New Year targets
While it’s fun to indulge at this time of year, our good intentions where exercise and healthy eating are concerned seem to be but a distant memory.
However, instead of feeling guilty over your lack of exercise in December, why not focus on the new year with a fresh approach to fitness, exercise and nutrition in 2012.
1. Short and long-term goals
A long-term goal could be to fit into a particular dress for a particular event in three-months time. Success can seem like a long way off at this point, so it’s important to set yourself weekly targets that build up to acheiving your overall goal.
Without this, you risk becoming demotivated and you could start to vere off track.
2. Plan your weeks
What’s important here is progression, i.e. consider increasing the time, the resistance, the number of repetitions and number of sets you do as the weeks go on.
In addition to looking at your weekly routines, plan your days too. Bin the excuse of “not having the time” to exercise; make time by planning it into your day. Whether that’s getting up early to exercise before work, or if you prefer to do it at the end of the day, choose a routine that suits you and stick to it.
This also goes for meals. Plan what you’re going to eat so you’ve got healthy options available.
3. Set a realistic routine
Look at what will compliment your lifestyle and fit your exercise routine around your existing commitments.
It’s important to remember that habits take 21 days to form, so it will take more determination initially to “bed in” to your new routine.
4. Exercise smart
However, if you’re clever about what you do when it comes to exercise, you’re more likely to see the fruits of your labour.
Choose the right exercises to meet your needs and vary these regularly. A consultation with a fitness instructor in the gym can help to determine this.
In order to see the best results, ensure you’re splitting your workouts into mixture of interval, endurance, strength and core training.
5. Consider what motivates you
Your motivation could be a number of things. Perhaps you’re looking for weight loss, to fit into your wedding dress, to improve your overall fitness levels, or just to enjoy being in the gym again. The message is be clear about what you want to acheive and stay focussed.
Many people find that having a personal trainer helps them to stay motivated as not only will they create a personalised programme to reach their goal, but meeting regularly to assess progress gives them that extra reason to put the effort in!