Wellness is an area of strong interest for me, both physical and mental wellness. I’m convinced they are inextricably linked. I will post regularly on this page on a range of subjects related to wellness.
This is not the diary of some super athlete dashing from one achievement to another. It’s the life of a distinctly average man trying to do the best he can maintaining his wellness while dealing with the effects of ageing and my hectic working life.
I look after my own physical condition through diet and exercise. Both strength training and endurance training are part of my regime. But time is my enemy, both hours in the day and the effect of ageing. Wellness and fitness is an area I have spent many years of my professional life in.
My mind is open when it comes to research, methods and techniques. I spend a lot of time considering diet, sports nutrition and supplementation. Experimentation is fascinating; I often try new dietary interventions and exercise regimes.
Mental health is increasingly in the public eye, and it’s central to wellness in my view. It’s a broad subject encompassing sleep, meditation, depression, self-esteem, stress management. This list goes on. It’s an area of deep personal interest for me. And I also believe it’s an area of great importance for society at large.
Mental wellness is still a tricky subject for many. For example, data show that depression is the number one reason for absence in the w0rkplace, yet it’s an area people remain uncomfortable discussing. Let’s discuss it here.
6,400 I’ve set myself the May Challenge of doing 6,400 bodyweight squats. I did 200 yesterday and today the dreaded delayed onset muscle soreness is wreaking havoc with me. As I type this I have completed my first 100 for today; I want to break day two into three or four blocks, to help me … Read more
The Scores Are In I’ve been fortunate to avoid COVID and am now one of the fortunate vaccinated people. As often is the case, ‘fortunate’ comes with quite a lot of effort. It’s been a long winter of social isolation and following the rules. I’m not an anti-vaxxer or a COVID denier, rather I see … Read more
Lockdown & Mental Health I live at work. A year ago we had a company day at Old Trafford and I remember talking about the exciting year ahead. At the time I believe there were single figures of COVID cases in the UK. The virus was almost an abstract concept. A month later we sent … Read more
Younger Next Year was a book gifted to me probably a dozen years ago now. Written by Dr Henry Lodge and his patient Chris Crowley, it gives advice on “living like you’re 50 until 80 and beyond”. I can’t remember what’s in the book. I do know that I have tried to adhere to the … Read more
The Winter Wellness Blues I know it’s not October for a couple of days and it’s only just Autumn. But winter wellness has been on my mind recently. I can feel the drag on my mental wellness; I’ve got the first sniffling cold of the season. It’s a time where I can start to drift … Read more
Finding personal balance is an ongoing work. For me, but for many others too, I suspect. This year more so than most, given the world is in a once in a generation or once in a century crisis right now. Writing a blog post every so often is part of my wider strategy to maintain … Read more
Winter training is a drudge, no doubt. I’m not one of those die-hard cyclists who says “bring it on” all year round. Rain is hammering on the windows, an unwelcome visitor called Storm Dennis. I’ve also had a winter bug for over a week now, coughing like an old steam engine and complementary headache to … Read more
The Numbers For Calm The Numbers. Another year, another set of new tweaks to help me progress. Today is my 50 Days Of Calm. I starting a daily meditation practice during December. Missed a couple due to travel, but have now logged 50 days in a row. That’s not the whole story, however. I’ve spent … Read more
Great Craftmanship Can’t Be Rushed I collected my Feather Cycles travel bike from Ricky Feather on Friday. A year in the making and well worth every week of that wait. I should add at this point that you don’t normally wait a year for a bike. Ricky was forced to move his workshop unexpectedly during … Read more
Getting Stuck Getting stuck in the comfort zone is easy to do for a couple of reasons. You have some success in a personal or professional pursuit, so why change a winning formula? Or you are afraid of what happens when you step outside the comfort zone. Both of these things are happening to me … Read more