New year, New you?
Are you starting out on a new journey towards your health and fitness goals? If so this is for you. More often than not most people see the new year as a clean slate, a time to change old habits, lose weight, start exercising or seek to make a change to their physical and mental well being.
Here are my top tips to making that change permanent rather than becoming just another statistic.
1. Set realistic goals.
When looking at your goals make sure your realistic in terms of the time frame in which you want to achieve it, the frequency of which your willing to train and also your current physical capability.
2. Get help.
If you’re serious about your goals, then the knowledge and experience of a qualified personal trainer can help you. They can help keep you motivated, inspired and provide you with effective training programming, whilst also being someone to confide in and a source of accountability.
3. Friends and family.
Having a strong support network around can often be the make or break on your journey to success, speak to the people around you and let them know your dreams and goals. That way if you’re ever feeling low and in need of support they will be there for you, should you need it.
4. It’s ok to fail.
Much like life, your not going to have fun and get results every single day, not every session is going to be incredible. Reaching your goals is going to be difficult and there will be ups and downs along the way, but no progress is completely linear and that’s ok. Just be consistent, determined and ruthless in the pursuit of your dreams and as long as you never quit you will succeed.
5. Say Yes.
If your new to the gym and even if your not, be open to everything. Maybe spinning isn’t for you or maybe you don’t like Zumba, but you never know what you might enjoy unless you try. Group exercise is a fantastic way to try new things, be part of something bigger and make exercise more sociable. Through this you’ll form friendships and feel part of a community, the more enjoyment you can get from exercise the easier it will be to keep doing.
6. Be food smart.
If you’re looking to change your diet be mindful that you didn’t get this way overnight. Nutritional habits are formed over a lifetime and take time to change. Don’t buy in to any fad diets, banning food groups or massively restricting calorie intake. Make a conscious effort to learn about what you’re eating, make smarter choices and remember it’s ok to enjoy yourself
some of time.
7. Track your progress.
Whether that’s in the gym, the weights you’re lifting or the distance you’re running, or maybe its photos or stepping on the scales. Keeping track of what your doing will help to keep you motivated and inspired when you see the progress you have made, whether it’s lifting bigger weights, dropping pounds on the scales or your clothes fitting better.
8. Be selfish.
When it comes to your health and fitness you should be your number one priority. Don’t spend your time worrying about others or comparing yourself to them and what they’re doing, remember your exercising for you and your goals and no one else’s.
9. Social media.
Don’t believe everything you see and read on Instagram, Facebook etc. A lot of the people on there are uneducated, misinformed or being paid by companies to post certain content and endorse certain products. Use your brain, do your research and if in doubt ask a reputable professional.
10. Find your why.
Possibly the most important of all the points. Find something you love, your reason why, whether that’s in the gym, outdoors or in the sea. Finding a way of being active that your truly enjoy will make it a change of for life.
I hope this helps everyone who reads it and you go on to achieve more than you ever thought possible. The human body is capable of so much and is an incredible gift. Remember this and remember you can achieve anything you want in life if you truly commit with every ounce of our being.
Stronger every day.