This is the Rose and Shine podcast featuring the Swedish sisters Josephine Bruce and Victoria Russellson. They used to be a sophomore in New York with your experiences from our international lives and careers. Welcome, this is Victoria. Hello, this is Josephine.
And this is our very special 10 weeks wellness challenge episode. Yes, and we love challenges and we really enjoy feeling fit and balance and being in shape. And this is really kind of a favourite topic of ours and we have been requested because of the different challenges that we have been preparing before, for friends and family and so on. Why don't we create our own program?
And so we've been thinking about this for quite a while and we're very, very excited to put together our favourite challenges into a 10 week challenge that you can join. Yeah, exactly. And we do talk about being fit, but the key here is really to get into the habit of regular movement and this is actually proven by research will help you increase focus, creativity, imbalance in your life. It will also help against mild depressions, but okay, we'll come back to all of that in a while.
Yes, but the idea is that during these 10 following weeks that are starting now, we will be posting daily challenges on our Instagram account, Bruce and Shine. Yeah, and that anyone can join. So really, it's something that you can join yourself, but we'll encourage you to bring in your friends or family or colleagues at work or fellow mamas like myself that have just come back from childbirth. So the idea is that it's not something that just works for the Uber fit or for the people that haven't been working out for a long time, but want to start.
But we're really wanting to fit a number of different levels into this challenge. Yeah, so we've actually used our knowledge and expertise from us being yoga instructors, and I'm a running coach and just prepared this awesome program for everyone. Exactly. So we hope that we will really be enjoying it.
Yeah, and we'll come back to all the details in a moment, but the challenges will be posted each day on our Instagram and we will cover, as you already alluded to, a number of different activities. So if you're already deep into running, this will be a way for you to explore new movements, such as yoga or mindfulness. Yeah, so it's really a mix for everyone. All right, so but before we go into the details about what this mix consists of and why, so let's just talk a little bit about why, you know, we're doing this.
Yeah, so let's start. So one really interesting topic is around managing your energy. It feels really fitting for me right now with a new born at home. But this is also a chapter in your book, right?
Yeah, and maybe I should just mention that this book is being released in first of October, so it's not out yet. And it's called Everyone Disturves a Great Manager. And yeah, you're absolutely right. Manager Energy is one of the chapters.
And it's actually the one that I took over from my co-authors and wrote all about. Yeah, because this is, I mean, this is really something that is of interest to you and well to both of us. But some people might wonder why you would have a chapter on energy in a book about leadership. Yeah, you're absolutely right.
I do think that this is going to be one of the key leadership competencies of the future, not only to manage your own energy, but also to help others in your team to manage their energy. And I mean, we've done lots of research on this, of course, but one key reason why is that the fact of artificial, artificial intelligence is really changing the way we will work in the future. So all the routine jobs and tasks, they're going to actually disappear. So the way you leading a team or the way you will produce value is really by using your brain power and your creativity.
So as a leader, and that's where movement come in because movement is really one of the key tools to help us get focused, be creative and do all those things. So you'd need to really be able to manage your energy. Yeah, and we'll come back a little bit to this, but there's just incredible research on how physical movement and pulse racing activities are really supporting us to help to think better and do more for sure. And I think the trap a lot of people do fall into is that they know that it's good to do exercise.
I would be surprised if there's anyone out there not knowing, but the thing is there are lots of people that maybe need to take a step from knowing to actually doing. And here again, I think it's sort of key the way we look at it. If you see it as a chore, that's something that you really have to do, which you do, but you know, don't see it as a must. And I know I mentioned this in previous podcast, but I was once told and I thought that really changed my paradigm that, you know, when you go to that yoga class or out for that run in nature, whatever you do, see it as a luxury.
This is like me time. This is a gift for yourself, a treat instead of like you're doing this, just like you could have gone to the movies or something else nice and just go there and enjoy it. Exactly. And I think enjoy the endorphins that you'll get after.
Yeah, quite a bit. And I think what you said though, while most of us know that movement has a really great benefit for us and that we will think better and so on, I think it's maybe not so known how quickly and how little movement is needed to actually have impact. Yeah. Because we often think, okay, sure, if we're healthy now, you know, we'll maybe live longer and that will be good.
But we can have incredible results in short, short periods of time. So let's speak a little bit about that. Yeah, that's absolutely true. So just in Europe, as you said, you've just had a baby or just look at how many weeks now?
He is seven weeks. Aw. So I mean, that's quite a tough period and you're used to recovering from giving birth and all of that. So what are you doing to keep moving?
Yeah. So I'm really, really inspired now to get really well and really healthy and treat my body in the absolutely best way. And of course, it's a lot about managing energy. So for me, I've started to now do my really nice, wonderful walks and it's the best time I was spending, you know, some quality time with Luke as well, or at least Tim's sleep, I mean, depends what you think it's quality time.
It depends on what you think it's quality time. It's just mum and dad coming up and down. It was spending time together and none of us crying, which is great. So it loads of long walks on a daily basis.
And then I also have this pregnancy book that I recommend to everyone, which is called Lofsansma matrani in Swedish, which is just like a really gentle, good strength training programme, which is two days a week, but you're building really good back strength and all of the muscles that you need when you're carrying and breastfeeding and so on, which is basically the same muscles that we need when we work and sit in front of a computer and do more or less the same thing. So it's the big muscle groups, but it's just really nice and exciting to start working out again and have a routine. And like Kegel exercises and all of that stuff to activate your core and your belly again, I'm kind of excited just to do them because it feels like I'm doing some kind of exercise, which I've been craving over the last few months when I've been sitting still. That's so good.
And we will weave those into our yoga sessions as well. And you, it's always now travelling like crazy. Are you fitting in your movement? Yeah, I try my best.
And that's a good thing with yoga, all that is needed is a match. So I really try to do that. And it was quite fun. Last week when I was in Salt Lake City, I joined this yoga studio and they had this you could join for a week like travel yogi, which was so nice because I've just been so focused on teaching yoga and running classes, which I love.
But it was just really excellent to be in this class or I took quite a few and just be participant. Yeah, you take some in. You're like, just done 75 minutes of hardcore and then 75 minutes of this other relaxing class. Yeah, it was nice because I did have a little bit of time for myself during the weekend when I could sort of really do that luxury when I was in the meetings for the rest of the week then.
And it was good. And it was quite inspiring to see someone else and do different things than I normally would. No, so that was super nice. And then I tried to do like little power walks and make sure that I get the movement because even though it's hectic and you're around all day going, we've been filming lots and you don't really move that much.
So just when you get back in the evening, just go for that power walk, even if you're exhausted, you might not want to go for it around. But at least a power walk to make sure you get a bit of a pulse and get back. And actually I was walking with my colleague and she said, just like, you're a fast walker. But that's actually true, a friend of mine because I did keep so active during my pregnancy as well and worked out and walked.
So we were out just out for a power walk a couple of days ago and she's like, you just gave birth and I have a hard time keeping up here. So we're fast walkers. So at least nice. It's nice to hear that something's of, you know, state during the despite the decay.
Yeah. Well, there's no decay. Honestly, I think you've been your role model. I didn't do that well in those years when the girls were small.
And I think that's that's important. You can be doing really good. And then once in a while you slip and then that's really why a challenge like this can help. And it certainly helped me and I've seen how it's helped others to find a rhythm and to get back into it because it's like the power of habits.
And you know it, you can make it, but you need something to trigger you to get going. So that's what we want to do. And we've actually, we've included three main sections to our challenge. Yeah, because we wanted to do a really holistic approach to it and really take in the research that we have on body and mind and health and really link it to how do we perform our best.
Because it's not just about looking good. But certainly that's not the main reason for doing this. That's just like a really lovely consequence of following this program. But we're thinking about it in terms of performance and doing the best, doing the best you can at work and being the healthiest and happiest in your life.
Yeah. So basically we have three different sections. One is pulse and the other one is yoga and the third one is mindfulness. So we thought we were going to walk through the importance of them and a little bit of some ideas and why they really matter and then we'll cover the challenge itself.
So pulse that is actually, I mean, one book that has sort of inspired us a lot is in Swedish. It's Jan Stuycker. But you know that the English title is the real happy pill. Power Up Your Brain by Moving Your Body by Anders Hansen.
I thought that title was really cool. Yeah, it's better in English than Swedish. Yeah, real happy pill. Jan Stuycker means strong brain or brain strong.
Yeah, no, so I've been reading it now or listening to it now and I've been doing my power walks, which is such a great way of getting loads of books done. Yeah. To listen to these audio books while walking and it's really inspiring. But yeah, it's a really good book that outlines all of the research around how much physical activity can improve your brain functions.
Yeah, really. Actually, so there's a lot of facts in there and it really says how from the age of 25, your brain is actually shrinking, which is sort of scary. But it really points out that if you keep physically active and what Anders Hansen is saying is physically active is at least three times a week to really get your pulse up and there are different, you know, 20 minutes, I think, and ideally 45 minutes even. But if you do that, you will actually prevent your brain from shrinking.
You can even make it grow again, which is really cool. Yeah. And I thought he had some really interesting figures in there. That's what I alluded to before.
And not only do you need to. So if you do this for like three months, only three months, you have already started to. You can see the positive impact. Yeah.
So 10 weeks. Exactly. Almost there. But also he did.
There were some studies that he was quoting that were looking at overweight kits and they were having these kids overweight and very still sitting kids. So their activities that they choose to do is normally to sit in front of a computer or a TV or so on. And then they had a math test. And then after three weeks, they had divided them into two different groups and they could find that the ones that started to move just four minutes a day of activity, scored 20% better in these math tests without studying anymore math.
Yeah. That's so cool. So I mean, that's quite incredible. Just moving will make you score better in a math test.
Yeah. But I think that's amazing. One of my daughters, she's super interested in this. And she's really consciously after we've having this, because she's biking to school and she just noticed how much better that makes her feel and how much easier it is for her to focus and concentrate during the first classes in the morning.
And I mean, there were lots of different research from schools where they had taken one class who got to have fitness every day and one who didn't and the results that they saw in their performance, in their like theoretical performance in math and in English. And so, you know, it was incredible. And the thing was that it was for those years that they did that study, but even when they measured later on in life, the class that had been moving were more successful. Yeah.
Another point that I took very practically from this book. Now when I can, it kind of managed my time a little bit given that I'm on maternity leave. So I can and can't in a way. But it was saying, you know, how your productivity levels are increasing for about two hours after your physical activity.
So now if you actually can determine the way that you structure your day and the way that I try to do it now is that rather than come back and just have lunch directly after my power walk, that's when I sit in front of the computer for the first, you know, for an hour or so and then have lunch in order to really see how to maximize. So for anyone listening to the benefits, yeah, I would really try to consider, you know, how do you get the most out of it if what you're looking for is to find more productivity in your workplace. And even so, you know, if you're having a really hard work task in front of you, given that the research is showing that you will be about 20% more productive, you could even take 20% of your time and do physical activity. So start the whatever you need to do with a power walk.
Yeah. And can't you tell how focused I am because I actually felt extremely like about a couple of hours ago and then preparing for this. I'm like, okay, now I know what I need to do. So I went for a 25 minute run.
Oh, wow. You know, just before now. Yeah. Yeah.
That's why I was a little bit late. But you know, so it really does help. And you're pressing compared to the very like Victoria a few hours ago. So it's so many benefits.
And what we've done, so getting your pulse up will come three times per week during this challenge. And we're going to make it so that you can do it by walking or running or even biking. And so we'll prepare different things. Yeah.
So let's say that we have an interval challenge. It's then an interval that you could do. Yeah, using any of these walking or running or biking. Yeah, exactly.
So we've prepared and I've taken from all the programs that I've been running before. So, you know, you will get a balanced program and even thinking like you did learn from, you know, you might go from running 20 minutes to 75 minutes towards the end of the 10 weeks. So that's coming up there. And then the next part is yoga.
And the certified yoga teachers that we now are, this is really a favorite area of ours. And we have found, of course, during this whole journey with yoga that this is something that has a lot of value on the mat, but also beyond or off the mat. And it's much more than just exercise. I mean, in New York, for me, it was really like yoga and power and exercise.
And you work really, really hard. And that can be one way of the yoga, which we for sure include in a way. But then it's also the yoga, which is something that you're reaping the benefits with you the whole day and which is just about calm and alignment and breathing and someone. Yeah.
So again, there's lots of research showing that yoga is really great, pure for stress and it's great for the heart, it's great for your body focus. And you know, there's so many benefits. And basically yoga gives also so many benefits. But I'd say strength, balance, flexibility.
I mean, now that I've done lots of yoga, I mean, we're both done. Obviously you had a little baby in between. I've done lots of pregnancy yoga. Yeah, you have.
Yeah. And you know, but the strength that you get from doing yoga, that's really, really great. Yeah. And I would also say, you know, the idea that yoga, because of course we have this idea that yoga is really for the flexible people.
Yeah. But I love the quotes that I've been reading and saying, you know that you actually, the more stiff you are, the more value or money value you get for your money, you know, your more benefits you have to read. Yeah. And that's really, really true.
And we were never those super flexible girls that could do anything. Right. We were just like on our backs. And look at us.
No, I was more like a running, stalker kind of girl could hardly touch my toes, you know, if it was really warmed up maybe. That's what I'm saying. Getting loads for my money. Yeah.
Exactly. So, and I think this is important. I think probably the people that are not doing the yoga are the ones that should be doing. I mean, sometimes when I'm running my yoga classes at the fitness center, I'm like looking at in the gym and I see all these stiff muscle packages on their machines and I'm like, oh, I want to go out and just drag them in, which I've done a few times also.
Ah, that's how your classes get there. But they would really force them in from the, yeah, I know, I know, force people. Now, but so I think if you're not that much into it, we would really want you to challenge yourself here and join this part of the challenge. We've prepared a simple program that is really just some of the days will only be 10 minutes or 15 minutes.
So it's not that extensively. And of course, if you are a yogi that are really into yoga, then you can just expand on that program. But the idea is that we create the minimum and then whatever you feel like you can always add to it. And I mean, our own route to yoga started with an app.
And I think that any, this whole program can be used as inspiration and as you say, to be built upon. Yeah, if someone wants to do more and longer and so on, you will at least have the something to follow and that has say someone who's been thinking behind it and it fits into a larger scheme, but you can build on it and add more for sure. So that's our second section, if you wish, which is going to be three times per week. And then the third section, which we say for, I mean, officially one day a week, but of course you can do it during the entire week is a little section on mindfulness.
Do you want to talk us through that? Yeah. So we thought a Sunday ritual could be mindfulness. And of course, like you said, add it in as much as you can.
I mean, this is something that we should ideally practice every day. And we'll start softly with a few different meditation exercises, a few different breathing exercises and really again, getting into this holistic idea of really feeling well, this is a wellness challenge. So how can we get more bliss and excitement into our life? How can we be grateful and appreciate what we have, have more of wonder in our life?
And I've been getting some really great recommendations lately about just, you know, make sure to make a really amazing playlist on your Spotify account and listen to this when you need to feel peped or inspired or even, you know, this sounds a bit, actually it sounds beautiful. Go out in the night and, you know, watch the stars and just feel a little bit, or make sure to feel a little bit of awe and inspiration in your life. Yeah. And really, this is something that will also benefit in all sections of your life.
We'll talk about the power of breath and use how you can use simple exercises just before you go into that important meeting to get your focus really there and to be present and go out and perform. And so lots of different tools. So if you're new to any kind of mindfulness practice after 10 weeks, you've really tried it out and you can better evaluate if this is something for you or not. But I thought what you said now about the power of breath and stress, because that's really related to this and all of the research that is showing now that aging and stress and aging and the impact that this actually has on our cells and how we can calm that process down through breathing differently and having it longer, basically live longer.
Yeah, live longer. And a lot of different exercises can help us to live longer. Having now had the benefit of doing all of my walks and having started a new like audio book app. So I'm listening to all of this really inspirational material.
And I think throughout the weeks, we can also provide some recommendations around what to listen to in order to get more inspired in this field. I've been listening to Dr. Wayne Dyer, who's written many, many books on these kind of ideas around meditation and around the fact that we are connected to something larger, you know, not religion necessarily, but more of kind of an Eastern thought, I would say. And they were also quoting in this book, some incredible studies around aging.
And it was a study that was done in the 90s by this Harvard professor who had people in their 80s. I think it was 30 people in there, 100, 180 year olds that joined her for three weeks in this retreat that she had built up outside of Boston. And in this retreat, she had created everything as if it was in the 50s. OK, so she had basically built up a fake world for the 50s.
So the study was made in the 90s. They were in the 80s. So they were about 50 years in the 50s. Yeah, and she encouraged them to act and behave during this three week period as they had done then in the 50s.
Wow. And the results at the three weeks were just incredible. They had reduced on all of their measurements that she had taken. They had reduced their aging.
Wow. But why? Because of basically the impact of what they were. I mean, you'd have to read the study, too, but on the impact that they had on on the thinking and acting and behaving as if they were younger.
They had managed to slow the process down. That's so interesting. It's very interesting. And it just shows again how much impact we can have if we lead our life in different ways and think about it in different ways.
So that's why this mindfulness, it can have really real impact. Unfortunately, when they moved back to their normal lives, it was all reversed again. OK, so that would have perfect sort of sum up of this because the power of it is really to create a habit. Yes.
And three weeks is a little bit short for that. And that's why we've made this program a 10-week challenge to really do it a little bit longer to establish those habits. And we've also really tried to take in from all the things that we've read to make it quite holistic. So it's something for yourself.
And it's also something that you can use for your entire life. So this is not a get-fit-in-your-bikini kind of challenge, even though that probably might be a little bit of a bonus. But the idea is really that after those 10 weeks, you'll have a routine that's it that you can continue to do. Yeah.
OK, so let's go through how this all works. Yes. So you should follow us on our Instagram accounts, Bruce and Shine. And there we will be posting links as well to our web page, Bruce and Shine.com, where we'll on a daily basis, we'll be putting up photos or and takes and occasionally also videos that is going through the challenge for that day.
And this goes on for 10 weeks. Yeah. We're starting the third of June. But you can join anytime really.
So if you're listening to this much later, you'll find all of this on our web page and you can just start whenever it fits you and your group who's joining. Exactly. But for the real life people that might be joining now, you will then look at Instagram every day and you will see what the new exciting challenge will be. Yeah.
We really and the research really shows that an accountability partner is really fantastic to help motivate you to do this. Yeah. Someone that holds you accountable, that really is in this challenge, we do as well. Exactly.
So you could either choose a friend that maybe you send an Instagram message to or hashtag when you have done the challenge of the day or why not start it with work and have a whole bunch of you completing these challenges together or even your family. Yeah. So and really what we're saying is that, and again, this is not us making it up, but it's just to help you to really turn this into habit. It's really important to record what you do.
So we've prepared a pep sheet for you that you find online on our web page where we want you to daily record what you actually did. And you're also most welcome to actually what we've seen work in the past for a lot of people is to take a photo snapshot of when you're actually doing this activity and post that on Instagram, if you feel comfortable doing that. And then you can use which hashtag hashtag. You should put Rose and Shine, of course, and then Rose and Shine Wellness challenge, because then we will also be able to see what you're all up to and be able to pep you from the side.
Yeah. We are super excited about this and have a prepared and very inspiring program. Yeah. So we're so excited to have you join and we're looking forward to hear back from you how you're doing and we're quite excited ourselves because, wow, this will really get us into all these things on even more of a regular basis.
Yeah, there's no going back now for us. So we're going to have all of these fantastic habits and new ways of moving and exercising in 10 weeks. So yeah, really looking forward to it. Yeah.
So we will see you all online and we wish you the best of luck for the next 10 weeks. Woo hoo. Bye. Bye.
Bye.