MMBC Founder Sara Reynolds has been Coaching clients globally for over 20years. She adamantly believes she can help anyone who truly wants to get in shape and change their life do the same. The Prescribed Program and her Glow Fusion workouts are packed with tools and tips that are backed sound science and undebatable common sense. We have picked a few key pointers that you can try for yourself as you commence your health journey or tweak what you are currently doing to keep achieving great results.
1. Aim for 60 X 6
So long as you aren’t new to the fitness scene, Sara suggests training for an hour a day, six days a week. sure you include weights/resistance into your sessions for the best physical results and stretching for the best mind and body care results. Once you make exercise a non-negotiable part of your health care plan, six days a week will not seem like a lot. “Every day that you don’t include some form of exercise means you are promoting physical and cognitive decline, look at your daily dose as a fun form of therapy rather than a chore”. For those who are just starting out, aim for 2-3 days a week and build from there. Each month of being consistent aim to add another day of working out into your program. Workout at home, at a studio or the gym- workout where you feel works best for you. Remember when we begin to build any habit, life tends to get in the way, so have a plan for when that happens and get back to your routine as soon as possible. Wobbles are normal, but get back on track to avoid crashing your health and fitness goals.
2. Make Your Diet Simple
Exercise is important, but without a wholesome balanced diet, you simply won’t function well or recover from your workouts properly, ultimately this will promote injury. Sara speaks time and time again about the importance of eating clean, (ideally) organic whole foods as much as possible. “I refuse to go near processed foods. Making your meals yourself, from whole, natural ingredients reduced inflammation in the body, helps your digestive system and supports brain health” she said in a recent interview. Everyone has slightly different nutritional needs, which is why the ‘Prescribed Program’ sets each client up with their own Coach and bespoke exercise and nutrition program. Ultimately however, the foundations and fundamentals are about simplicity, taste and quality.
3. Don’t Restrict
“Restricting just brings out the rebel in us all. When you are told you cant do something, what do you automatically want to do- that very thing! Food restriction can become a real mental game and it just isnt helpful in the long run,” There are some key tips Sara follows and shares, avoid sugar, gluten, all processed or pre-made commercial foods.
4. Drink Occasionally
Alcohol can be very detrimental to your achieving your health goals. Rather than say go tee-total, Sara suggests that you become discerning about what you drink and when as well as taking a really good look at your relationship with alcohol. The ‘what’, ‘when’ and ‘why’ of your alcohol consumption can be a very telling and is important to address honestly.
5. Start a Diary
If you tend to get overwhelmed with the happenings of your day-to-day life, you’ll probably find it challenging to make fitness and healthy eating a priority, too. “When people are stressed, it clouds their minds and makes them less productive,”. To de-stress, so you can get on track to a healthier lifestyle, take the time to write things down that are getting under your skin. When your thoughts and emotions are in order, it becomes far easier to get your health in order. And science backs her suggestion. A recent study revealed that when women who were unhappy with their weight completed a one-time, 15-minute writing exercise about an important personal issue, they went on to lose at least three pounds over a three-month period while their counterparts who wrote about an unimportant topic gained three pounds. As it turns out, journaling can serve as a buffer to the stress and uncertainty that leads to emotional eating and sluggish workouts.
6. Enjoy Chocolate
Enjoy dark chocolate guilt free. High in magnesium and health promoting compounds, dark chocolate is a great way to relax and support your body’s mineral needs. Keep it to 80%+ cacao levels and 1-2 squares should do the trick.
7. Workout Mindfully
Unfocused training is one of the key blocks to your health and fitness success. One of the biggest differences between top level athletes and the general public gym goer is their attention to and focus on detail- being present in your workout really does make a difference. “When people are on their phones during their sessions, watching TV or generally distracting themselves when they should be focused on what they are doing and how they are doing it, as a Coach it really annoys me. Not only does it scream to me they are going to hurt themselves, it shows how disconnected from their own inner world they really are. Working out is about integrating the self. We need time to connect mind and body daily, something you cant do death scrolling social media.”
8. Make Working Out Fun
Moving is our natural state, we are designed to move and to move at a certain intensity to promote the release of those happy hormones. Moving to music either on your own or in a class setting can be a connecting and supportive experience which can be fun even when there is a challenge aspect to it. In fact the sense of achievement that comes with nailing a mentally or physically challenging sequence can be one of the best parts about the Glow Fusion program.
9. Skip the Detox
“Juice fasting destroys your metabolic rate. I see a lot of women who are like, ‘Oh, I lost seven pounds and then I gained 10.’ Detoxing is dangerous especially for women as it can cause havoc for your hormones – who needs the weight gain or the mood swings?
10. Just Say ‘No’ To Soda
Soda is basically just carbonated sugar-spiked chemical water, so if you want real results for your health and waistline, its time to kick the habit. “It’s bloating and full of sugar—or if it’s diet soda, it’s full of chemicals. Drink water. Not flavoured water, just plain filtered water. Sparkling mineral water is fine, but not so easy to get in quickly after a workout. Support low inflammation and get rid of the extra sugar that soda loads in, same goes for juice too.
