Personal trainer Emmet sets a completely different kind of challenge for readers to exercise our minds.

Being a gym owner and coach, it’s easy to think that all we do and encourage is related to fitness and diet, but there is so much more to our overall health than just this.

Each week we set a small challenge for the Rushe Fitness gym members and they can have a wide range of topics.

As people have different interests outside of the gym, I like to try and touch on different subjects that will interest them and get them motivated to get involved.

This week we set a great challenge that anyone can get involved in.

The best part is, with technology and apps you have many different ways to take part.

It is the BOOK A WEEK CHALLENGE!

This week, choose a new book – and read it! – by the end of the week.

This may be an easy challenge for some of you, but for others it may seem like a mammoth task.

But don’t be put off straight away, we have a few different options that may make this easier for you if you aren’t the biggest reader.

Reading is one of the best things you can do for your health, especially your mental health.
It has a huge amount of benefits like;

  • Improve memory
  • Improve intelligence
  • Helps you to relax
  • Improves your quality of sleep
  • Improves your focus
  • You can improve your writing skills
  • It can even slow the progress of Alzheimer’s and Dementia by stimulating the brain.

It’s safe to say that there is no downside to opening a book, pouring a cup of tea and diving in.

A good book also allows you to escape and focus on something other than your daily stresses.

You have a range of options for getting your hands on a great book.

Your local bookstore
A 2nd hand bookshop
The Library (which is often overlooked by many and is a fantastic resource)

If opening a good book and flipping through the pages isn’t something that gets you excited, there are other options that you can turn to in order to get this done.

The Amazon Kindle is a great device that gives you the feel of reading a real book and you can have hundreds of different titles on hand for whatever your mood.

You can also avail of free e-books from different sites like www.bookbub.com

If you still aren’t swayed by sitting down to a good novel or you just don’t seem to have free time to do it, why not do what I do and use audio books.

When I’m stuck for time, I like to use Audible.
Listening to audio books allows me to still get my weekly fix in and having someone read the book to you is really relaxing.

If you are stuck for time, listening to them in the car on your way to and from work will allow you to get a couple of chapters in each day and you will be through it in no time and looking for more to listen to.

There are also tonnes of free audio books on Audible and also on other sites like http://www.openculture.com/freeaudiobooks

So what are you waiting for?
You have loads of options to get the challenge done and millions of books you can choose from.
Let’s get started and get reading.

As I said above, there is more to our overall health than just weight loss and fitness, so if you already have the 1st two in pace, reading could be the final piece that you need to finish the puzzle.
#leanin2018