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"When people have an ‘extreme focus’ on something — whether it's their health, work or anything else - they tend to build their lifestyle in such a way that facilitates them to continue focusing on that thing’ the founder of The TARA Clinic explains, “To facilitate this lifestyle, you choose to spend time with people who allow or encourage this thing and you build your environment to give you permission to focus on that thing. That way you remain comfortable because your environment doesn't question your decisions. “Balance is key. so when the idea of balance feels uncomfortable, then you have noticed an early warning sign that it might be helpful to speak with someone’ If this resonates, Tara recommends seeking out a professional to get to the root of the behaviour. “When you understand what's going on in your brain and your body, you're able to make educated decisions on the best next steps’ Tara says. “Speaking with your GP is a great start, and | would also recommend speaking with someone who has a special interest in your specific concern” + If you or anyone you know needs help or support for an eating disorder or concerns about body image, call the Butterfly Foundation national helpline on 1800 334 673. Beef Cobb Bowl 720" peef tenderloin poached €09 pyooad© pumpkin THE HOUSE OF wellness = CALM IN LUENCE It could be time to add stillness to your loud and sweaty fitness regimen WORDS CHARMAINE YABSLEY there's no denying that getting the T heart rate up through regular exercise is good for your health. But did you know balancing your fitness, workouts periods of stillness is also a good idea? Experts say it can improve your performance and equip you with the skills to switch between high energy and calm outside of the gym. Clinical psychologist Dr Tracey Zielinski says when we are still our breathing becomes slow and steady, giving us time to think and plan. “We can reset our autonomic nervous system to the parasympathetic mode — relax mode.” Dr Zielinski explains. “Mindful breathing — ideally diaphragmatic breathing — and mindfulness in general are very useful tools to help us stop and quickly reset our systems into a calmer mode” The Get It Together Forever! author says when you are stressed, your body shifts into the sympathetic nervous system mode, “which means there's adrenalin and stress hormones racing through the body; your breathing becomes shallow and faster and your mind races everywhere’. *You are likely more impulsive, less organised and feel uncomfortable sitting still” she notes. ‘When you stay in this mode for long periods it can affect your cardiovascular ‘and digestive systems and also your ij mental health. This is not the ideal state to be in before you work out. “if you're mentally stressed and then do something physically strenuous, such as high-intensity exercise, you may be straining a mechanism that's already burdened’ Dr Zielinski explains. “simply exhausting yourself through physical exercise may not help you deal with the issues causing your stress in the first place” Take it slow Rather than heading into a workout feeling stressed, practise slowing your breath down before you start. “Starting a hard workout from a place of stillness brings your body back into relax mode," Dr Zielinski says. “When your mind is clear and switched on, you're going to perform better. And afterwards, you'll naturally fall back into that relaxed space” The secret to hitting the right note between sweaty workouts and stiliness is to take part in both types of classes. Therapy Fitness co-founder Emma Masters says her higher-intensity classes teach participants how to practise strenath, determination and resilience for outside of the gym, “The same with classes in stillness. | teach students how to surrender and let go? Emma says. “Finding that balance between cathartic energy and stillness through your workout means you can draw on this balance when you need it in real life. "You'll also benefit from feel-good hormones such as dopamine and serotonin, which will raise your mood and leave you feeling better than when you started” Emma says it's important to remember that movement is for therapy, not just for burning calories or achieving aesthetic goals. “Check in with your body to see what you need that day. It may be that today is the day you want to burn off steam with a boxing class. But if you've not had much sleep, have a stressful day ahead or are physically sore, then a slower class such as yoga, pilates or meditation will benefit you more’ Ideally, Emma says, your classes should connect both yin and yang (dual) energy. “Classes such as hot pilates and fusion workouts combining breathwork, meditation and cardio burst do this’ she says. Breathe from the phragm and enter PeT ETD ORIeL Bn eLUoM NA LODROn ES tip from Dr Zielinski. “Open your eyes wide and breathe deeply into your nostrils. Imagine the ir flowing up and into your eyes When you feel a ‘light breeze’ across your eyeballs, you are breathing diaphragmatically ill feel instantly Teele
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