End of summer advice from John Martins

End of summer advice from John Martins

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How to start off autumn on the right foot according to John Martins, athletic coach and nutrition expert.

Holidays are often synonymous with excess. It's common - and logical - that your summer diet is limited to gallons of rosé and barbequed fish, and your exercise routine consists of sluggish laps in the pool. We understand that giving up idleness to return to the office can be difficult for the morale as well as for the body. That’s why it’s essential to approach the start of the new school year in the best possible way and to maintain healthy habits.

John Martins, 27, is an athletic coach who already seems to have had several lives. After studying psychology and obtaining a degree in interior design, he devoted himself to personal training until becoming an Elite Pro Instructor at Les Mills, the world leader in fitness. Since then, he coaches in the field of CrossFit but also in MMA, a discipline in which he works with top athletes. Despite this, he doesn’t forget to devote himself to dance, a passion, or to yoga, specifically bikram yoga, which he shares is “a wonderful way to recover and to eliminate toxins. He has even recently become one of the leading coaches of Dynamo. An indoor-cycling studio located in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, Dynamo uses a New York concept for a complete exercise session of 45 minutes, resolutely playful, based essentially on music and tempo.

He also trained in nutrition at the Paris-Descartes School of Medicine. A specialist in the matter, he treats people suffering from both obesity and diabetes. As an expert, we can trust him to be wise enough to help you master the difficult period of returning from summer vacation.

A balanced diet, rest, good sleep hygiene, and a consistent exercise routine are the first steps set out by John for an effective return. For Horace, he goes further and gives us his best secrets for returning to the office, but also for a simply healthier life.

1. Eat better without getting frustrated

“I'm more into adding really nutritious foods than removing them, so I can naturally slow down on what's less good for me. I tell my clients to add a certain food in the morning, vegetables at noon or to drink water half an hour before or after lunch, to reduce the soda, etc… These are little tricks that are naturally beneficial to them but also pleasing to the taste. These tricks really help to make habit changes easier. But you also should have fun, and even overindulge sometimes. It’s okay to have a drink with friends on Friday evenings and it’s not incompatible with having a healthy lifestyle.”

2. The importance of giving yourself framework

“It’s important to give yourself a framework and objectives and to have time to think about them. You have to know yourself to avoid weight gain. It's a matter of middle ground.”

3. Release stress

“You have to know how to relieve stress. Without this, your body risks producing a surplus of cortisol which can affect the immune system. To be productive and stay that way, you need to be in a good physical and mental state. Working constantly is not synonymous with productivity. Be sure to take time for yourself, whether through exercise, relaxation, or a meal in good company.”

4. A trick to purify the body

“While foods aren’t magic, some do have major beneficial effects on the body. For example, 1 hour before breakfast on an empty stomach, it’s good to drink lukewarm water with half a squeezed lemon (or a whole according to taste) and half a teaspoon of ginger. The diuretic effect allows toxins to be evacuated while strengthening the immune system and aiding digestion. Maple syrup, with warm or hot water, two or three times a week, is also very effective in detoxing the body.

5. Training frequency

“For results, you have to practice a physical activity two to three times a week. I advise doing a 30-minute HIIT (high-intensity interval training) once a week, which produces a metabolic shock allowing the secretion of serotonin. On top of that, twice a week, more moderate exercise for 1 to 1.5 hours.”

6. An anti-fatigue ally

“For those like me who work in a noisy environment, I advise taking magnesium supplements. We lose 60% of our stock of magnesium with the noise. We then feel much more tired. In these moments, I do cures by taking a magnesium tablet, 300 mg, per day.”

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