Friday with Heidi: The sequel…

Here we are then… whether you are calling it lockdown 2.0, lockdown lite or as I prefer, The Sequel. We are all back in a place that seemed scary and new and uncertain back in March.

I am exhausted with it all. All the thinking, the changing of plans, the dealing with normal life ‘stuff’ under the global pandemic umbrella.

I don’t understand why a colleague who does close contact, lymphatic massage can treat clients and I can’t exercise people outside. 

I don’t understand why estate agents can do viewings on houses and I can’t give people the chance to remain healthy by working out, in an outdoor space, with social distancing. 

But, despite all this, I am much more positive about it for me personally. 

I learned in the first outing (or is it ‘inning’?!) that I need to maintain a structure to my day. 

Fit Camp certainly helps. We have early morning sessions Monday to Friday which means I do need to get up. But I now have the benefit of knowing that this set up works. So I can hand over some sessions to the team so I can have a break. 

Which leads me onto learning two. I found it emotionally draining last time. There was so much to learn, to incorporate and to think about, that my introspective, reflective brain had to catch up very quickly. I didn’t have the benefit of time to think things through. Instead I allowed myself a 24 hour rule for the business. 

If anyone emailed or questioned or challenged I waited 24 hours before making any comment. Sometimes it disappeared on it’s own. Other times it would seem more easily fixable after a short interval. 

My learning for this time is that I do have a business that can work online and I don’t need to do it all. So our new timetable is already set up with our coaches to share the load and give everyone a chance to work and to rest. And we all need that. 

My third main learning is that I am going to ensure that I get outside each day, that I move each day, that I keep up a regular exercise routine and I that get enough sleep. 

All these things got out of kilter last time and it amplified the feelings of exhaustion that I referred to earlier. In fact I was so indoors last time on Zoom I felt quite bereft of daylight and fresh air. 

So this morning (Thursday) I made sure I wore proper clothes to my online networking meeting. No more jeans and a top. But trousers and a shirt and real shoes. I am not waiting to go out the house in these clothes anymore!

Am eating proper meals most days and fasting the others. No more eating on the hoof.

And allowing myself off-time from the business so I can give myself space to think creatively about it, to see opportunity and to enjoy it too. 

Getting outside. 

So what are you’re learnings? 

How can you take what you got from lockdown 1.0 and benefit in 2.0?

What do you want to be proud of in 4, 6 or 8 weeks time (depending what you read and believe!).

Let me know!

FastTrack News

We’re now all online again.

Our timetable is here.

We’d love to see you and help you keep sane during this time. 

Here’s what one of my campers sent me just today. I’m delighted that my business can be thought of in this way. 

“Firstly I think FastTrack Fit Camp is fantastic and you run a superb organisation. You have dealt with the COVID pandemic superbly well and have given people the chance to continue exercising and developing their fitness at a time when many adopted unhealthy lifestyles….

As we go into this second lockdown your virtual sessions will give social interaction at a time when people feel quite isolated.  They also provide structure and routine when working from home makes it hard to separate work and down time. Finally physical fitness is such an important part of mental fitness and developing mental resilience is really important at the moment.

So I just wanted to say thank you as I have got so much out of FastTrack Fit Camp and also don’t worry about this second lockdown, it gives you further opportunity to experiment with virtual sessions which I suspect will be part of all of our futures.”

And finally, when it all gets a bit too much, get yourself outside. The sunlight, the oxygen, the movement all help with boosting your mood regulating chemicals that build serotonin. It’s really that simple. 

Here’s where I’ve stomped this week!

FastTrack Fit Camp is an outdoor fitness business with the focus on improving people on the inside so they feel good on the outside. In 2019 FastTrack Fit Camp became a Social Enterprise and committed to distribute a minimum of 50% of profits back to community environmental projects each year with the goal of helping our local citizens feel good whilst being outside too.