Overcome The Mid-January Slump
Navigating the highs and lows this year
Buen dia!
I’m sitting in my apartment in Buenos Aires, writing this email early as I decided not to go for my morning run. It’s 9am and already hot enough to fry an egg on the deck of my balcony. Midday will be even hotter so it’s going to have to be an evening run for me once the sun has gone down. Being flexible with your movement schedule is very important in order to stay consistent, especially if you’re working lots or you have kids.
I talk a lot about the importance and power of consistency, but I have a confession to make; Not even two weeks into January and I have already failed with my daily 10 minute meditation practice. I often tell my clients how they can get in shape with daily 20 minute workouts, so a lack of time is no excuse……..well don’t I look silly. But now I can do one of two things, I can give up and wait till next year to start again, or I can recognize that throughout life there will be moments where I fall off with my healthy habits, but if I jump back on them as soon as I can I’ll be able to maintain overall consistency throughout the year. I’ve scheduled in my meditation before I pick up my daughter from nursery, don’t kick yourself if you had a bad week of movement and make sure to schedule in your workouts to get back on it this week.
“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.”
– John Muir
Exercise of the week
Wall sit: This exercise is very popular with athletes and people recovering from injuries as it’s a very low impact and simple way of increasing strength in the legs. All you need is a wall, see if you can stay in this position anywhere between 30-60 seconds.
Meal of the week
Grilled Lemon Herb Chicken with Quinoa and Steamed Vegetables.
Ingredients (Serves 2):
2 medium chicken breasts (skinless, boneless)
1 lemon (zested and juiced)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup green beans
For the Optional Yogurt Sauce:
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dill (optional)
Instructions:
Marinate the Chicken:
In a bowl, combine lemon zest, juice, garlic, olive oil, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Coat the chicken breasts with the marinade. Cover and let it rest for 20-30 minutes.
Cook the Quinoa:
While the chicken marinates, prepare quinoa according to package instructions. Set aside.
Grill the Chicken:
Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill over medium heat.
Grill the chicken for 5-6 minutes on each side until fully cooked (internal temperature of 165°F / 74°C).
Steam the Vegetables:
Place broccoli, carrots, and green beans in a steamer basket over boiling water.
Steam for 5-7 minutes or until tender-crisp.
Prepare the Yogurt Sauce (Optional):
Mix Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic powder, and dill in a small bowl.
Assemble the Meal:
Plate the grilled chicken with a serving of quinoa and steamed vegetables.
Drizzle the optional yogurt sauce over the chicken or serve on the side.
Nutritional Information (Per Serving):
Calories: ~350
Protein: ~40g
Carbs: ~25g
Fats: ~10g
Bedtime Book Club
A racing mind is almost always the culprit behind our struggles to falling/staying asleep. By now we know that reading before bed can really help us disconnect from the day and calm down in order to sleep well, but I’ve also found some success with writing before bed. Setting aside 10 minutes to write down your thoughts and the things you’re worried about helps your brain to let go of these thoughts. By putting them down on paper they are no longer stuck in your mind, you can let go of them and fall asleep with a calmer mind.
Weekly Challenge
This one is for anyone who is not currently doing any form of strength training, though you may already know the countless benefits of strength training, getting started is often the hard part. Starting slow is crucial, what I would like you to do is set yourself the task of doing 3 x 20 minute sessions this week. It can be as simple as doing two exercises (Squats and planks for example) back to back for 20 minutes, resting whenever necessary, or maybe serching for a 20 minute strength for beginners workout on YouTube. I’ll leave some information below this email if you’re interested in my own 20 minute workout platform. If you stay consistent with those three weekly sessions, you’ll see results. Those results will be the motivation you need to keep going and increase the volume each week.
Client Spotlight
Judy: Meet Judy, one of my Strong over Seventy (75!) members. I’ve been working with Judy since September last year to help her get ready for some hardcore hiking in Patagonia next month, and am very happy with how well she’s taken to the training. Judy was already very active with a daily Yoga practice, kayaking, hiking and carrying grandchildren (and sometimes chainsaws as pictured), but made the decision to include some weight lifting to help with injury prevention, improved stability and to prevent loss of muscle mass/bone density. We meet once a week for an hour via Zoom, and I set Judy homework to do inbetween. She has embraced the core principle of consistency and has even had to bother her neighbour to borrow heavier weights once we outgrew the ones she already had. Big round of applause for Judy everyone! She’s going to smash those mountains.
Work with me
Freddie’s On Demand: My On Demand platform offers quick, effective, 20-minute workouts designed for all fitness levels. Whether you’re at home, in a park, or traveling, my on-demand sessions make staying active easy and convenient. With a wide variety of classes including strength, stability and aerobic, you can choose the workout that fits your goals and schedule. No equipment? No problem! I created this service to help you build strength, improve fitness, and feel great anytime, anywhere. Link below:
Have a great week everyone! If you have any questions or need some advice, hit reply to this email. Thanks for reading.
Freddie