Jo Marie PT

Please tell me I’m not the only one who does this… 😂

When I’ve got loads to do and feel overwhelmed, my natural reaction is to try and do a little bit of EVERYTHING.

Which usually means I end up exhausted, with 27 jobs half done and feeling like I’ve achieved absolutely nothing.

And I see the same thing with fitness.

Trying a bit of everything.

Doing whatever workout you have time for.

Changing your diet every Monday.

Adding more cardio.

Cutting out carbs.

Trying to drink more water.

Downloading another workout plan…

Busy doesn’t always mean productive.

Sometimes the answer isn’t another thing to add to your list.

It’s taking a step back, deciding what will actually make a difference and then doing those few things consistently.

Less overwhelm. More focus. More consistency.

And honestly, I could probably do with taking my own advice sometimes. 😂

This weekend I did something that was WAY outside my comfort zone.

I’ve been practising to become a Body Pump instructor, which meant filming myself, wearing a mic and teaching choreography to a small group while being assessed.

And honestly? I found it really nerve-racking. 😬

There were definitely moments when I thought, “Why on earth am I putting myself through this?!”

I’m much more comfortable with simple coaching -explaining an exercise, watching technique and helping people get stronger. Standing at the front and remembering choreography while being filmed was a completely different challenge.

But that’s exactly why I wanted to do it.

Sometimes we need to be a beginner again. To feel uncomfortable. To get things wrong. To prove to ourselves that we’re capable of more than we thought.

And I think the same applies to fitness.

You don’t have to feel confident before you try something new. Sometimes confidence is what you build by doing the thing that scares you.

So if there’s something you’ve been avoiding because you’re not sure you can do it...

Don’t wait until you feel ready. Sometimes “ready” only arrives after you’ve started.

Apparently my son isn’t particularly interested in hearing me moan about my day 🤷‍♀️

Which got me thinking...

Sometimes you don’t need another person telling you what you should be doing.

You just need someone who’ll listen to you say:

“I’ve had an absolutely rubbish day.”
“I missed my class.”
“I can’t be bothered today.”
“I’ve completely fallen off track.”

And then help you work out what you can do instead.

I’ll empathise.
I’ll listen.
I’ll probably agree that your day sounds crap.

But then I’ll help you find the next step.

Maybe that’s a 20-minute workout instead of the class you missed.

Maybe it’s getting your meals back on track tomorrow rather than deciding the whole week is ruined.

Maybe it’s simply getting out for a walk and resetting your head.

Because online coaching isn’t about me shouting at you to DO BETTER.

It’s about having someone in your corner who understands that real life happens - and helps you keep moving forwards anyway.

And unlike my son, I actually signed up for the moaning. 😉

If that’s the kind of support you’re looking for, send me a DM.

Sometimes the hardest part is getting over the start line

I nearly didn’t make it to the start line of Beverley half marathon yesterday.

House move has massively taken its toll on me mentally and physically. And the night before the race I suddenly realised I’d forgotten to tell the race organisers that I’d moved house so my race number had gone to my old address! I had no one to look after the dog and I’d pulled a muscle in my quad doing body pump instructor training. Maybe I should just not do it….

But then I thought about what I tell my clients- just showing up is often the most important thing. The rest follows.

Sometimes you want to smash a session or a run and how you perform really is important. But sometimes, just getting to the class or the gym or the start line is an achievement in itself.

I set off steady, focusing on enjoying the race, rather than pushing for a PB, and ended up feeling really strong and being able to push the pace comfortably in the second half.

And the most important thing? I proved to myself once again that I’m mentally strong and I can do hard stuff! Which makes you feel amazing. That’s what it’s all about 😊

Even fitness professionals have days when we feel sh*t exercising and our bodies just aren’t performing as we’d want!

Sometimes the best thing you can do is listen to your body, ease off and prioritise recovery. 💞

Sometimes getting back on track starts with doing less, not more.

Last week I saw my hybrid client for our monthly face-to-face session and it reminded me how important the basics are.

Earlier this year, her strength had improved hugely from just a few simple habits:

✅ Daily plank
✅ Daily dead hang
✅ Two short strength sessions a week

Nothing extreme. No hours in the gym. Just consistency.

But life got tough, her habits slipped and she was feeling really low.

After our session, she realised that getting those simple habits back into her routine could help everything else feel more manageable again.

And yes… we even trained in a paddling pool because it was ridiculously hot! 😂

Because sustainable fitness isn’t about being perfect.

It’s about having a few simple habits you can come back to when life events happen.

Don’t underestimate the basics. They really do add up. ❤️

What’s one small habit you could commit to this week?