce PMT and menopause symptoms
Improve balance
Increase the diversity of the microbiome, so improving gut health and immunity
Aid weight loss
Do this first thing in the morning or in a group and gain:
Increased sense of community - vital for mental wellbeing
Increased productivity for the day
Improved energy levels
Better food choices throughout the day
Greater fitness gains due to competition and chatting while you exercise!
Add in some cold water swimming:
Increased metabolic rate
Reduced stress levels
Increased resilience
Improved immunity
A huge surge of energy when you get out to keep you going through the day!