Focus!

If you want a clear mind, learn more quickly, and upgrade your abilities mentally, you’ve got to do a number of things, like eat right, but that's not the only thing you should do. For years I wasn't learning about how to properly fuel my body. I would eat Luna Bars thinking I was doing the right thing. Thankfully, years later I learned about nutrition, something I am still learning and on the quest to learn more. I know now that if you eat bad, if you think about terrible things, you’ll find a combination of grossness comes over you. Processed and chemical foods an have lasting impact decades after regular use.

Here are a few things you can do to boost your mental focus

1. Your mindset is important! If your brain isn’t properly aligned, then all that will happen is you’ll go around in mental circles faster.

Here is an example: Say you’ve got a test you want to take. Now this test is a big one, and you’re afraid of it, so you procrastinate. You organize your books. You make a study schedule. You research everything but the pertinent information. Your body was in alignment to learn, but your mind was in the wrong direction.

2. Know that Sublime lyric? “Hard work good and hard work fine, but first take care of head!” Yeah, I realize the “source” isn’t great, but that lyric is so spot on.  The idea is to work smarter, not harder. And sometimes that means you need to do something drastic. Like change your scenery.

Maybe you need a huge, life-changing excursion. Think of it like flushing your mind much as an old etch-a-sketch might be cleared after you’ve finished making a picture with it. What’s your budget look like? Maybe it’s time to take that trip to Japan you’ve been thinking about all these years. Maybe you just need to get away for a week or two, or visit others who are close to you. If you really want to learn and see exceptional growth, you’ve got to get your head right. Do that and the rest will follow.

Love,

Jessica Bailey

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Water is your friend!

Drinking fluids is so important to life. Did you know that a great workout fueld by hydration gets you the best results? As our bodies are composed of roughly 70% water, so this means if you don’t keep hydrated you can feel tired, listless, and lethargic. Our bodies are able to go several days without food, but the same is not true for water. It is a daily necessity. Here are a few reasons you shouldn’t neglect water intake during a workout.

Reason #1

Sweating during an intense workout or Hot Yoga can actually add up to several liters, and that means it’s extremely important to drink water throughout the workout to sustain a safe and healthy water level within your body. If you don’t replenish you can feel sick. Not good! It is important to replace electrolytes lost as well during or after a workout. You can do so through sports drinks or supplements.

Reason #2

When you workout you need coordination to do the workout safely. You don’t want an injury because of dehydration. Not maintaining necessary hydration levels can greatly impact your coordination. Dehydration impacts mental clarity, and if you begin to feel woozy or off-balance while working out, it’s time to sit down for a rest and drink some water. This is especially important when you are lifting weights. Feeling woozy in the middle of a set can lead to horrible accidents.

Reason #3

Without the proper hydration, recovery from a workout, any kind of workout, yes, walking counts...big time,  can take much longer and can cause increased soreness that can last days longer than normal. Drinking enough water, with electrolyte supplementation, can cause your recovery time to last much less time and decrease the amount of soreness your muscles experience.

Water is what your body loses when perspiring so water is what your body needs in order to replace what has been spent. Be sure to start off each day with a big glass of water shortly after waking up. I have 16 oz every morning. It has really helped me start your day off right, with a clear mind and well-functioning body.

Love,
Jessica

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Do you let your body recover from your workouts?

Do you take a rest day? Meaning you don't workout. Rest days are super important not just for giving your body time to recover from workouts, but also to help your muscles become stronger as they rebuild. If you workout, regardless of your fitness level, you need  least one rest day each week. I take 2. When you don't allow your body to rest and recover you’re simply putting yourself at risk for overtraining. That can lead to a whole host of problems ranging from stress fractures and joint pain to sleepless nights.

I can't tell you how often I have to stress the fact you shouldn't exercise everyday for an extended period of time. To put it simply, too much of a good thing – even exercise – can be bad. Why? Because working out, especially at high levels with high impact, breaks down your body tissue. Which is why you shouldn't take 6 days of HIIT classes per week.  Resistance training actually breaks down muscles causing microscopic tears and it is on rest days when the muscles, nerves, bones and connective tissue get the needed time to rebuild.

So take a day or two off each week. Your body will actually perform better and you'll see results quicker.

Love,

Jessica

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An Indoor Workout For You!

Love, Jessica Bailey
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