Get back into shape after summer break!
With summer holiday, there comes lovely relaxing time with friends and family, often combined with not-so-lovely over indulgence of food and drink and dropping the ball with our exercise routine.
Kick start your New Year’s fitness plan by following these simple exercise tips from Winnett Specialist Group personal trainer Sarah Pizzi.
Plan ahead of time
Don’t make a mistake of making a ‘maybe’ plan for your workout; plan at least a day before. This will make it more of a commitment and motivate you to actually do it!
Be organised
If you wake up and see your running shoes, sports bra, leggings and water bottle all ready to go, you’ll feel like you’re half way there already – it won’t be as easy to skip the morning run!
Get a buddy
Grab a friend to join you. Having a social aspect to exercising can boost your commitment to fitness routine and make you committed to not letting that person down. Motivate each other!
Prioritise
Don’t plan exercise time in a place where it can be easily pushed aside by something more important. Right after work or first thing in the morning are the times to do it.
Lower your expectations
Just because you’re not feeling up to a one-hour routine, don’t skip working out altogether. By doing a little exercise, even if it’s just a 20-minute bike ride, you’re keeping your brain programmed to your fitness schedule. On the other hand, if you don’t exercise at all, it won’t seem like a big deal to skip another workout in the future.
Set yourself goals
Try challenging yourself to work out every day for 30 days, or every other day, for a month or longer. Wake up and be ready for it. You will actually find the challenge liberating.
Start small
Trying to run 10k for your first workout isn’t a good way to build a habit. Work below your capacity for the first few weeks and build it up, otherwise you might scare yourself off. Ten minutes is a good start and either you get a great, de-stressing and energizing mini workout, or actually enjoy it enough to keep going for longer without any pressure.
Make it fun
If you don’t enjoy yourself at the gym, it’s going to be hard to keep it a habit. There are thousands of ways you can move your body and exercise, so don’t give up if you’ve decided lifting weights or doing crunches isn’t for you.
Stay motivated
When you don’t want to get out there, envisage how good you’ll feel when the workout is over; and even better when you achieve your goals.
Remember, it’s not just about today, it’s about the next 5, 10 and 20 years, so whether it’ll be a little or a lot, it will help keep you looking and feeling better long term.
Yours in Training
– Sarah Pizzi
