Working as a lawyer is both mentally and physically demanding. Long days and late nights are expected and it Is a very sedentary profession with hours spent sat at a desk, concentrating intensely and managing difficult situations, often with limited sleep. This physical stress of long hours without breaks takes a toll on your body!
The circumstances are different, but being a corporate lawyer can be like being a Tour de France rider – mentally and physically draining day-in-day-out for extended periods of time testing my endurance. I find I handle the demands of work much better now that I’m actively taking steps to prepare my body to manage them.
My unpredictable schedule, combined with managing the social side of work, makes maintaining a stable, healthy diet challenging. At the same time, all of these competing demands can drastically reduce the time I have available for exercise.
Unfortunately, these problems often coincide – it’s usually hardest to maintain a stable diet when I’m at my busiest and have the least time available for exercise.
For me, it’s also about recognizing that there will be disruption to the routine. I plan ahead for interference and try not to get frustrated when I get off schedule and need to adjust. What’s done is done – I can only manage what I’m going to do next.
Working with my coach, we are able to identify these periods of stress in advance and come up with strategies to mitigate them.
Although I mostly sit at a desk, the long hours make my job very demanding physically. Improved strength and stamina help to manage the physical demands of the job – and for me improved capacity to handle the physical strain makes it easier to handle the mental challenges. The additional energy helps outside of work as well – I still have a tendency to fall asleep wherever I am without notice, but I also did that when I was unfit…
Improved productivity and wellbeing. A lawyer’s work can’t be automated, so being 20% more productive means being better at your job and getting better results for your clients!
The fitness benefits aside, my coach Jon is great to work with. He is 100% focused on helping me achieve my goals, whatever the timeframe, but flexible with handling the day-to-day adjustments.
Learning to do a low back extension properly – which is apparently something I’ve done completely wrong since I was a teenager. That’s a little flippant, but I have noticed that I have better control of the way I move generally and that’s benefitted a lot of other things I enjoy – like skiing.
The program is client-driven. The emphasis is helping me to achieve my goals; not trying to make me achieve an outcome set by someone else, then not supporting me because I either don’t want that or can’t achieve it. There’s also an emphasis on being conservative with loading and doing exercises properly, which is important to me as I have been injured by overly enthusiastic trainers in the past.
I’m fitter, stronger and lighter than I have been for years and I feel that the outcome is sustainable.
*Results will vary from individual to individual
**Results are based on each client’s circumstances.
