Does the 1 hour in the gym make up for the other 23 hours of your day?

Does the 1 hour in the gym make up for the other 23 hours of your day?

NOOOOOO!!

If you are not doing what you should be doing the other 23 hours of day, you will not see results.

When I was training in the traditional gym setting, I would meet with clients 1-2x a week. But what happened in those other 23 hours of their day?

I was only helping with one slice of the pie—the exercise component (and don’t get me wrong, this is an important component). However, we all know, but may not want to admit, that most results come not from that 1 hour in the gym, but the other 23 hours of your day. This includes nutrition, sleep, recovery, mindset and hormones. If any of these are out of whack you will not see results.

Let’s take hormones for example, if your cortisol levels (the stress hormone) are high then you are more susceptible to insulin resistance (often a precursor to Type 2 Diabetes.) Stressors can include any type of stress, from a fight with a loved one or your boss to a HIIT class or even skipping a meal. And let’s face it, how many of us are under chronic stress these days?

Now, if our cortisol levels are high then our blood sugar levels probably are as well.  And with this increase in cortisol, cells become numb and do not let insulin usher glucose to the cells (insulin resistance). The insulin resistance adds to the leptin (the satiety hormone) resistance, keeping appetite and cravings high.

The viscous cycle continues…

Sleep then often becomes elusive.  If cortisol levels do not decrease around bedtime cortisol can keep us awake or cause us to wake in the middle of the night.

Shall I go on?

If you are in your 40s and beyond it is crucial to take a 360-degree wellness approach.

I love that I now get to help my clients with several slices of the pie. Small tweaks in your lifestyle, nutrition and exercise may be all you need to get on track.  If you are stuck, please send me a message and let’s chat.