Its all a matter of perception – oh and angles ??

Does ya belly flop out when u sit down “normally/comfortably”?? If YES then so fukin what?? Like 90% of the population then??
So what if it hangs a little?
Why do we use angles an lighting to change how we really look? Who are we trying to impress? What are we trying to prove??

I know sometimes we feel uncomfortable with how we look – I mean Im the first to hold my hands up an say Im not in the best shape of my life an I feel a bit insecure….but am I hurting anyone? NO……we need to stop thinking “Ill be happy when Im xxx size/weight” sorry to burst ur bubble but it doesnt work tha way!! Be happy with what u have now or youll never be happy with what u get!!
Its ok to wanna lose weight/change shape – but its also Ok to just be you – right here and right now

1 fukin body is all u get – start appreciating it!!!

Over the past 2/3 years Ive done some pretty intense courses…some people may call me mad, some people may just think Im addicted to courses…..but I am always just wanting to learn, move forward and add skills to my toolbox.

Learning is wonderful…whether its from a course or from other people…I feel each of us has something to learn and something to teach and we should encourage this

The courses have all been intense, there has been times Ive wanted to give up…but Ive carried on and I am glad I have.

I think life is an education and I am always trying to better myself both personally and professionally and I am such a nerd that I love to learn and think this will always be in me…BUT I do think I need a break from the learning….

The courses have all enabled me to become more confident in what I do but also open new doors for moving forward in my career and what I can offer in the future and I am excited about what I can offer

I think I need a break from Education and just allow all my new found knowledge and skills to make their way into my brain and my life and process it all

I dont regret any of these courses but they have caused some stress in my life and as much as Ive enjoyed them…learning to me doesn’t come easy…Im not a true academic…so it takes me a while…but hey we are all different

Here’s to whatever courses may come next haha

Jen

As Mental Health Awareness Week has just come to an end…Ive taken a little bit of time to reflect and see how it impacted myself and those around me.

I was so overwhelmed by the amount of support I received for all my events and for everything I posted on my Socials.

To me this years theme was like it was made for me and it actually came at a bittersweet time….a time when although I am grateful for my body and everything it does….it was also a time that I am feeling really unconformable in my own skin and I hoped that by encouraging others to lose their bodies then I could also encourage myself….and it helped in a way.

Body Image is a massive thing now and it causes so much distress to others and as we have seen causes mental health issues in people and I understand its not just as simple as saying “Love yourself”….yeh its easy to say that but actually doing this can be really hard. Even though I was all about spreading the word…deep down inside Im not really feeling overly body confident.

Working within fitness I am seen at the front…and I am meant to be able to inspire others and right now I don’t feel like much of an inspiration….but that’s ok because I accept that and I know that the love will come back. Its not about “weight” with me….and for a lot of people it’s not about that….we all know when we are “comfortable” regardless of a “number” on the scales….we all have a comfy phase….when we just feel so good in our bodies

What Im saying is dont worry if you are struggling to feel the love…it will come, we just need to start to accept who we are and where we are right now and work from there….not looking back or looking to far forward and just focus on now.

I am so grateful for my body….its amazing and powerful and strong and whilst it may not be the “ideal” that sh*tty social media wants…its mine and its always there for me and it allows me to do so many amazing things an experience life.

Dont stress yourself over loving your body…but we all need to find our own way…however this may be!!

I may sound very conflicting here but Im being REAL…we can’t love ourselves all the time and we need to be aware of this and also be aware that we cant beat ourselves up…,its OK to have these down days, but its how we recover from them that matters really.

Love what you can….when you can
Be grateful everyday for your body

I am on a mission to keep spreading the word, to keep trying and to keep it real always

Jen x

MH Awareness Week

Hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Awareness Week 2019 will take place from Monday 13 to Sunday 19 May 2019. The theme for 2019 is Body Image – how we think and feel about our bodies.

Mental health problems can affect anyone, at any time. We believe that mental health is everyone’s business.

Last year we found that 30% of all adults have felt so stressed by body image and appearance that they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope. That’s almost 1 in every 3 people.

Body image issues can affect all of us at any age and directly impact our mental health.

Join me this week in embracing who and what you are.\
Finding a way to love our bodies again and start to love who we really are

I will be posting daily about this during this week and also holding events through this week (see below) – both of which are donation based and all money raised will be given back to Mental Health Foundation

Let me know if you’d like to come along or buy a Raffle Ticket and help me raise some money

Jen x

#BeBodyKind
#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek

May is National Walking Month

JUST 10% OF US WALK TO WORK IN THE UK.
OVER A THIRD DON’T GET ENOUGH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.

Living Streets wants to change the culture in workplaces to encourage more walking activity throughout the day. It’s cost-effective, flexible and all inclusive.

Walking is FREE and is so good for not only Physical but also Mental Wellbeing……its 1 of my Fav things to do if I feel a bit out of sorts…I love going for a walk and being in Nature and just connecting back to myself.

Walking is a form of meditation too and being in Nature is so good for the soul

How often do you go for a walk??

Life now is so hectic we drive/public transport everywhere and then get a lift to go sit at our desks (not everyone I know)…..do we get our steps in??

Here are some ways to get walking more

Jen x

Hi Im Jen and I have been in the Fitness Industry for 15 years now. Ive seen it change a lot over the years and I personally have changed as I have grown, alongside my business.

My Mission now?? To Spread Body Love and Body Positivity and show people just how amazing this vessel they have is. Its the only place we will live forever and I think its about time we started to recognise this.

I see it all the time, people who come to classes – not wanting to get by the mirrors, worrying their clothes are too tight in classes and just putting themselves down.

I see it in ME…Ive had some serious body confidence and body image issues – especially more in the last few years. Ive been called a fraud, Ive been called a disgrace to the Industry and Ive been told I am too “big” to be in fitness, how can I inspire anyone and that I should be a lot smaller for all I do……OK first I didn’t ask for the opinions of these people and Secondly how f*kin rude??

How dare anyone say something negative about another human and how they look.

I am on a mission to help people Embrace every part of themselves, YES that includes all the wobbly bits and the things you see as flaws. I am ready to spread the body love and body positivity.

Happiness is NOT a size!!
Losing weight, getting that “ideal” body weight will NOT bring u happiness

“I’ll be happy when” NOW…just be Happy now!!

I’d Love you to share your story below too……

Love You and Your Amazing Body

Jen x

So yeh its just a
A pic of 2 trees – 1 without flowers and 1 with…….so what??

Im sure thats maybe that you first thought when you first seen these pics….and yeh initially that’ll it is a tree with and a tree without any flowers….but I see it deeper.

You see we are like these trees…sometimes are branches are falling apart and we feel down and we feel like we have nothing and then suddenly…we bloom, just like the tree, we come alive, we bloom and we start to show the world who we truly are, we grow form within and it shows on the outside

And thats life….

Sometimes we will be down, anxious, depressed and the world will seem dark and dull and our “branches” will feel like they are falling apart

YET

Other times….we will be blooming….literally like the flowers, we will be growing from within and radiating out to the world, coming alive and being happy and content where we are……showing the world and those around us we mean business and feeling the glow from within our “branches” will stand tall and proud and the flowers will blossom on top of that

And thats life…..

Sometimes it’ll be dull and down
Sometimes it’ll be bright and up

Take the good and the bad
Know we have the power within us to “bloom” again

Sometimes we need to get to the darkness to be able to let the light in

Life goes on
Life changes

Just ride the storm

Jen x

In some way our lives are all full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations, and demands….whether it be from work or home life. For a lot of people Stress starts to become a way of life. Its not always a bad thing-in small doses, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. But when you’re constantly running in “stress” mode, your health and wellbeing will start to pay the price.

Stress can also be a good thing…we need stress in our lives in some way but TOO much can be bad for us Mentally and Physically

If you constantly feel frazzled and overwhelmed, it’s time to take action to bring your nervous system back into balance.

The Body’s Stress Response
When you perceive a threat, your nervous system responds by releasing a flood of stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones rouse the body for emergency action.

Your heart pounds faster, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens, and your senses become sharper. These physical changes increase your strength and stamina, speed your reaction time, and enhance your focus – preparing you to either fight or flee from the danger at hand.

Here are my TOP TIPS for dealing with Stress

With the lovely weather we are currently experiencing, it felt kind of apt to write this Article…so I hope it inspires you to get out into the Fresh Air 🙂

Not only does it add vitamin to the skin but it also is great for the mind and the soul…being out in nature and fresh air and connecting back to the self is such a good way to not only help with physics Health but also with our Mental Health too.

Now I must firstly say if you are considering going out into the “Sun” please make sure you keep hydrated

So with all this talk of Sun, Fresh Air….may I present “Vitamin D” maybe not a Vitamin you are very familiar with, and this is because for so long Vitamin D has only really been used to prevent rickets……BUT NO Offence Vitamin C but Vit D may now be the bee’s knee’s as you body relies on it….so move over C and make way for D!!

Vit D also always used to be the “robin” the Calciums “batman” but this is all a change – Vit D actually encourages the absorption & metabolism of Calcium and Phosphate levels in Blood!

Vitamin D is a major player in overall Health and may be just what the doctor ordered. Vitamin D is the “Sunshine Vitamin”……but as we all are in the UK…we dont really see a lot of sunshine throughout the year (which actually explains why so many people suffer from SAD in the Winter) To Avoid getting SAD in the Winter make sure that when the sun is shining that you try and get out there and top up your Vit D stores….you never know when you may need them.

Anyways…here I am waffling on about how amazing Vit D is…..well incase you think its all BS…take a look at the list below:
* Boosts you Immune System
* Can be obtained from Sun, Food and Supplements (foods: Cod Liver Oil, Eggs, Fruit and Veg)
* Helps maintain a Healthy Weight
* Regulates Blood Pressure
* Helps lower MS and Diabetes levels
* Helps prevent the onset of Osteoperosis and Arthritis
* Helps reduce Stress, Anxiety and Depression (how happy do people seem when the sun is shining??)
* Anti Inflammatory agent
* Regulates Blood Sugar Levels (which will in turn help with Diabetes and Weight)
* Increases overall Health and Wellbeing in people

Lots of us are deficient in Vit D – without even realising it, maybe from the foods we DONT eat or just for the simple fact we dont get enough sun/daylight as we should…lets be honest if you are stuck in an office all day with artificial lighting and air con…its not really the ideal way to get VIt D stored topped up. Now I am not saying give up your job and go and work outside…but what I will say is GET OUT whether its on your break, lunch or even getting off the bus a stop earlier….ENJOY this sun and increased hours of daylight whilst you can….because we will all soon complain when its gettin darker and colder. Even if you just get out for 10-15 mins…surely thats better than nothing?

FRESH AIR.

When its cold and dark in Winter the last thing we all want to do is go outside, so we stay all snuggled up in the warm….but gone are the days of that….I know we are having a lucky spell at the moment with the weather, but surely this should make you want to make the most of it all?? As I said before, whether it means just walking somewhere, standing outside on your lunch or even exercising outside…the benefits to Fresh Air are endless:
* Increase Overall Health (as above)
* Lowers Stress and Depression
* Lowers Blood Pressure
* Helps you Sleep zzzzzzzz
* The “Happy” Chemical “Seretonin” is higher in the brain during this time of year…when the days are longer…..so lots of happy smiling people……surely this is a good thing
* By exercising outside – this will provide the body with more Oxygen, that will assist with metabolism and helps muscles convert the sugar to energy and makes the body more efficient _ BONUS!!!!
* Good for the Soul
* Helps us reconnect to ourselves

So what are you waiting for?? Log off your phone and GET OUTSIDE…you never know how long the sun will stay around for….you better make the most of it!!!

Get some VIt D onto your skin, absorb into your body and top up the stores

Breath in the Fresh Air and full your lungs

You’ll be amazed at how FAB you will feel just by doing this….Oh and did I say its FREE!!

The sun has got his hat on….hip, hip, hip HORAAAYYYY!!!

Smile…Enjoy…..Live!!!

I wasn’t sure if I was going to share this, I mean lets be honest its a bit personal and who is even arsed?? BUT there is a deeper meaning behind it and one I am sure some of you can relate too. Plus I wanted to be able to show that yeh us “fitness” are just human too!

So the 1st pics are May – 2018
2nd pics – Dec 2018
3rd pics – NOW

Last year I got help from to get me feeling better about my body and my health…even us fit pros need a coach and as you can see I done pretty well

And then BAM…it hit me (Just after Christmas 2018)

Whats caused me to go back a step??
It’s not being lazy….its my Mental Health…how Ive been feeling lately, the anxiety, mild depression and the feelings Ive been having, has caused my body to react and gain weight/fat for “protection” as when the body sense fear it needs extra layers to feel safe.

For the first time EVER I have started to comfort eat and this has of course added to the extra fat I have gained onto my body

NOW don’t get me wrong I am so grateful for all my body allows me to do, its strong and it allows me to be alive and continue to do my job…BUT its also falling apart

There is a BIG “Mind-Body” Connection that we often forget about….
Stress, Depression, Anxiety, PTSD….anything “Mental” can have an affect on the “Physical” AND Vice-Versa

Why am I sharing? Not so you feel sorry for me and not so you judge me…..I know Im in bad shape….you don’t need to tell me.

BUT its not all about how you “Look”…its how you “Feel” and I feel disgusted in myself BUT also proud that I am able to a admit this and open up.

If this helps just 1 person see that they are not alone
That their feelings are not “strange”
or that their Body Issues can be something more than just “diet”
Then I am happy

I don’t care for ur nasty comments….I get enough snide remarks to my face

Jen x