Hannah McKimm
I find it interesting that, over the years, the more experience I've gained working with women and the more I've reflected on my own health, the simpler my approach to exercise has become.
The things that matter most aren't necessarily the things I once thought they were. It's become less about doing more and more about doing what works, finding movement that fits into real life, feels enjoyable and supports both my physical and mental wellbeing.
Along the way, there are a few lessons I've learnt that I wish I'd figured out sooner myself. They're simple, but I do believe that when we strip away the noise and focus on what actually matters, exercise becomes not only more effective, but far more enjoyable too.
Harder, longer and more intense isn't always better.
For years I thought that if a workout wasn't long or particularly challenging, it probably wasn't doing much. Through starting my family and time becoming less and less available, I have realised the value of regular exercise far outweighs the value of intensity.
Our bodies respond to consistency. Twenty minutes of movement that you can repeat 3 to five times each week will almost always have a greater impact than a single longer or higher intensity workout.
The "best" workout isn't necessarily the hardest one. It's the one you'll happily come back to tomorrow.
Rest isn't lazy.
This is something I see women struggle with all the time, particularly through motherhood, but really through all phases of our lives.
We often wear being busy as a badge of honour, and exercise can become another thing we feel we need to push harder at.
But your body doesn't become stronger during the workout. It becomes stronger afterwards. Recovery allows your muscles, bones and nervous system to adapt to the work you've done. Without it, we're simply creating more fatigue and putting ourselves at risk of injury, which eventually forces us to rest.
Looking after yourself isn't selfish.
As women, especially mothers, it's very easy to feel guilty taking time for ourselves.
But I've learned the hard way over the past 4 years, that the version of me who exercises regularly is also the version that's calmer, more patient, more energetic and more resilient - the kind of mum I want to be for my girls (and husband!).
Looking after yourself isn't taking something away from your family, remember that next time you feel guilty for putting yourself first.
You don't always have to fit exercise around everyone else.
It’s taken me a long time to put my own exercise needs as a priority in our household. I’ve been limiting myself to the very early hours of the morning, while the girls are still asleep to make sure I don’t put anyone else out. It’s only in the past few months that I’ve started booking into classes and taking it in turns with Matt to exercise and not feel like I need to be done and showered by 6am.
I don’t know why it took me so long, I love exercise and it’s a big part of who I am, it just didn’t occur to me to make it happen. So if you’re in a similar boat to what I just described, maybe it’s time for a chat because you might be pleasantly surprised by your options once you talk it through.
Your routine doesn't need to look like anyone else's.
It's incredibly easy to compare ourselves to everyone else around us, without knowing the ins and outs of their situation. I know I’ve become very aware that one month can look very different to the next when it comes to kids, so there is literally no point or benefit to comparing your routine to anyone else’s. You can’t even compare your own routine last month to this month!
We all have different responsibilities, different goals, different bodies and different things we genuinely enjoy.
The best routine is the one that works for your life right now.
Han x