#2 - MindBites - How To Achieve Mental Clarity Through Physical Activity

Welcome back to Inside of Mine. I'm Tom and I'm Joe, and this is the Inside of Mine chat show. A quick disclaimer Joe and I are not professionals in the topics we discuss. We talk from a subjective point of view, from our beliefs and our experiences that we've had in life. Secondly, we absolutely love doing these videos, so, whether you're watching it on the podcast or whether you're watching the chat show, please like, subscribe and even share it with your Nan. It helps us massively. Now sit back, relax, and I'm going to put our 10 minute timer on to discuss the important topic of mental health in relation to physical health. Let's go. I'd love to start this with you, joe, because obviously this is your bread and butter. What's your view as physical health related to mental health as a whole?

Well, just from personal experiences, I can tell you how happy I feel when I'm exercising versus when I'm not. I think when I've, like you, when I've had time away from either being injured through playing rugby and I'm not able to move as much or at all, my mood is significantly lower. So I rely on it for my happiness probably too much and just from working with my clients closely, even friends and family that when they're moving more and they introduce more exercise to their routine is just how much happier and productive they feel. Their relationships are better, more fruitful. They feel sort of happier. I mean the happy hormone, I mean the serotonin, is flowing and it can only be a good thing. Sleep better, eat better, your work productivity is better, you're sort of happier and very better to be around as well. I know I am, so I'm the same. Preach it preach it.

I'm the same. One important question that you know, I just thought of and I thought it was a great question is, if it's so important and it makes you feel so good, why do people never prioritise it? Well, the majority of people. Why don't they prioritise physical fitness?

It's a really good question.

I think the misconception around physical fitness is that people think it's going to be really, really difficult and, by all accounts, a lot of it can be and be able to push yourself into those realms can be, but that's quite a small group.

People think that by becoming physically active, you need to be running marathons and going to the gym and doing a 60 minute like hit class. It's not. It's actually just going out and walking, which I know that you and I have discussed many, many times on when I was a guest with you on the pod and I know that you're big on your walking. I mean, it's less so when it's like this outside, but just by moving actually increases that endorphin level and makes you happier, and you know it's burning calories by means of losing weight Fantastic. But just by moving. And, to answer your question, the misconception around being physically fit is that people think it's so much harder than it is and the mental block people have is just by starting. Once they start, they realise actually this is quite fun and I can make it my journey, not my Seon TV and my Seon Instagram, whatever. Yeah, In a roundabout way, I'll take question anyway.

Yeah, do you reckon everyone? Just I've done. I can say this from personal experience as well, but I think there's just so many excuses to not go and do it. That makes sense, I like, oh, the weather's bad, it's a bit dark now, but I just think having the discipline to go to the gym or go for a walk, I mean it sounds like such a minor thing, but when you're in such a bad headspace these things can be hard to do.

So for me, if it's just switching off my phone and being like you know, I'm going to stop working for it, I'm going to go outside, I'm going to sort of sit in my own head, think about what's going on and have no distractions and just walk. I don't think there's ever been a single time I've come back where I felt worse and I try and remember that and I'm like cool, it's a bit down past side, it's a bit rainy, but I always force myself to it. That's one of my number one things is it's not, like you know, going for a 5k run. That doesn't work for me as much. Literally just going for a quick walk, 30 minutes without my phone. I always come back happier and that's literally one of my favorite.

That was the thing I talked to you about on our first episode of the podcast yeah, which you sort of related to on my Instagram story, which kind of led us to this point and now we're somehow here. That was kind of the point which started it, and that was something that resonated with you as well, wasn't it?

Yeah, I think it's twofold. For me, I think finding what works best for you is huge as well, because what works best for you and your walking wouldn't necessarily work for someone who wants to do tiddly wings to the back garden. So, like it's, you have to find something that works for you, and if you decide to go for a run and you hate running, don't run. It's as simple as that. You can't force people to do things they want to do. That's why there are a thousand and one clubs out there, and a thousand one excels to be doing either from home, the comfort of your own home, if you don't feel comfortable going to a gym. Many, a lot of people don't.

By the way, a lot of my clients don't, which is why they use me and remember why you did it, your reason why, so like I'll take it to all my clients when they're having a really down day and they don't want to be doing it. That's why I started and that often gives people the motivation to go. Actually, you know what? I do want to lose a stone by the wedding next year. I do want to. Having those goals in mind and the reasons why started doing it actually motivates a lot of people as well. I'm get some back off them off the sofa and getting the motorway to doing in the first place which it's. It's tricky and there are a lot of roadblocks and people do make excuses, which is completely normal I do. Sometimes I can't bother to do it, but then I remember why I'm doing it and how good I feel afterwards.

And it's just that starting point.

That can get people a bit stuck.

What sort of like the common misconceptions which people get when that when they go to gym because you said them and you don't feel comfortable going, that's why people use yourself, because you make them, you know, feel more positive. Do you do come across a lot of people that Main reason for them to for not go to the gym is they just don't want people to see them working out?

Yeah, I'd say nine times out of ten. It's people who have a misconception that a gym is this chest beating, testosterone filled environment and by means they can be. But that's quite a niche group of gyms. Gyms are actually very supportive Group of people for the most part obstacles. You do get the people who aren't, and that's. You get the inner walks of life in every environment you're in.

But gyms are very intimidating. They're full of Men and women who either do know what they're doing or look like they do not. Everyone does, and For a novice to walk in there who's completely unaware of what's going on and has no idea how any of this stuff is, it's scary. So I think the misconception is that people aren't gonna be able to help you, and Gyms can be a very scary place for people.

So what I would say is go with someone that you know, who maybe knows a bit more about the gym, and if you don't ask for help and that sounds really stupid, because people are very good at asking for help, but the personal trainers that are on the gym floor there are there for a reason let's go and ask questions and they'll be more than happy to help you.

From someone who worked at gym for three years is when a member came up to me and said how does this work? I was so happy because you spend a lot of time just wiping machines down and having conversations with yourself, because it's it's part of a mundane job, for the most part when you aren't actually physically training people. So my advice to anyone being out there right now when you are new to a gym, find someone you can go with who might know a bit more than you do and that sort of its security and numbers and ask questions. And if you can reach out to someone like myself who knows a bit more about it and you can help you with a few things and do that as well. There's a few tips there that I'll probably suggest.

Yeah, I love that. I know also, when Joe and I were talking about a soft camera before, we came across some crazy facts and I know there was one that you wanted to share and I was going to share one which sort of stuck out to me yeah, what? Was that fat for everyone listening at home. It meant.

From memory was I think it's 50% of young people between 12 and 21 aren't active on in the day to day. They're so true. So that was like I know that the obesity levels and and activity young people is really really low. I had no idea was that like half of people between 12 and 21 aren't physically active in the daily basis.

Which is why. Why do you reckon that is? I'm mobile phones, you reckon it's. But to be fair, the majority of people are hung over when they're Between 18 to 21 at uni. But do you reckon that's like sedentary lifestyle? Because a lot of stuff is just online now. A lot of stuff's easy to access online, whether that's work, whether that's uni stuff, and people are just not moving as much. Do you reckon that's?

the reason? I think I think so. I. It's hard to say because a lot of it's.

It's obviously harder to reach out the sport once you finish school. So once if you leave school at 16, 18 or whatever it might be once you finish education you then have to go and find sport and usually involves cost. You have to pay to be a member of a club or something and obviously it's the added extra bit of having a guy I've got a guy for a run and obviously go to university, fall at the rhythm of doing it. So if you do go to university, obviously your priorities change. Your priorities do change. I mean, you'll know College university it's.

It's more about sort of the drinking in the social atmosphere, unless you're lucky enough to be involved with in a sports club. That's for you people. So I think it's part and parcel of maybe once you. I think it's more in girls. I think when girls reach a certain age it becomes less cool and you become more of you care more about people looking at you or you know hormones and you know girls that stop swimming because being on their periods and stuff. It's very difficult place. It's really really difficult. So girls between that age group certainly do struggle and female Participation is so, so low and that needs to be looked. At me, yeah, it's between 12 and 21, so it doesn't give me a male, female thing, but I know the female participation is so, so low. So part of your comment definitely a spot on where it comes to social media and being on their phones and Socially it's huge pressure on kids at that age.

So To look, a certain way, and stuff as well. Yeah, sure.

Yeah my, I'm wearing a time. We got a minute left on the clock, but my, my fun fact was, just by standing up you burn double the amount of calories and sitting down, which is pretty counterintuitive. Assuming we're sitting down filming this podcast and and drink your dark coke. But hey, listen to us, that's the main thing. Yeah, well, that comes to a point of just like Standing desks and all these new things that well, not new, but these things that come out are Really important and if you can, just if you feel like you can't exercise, and if you do want to burn off some calories you're a bit worried about, you know, stomach fat everyone is Little things like that. There's so many little things which you can do which actually just make a massive difference, like literally going for a quick walk, standing desk, whatever it is. It's crazy.

Yes, but I'm kind of just kind of chipping and say one more thing, for we Is what, if you are at home, working from home, invest in a good desk and if you are in between calls, going out for a, what makes you difference? Because that standing part makes a big, big difference, like you said.

But I felt my man ten minutes. I hope this was helpful for you guys listening at home. As we said at the start, these are going to be short, sharp, you know, a bit light-hearted. Hopefully we can put enough information in there to help you. It's been very enjoyable. This is our second episode now of the inside of mind chat show. We can't wait to get on to the next ones. You guys are giving us loads of questions to look at, so we're going to get on that. We're going to do as many as we can and learn as much as we can as possible to help you guys. But that's it from me.

That's it from me as well.

Appreciate it,