Here’s the thing: starting a gig stressed and sweaty guarantees a rough first hour. But what if those stairs were doing you a favour? Not wellness nonsense – actual science that means fewer physio visits and better gigs.

If you’re thinking this sounds like mindset rubbish, fair enough. But this isn't about crystals or positive thinking. It’s about your knees lasting another decade, reading the room better from track one, and not being knackered before the cake cutting.

In 2007, researchers told hotel cleaners their daily work already counted as proper exercise. Four weeks later – without changing anything else – that group showed lower weight, blood pressure, and body fat compared to cleaners who weren’t told this.

The point? How you frame an activity changes how your body responds to it. Call it a nightmare, your stress hormones spike. Call it a warm-up, and you’ve got a different story.

There’s also something called NEAT – Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis – which is all the calories you burn outside of the gym. For DJs, that’s carrying kit, climbing stairs, setting up, and dancing behind the decks when ‘Wonderwall’ finally gets them moving. This ‘hidden exercise’ matters more than most people realise. You are already putting in the physical work; the shift in perspective simply allows your body to reap the rewards instead of defaulting to a stressed, cortisol-fuelled reaction.

Quick win for tonight’s gig: Just count your steps. Change nothing else. Check after pack-down. Many DJs hit 7,000+ steps without even trying – that’s the amount linked to living longer and needing fewer pills. That’s right, a few flights of stairs with a speaker in hand could be adding years to your career. Stop calling it a curse and start recognising the clock is already ticking on your weekly fitness target.

Let’s get specific with the numbers. A typical wedding gig involves significant physical exertion that often goes uncounted. That load-in, for example, which might take you 15 minutes carrying 25kg flight cases upstairs, is legitimate, vigorous exercise. Add in 30 minutes of setup and pack-down –
which is moderate activity – and a four-hour set where you maintain proper movement behind the decks, easily clocking 2,000+ steps.

The total? You’re looking at 7,000 to 10,000 steps and 45-60 minutes of solid exercise in one night. That’s most of your weekly recommended exercise needs (150 minutes) fulfilled in a single gig. Do two gigs? You’ve smashed it. Three? You’re fitter than most gym members who spend £80 a month on membership fees. My own fitness tracker thought I’d taken up Zumba. I was just really feeling ‘Danza Kuduro’.

This realisation is your permission to stop beating yourself up about missing the gym. Your priority is client satisfaction, and your physical job is already supporting your health. The key is simply to optimise the execution of that work.

Forget complicated breathing exercises and meditation apps. Here’s what actually works to flip the switch from panic to productivity:

1. Park and breathe: As you switch off the engine, breathe in through your...


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