Alex Pendlebury’s no-fuss approach to wellbeing for life
Forget “no pain, no gain” when it comes to healthy living. Alex Pendlebury has a plan you can actually live with – and still get maximum results.
Alex Pendlebury says there are no quick fixes to achieving long-term health goals – but nor does it need to involve excessive commitment and sacrifice.
The nutritionist, model, part-owner of Progression Fitness Club and first-time mum believes wellbeing success is all about a smart, no-fuss approach.
‘I keep it pretty simple’
“My advice is to focus your diet on an abundance of whole foods like vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, nuts, seeds and fruits – and fit other foods in around that in smaller amounts,” she says.
“That way you can be assured your diet is high in nutrients with plenty of gut-loving fibre.
“Also move every day (in any way), drink plenty of water and get your seven to eight hours of sleep.”
Small changes for lifelong benefits
Alex believes her back-to-basics approach is the best way for anyone to adopt a healthy lifestyle for life.
“I like to say, ‘these are the little changes you need to make for the rest of your life’, and before you know it, it becomes part of your lifestyle – you crave fresh, healthy food; you crave exercise.
“Make it a part of your life long term, not just short term.”
While Alex generally sticks to a clean-eating approach, she believes allowing for the occasional indulgence is a critical part of adopting long-term habits.
“Every now and then I enjoy some Thai or pizza, and I also love a glass of wine some nights,” she says.
“I try not to deprive myself of things I enjoy; rather I try to enjoy them in moderation.
“Moderation and balance are quite annoying words as they are thrown around so much like they are easy to achieve, but they really are key when it comes to your favourite temptations.”
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How Alex juggles motherhood and fitness
Alex’s approach to fitness has changed since she and her husband, Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury, welcomed first child Jax 20 months ago.
She’s less rigid about when she exercises, simply aiming to work out two to three times a week and trying to remain active and get her 10,000 steps on the other days.
When she does get to the gym, she usually opts for group exercise.
“I feel like it’s the most motivating. When I first joined my gym (now Progression Fitness Club), they do group training, and I loved it and that’s when I got the best results because I was enjoying it,” she says.
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Knowledge is power
While balance and moderation is the backbone of wellbeing, Alex says arming yourself with the information to help make better choices for your body also helps.
Identifying what this is has become a little easier through myDNA, of which Alex is an ambassador.
She is excited about how the technology can provide people with individual information to help them achieve their health goals faster.
Genetic testing decodes the information in your genes to help you learn how well your body stores fat and other nutrients, or the type of exercise its more receptive to, allowing you to make better-informed health and lifestyle decisions.
“It does take out a lot of the trial and error in nutrition and even health and fitness,” Alex says.
Alex days the testing is not a golden ticket to weight loss, but helps steer you towards healthy living choices that are best for you.
“That’s probably the take-away message from my test – I was like ‘wow, I know the areas where I’m poor, the areas I process well, I know where to focus my attention. I just know more about my body now and can make better decisions for my health’,” she says.
Read more on Alex in the January edition of The House of Wellness liftout, available now in your local Chemist Warehouse store.
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Written by Claire Burke.
