We chat to Lauren Hannaford (@lozhannahford) about her top fitness tips, how she stays motivated and her fitness mantra.
After competing as an elite gymnast for more than 20 years, IsoWhey-sponsored athlete Lauren ‘Loz’ Hannaford turned her fitness sights to gymnastics coaching, modelling and personal training. While touring the world with The Wiggles (yep, she once performed on stage as Dorothy the Dinosaur), Hannaford learnt the importance of the ‘do anywhere, anytime’ workout for boosting her health and wellbeing. “I always remind myself of how much more energised and vibrant I feel all day after I sweat myself through an awesome workout.”
Her top tips
Write it down – “This is a great way to believe you can do it. There is something about writing it down that makes it become real. When it becomes a real commitment there is no room for self-doubt or sabotage.”
Focus on process, not outcome – “I encourage [my clients] to have their specific goals but to ultimately make their main goal about a continued lifestyle. If you work toward the goal of making it become an ongoing lifestyle then you will just watch the other goals and results roll in naturally.”
Patience – “You see so many people fall off the wagon because their goal is too out of reach for the time being or don’t allow enough time. People often set goals and then can’t understand why they haven’t reached them after their first workout. Olympic athletes weren’t built in a day.”
Motivation hacks
Cultivate enjoyment – “Think about how you feel after each workout; how those feelgood endorphins make you feel vibrant and energised. I’ve never met a person who was disappointed they got up and did a workout but I have met plenty who were disappointed when they didn’t, and that is the motivation I get clients to use to keep coming back, not just focus on a weight loss number or whatever it may be.”
Mantra magic – “Have positive mantras that you memorise and remind yourself of over and over again. One that gets you to your workout, one that gets you through your workout and one that reminds you of how good you feel for doing your workout – so there is no room for negative thoughts.”
Go team – “Rally your friends or a work team around you. Train together and make it a ritual so that you are training for you but you are also all there training for each other. Coffee dates become a ritual, right? Then why not make training part of the ritual – before the coffee?”
Fit focus for 2016
“I think one of my focuses for my fitness in 2016 is to be more conscious of not letting winter stop me. I normally do my own kind of training but definitely next winter I will be booking into more classes to get my butt committed to training no matter how much I love my doona and pillow. And I’ll be changing things up and giving something new a try.”
