Happy New Year!
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas.
Let’s talk about NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS. We’ve all made them at some point. Sometimes they are realistic and sometime not. The majority of resolutions fall on losing a few pounds after Christmas and getting either back into some training or going to the gym for the first time. If the later part is you then this blog is ideal for you.
What generally happens in January is that motivation kicks in. The TV is full of ads trying to get you to lose weight and get exercising. Gyms are offering great deals to encourage you in. So it’s no wonder that everyone wants to give it all a go. However…..be warned
If you have never exercised before, or even if you have been in active for a while, don’t go too hard too soon.
Injuries are very common in this month. People go mad, they haven’t done anything and then go and do 4 spin classes a week, 3 body pumps, swimming and the list goes on. The thing with this is that it is unsustainable. It is not realistic and therefore in a few weeks, you will either be too knackered to carry on, have an injury from over doing it or just throw in the towel!!
Changing lifestyle is a great thing. It takes a lot of guts to say “I am not happy and want to change”. So why not be more realistic with yourself. Have a goal but make it smart:
Smart, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely.
- Be safe with your goal. If you need professional advice on how to achieve something then speak to someone that can get you there safely. For instance if you need a new exercise programme then speak to one of the instructors in the gym.
- Start off slowly to exercise. If you have been sitting around over Christmas then your body is going to be a bit tighter than normal. Get stretching before you go for the burn!
- Limit the time on one particular exercise, if you are not used to it and its cardio, start off 20 mins at a moderate pace. If weights 1 set of 12 repetitions to begin with and then slowly build up
- If you feel any niggle or pain, stop and rest. This is a sure sign you are overdoing it. Remember you have the rest of your life to exercise, so why rush the journey?
- Replenish properly with fluid intake during and after exercise, to avoid muscle cramps
- Stretch after exercise (go to our stretch page for ideas)
They say a dog is for life and not for just for Christmas. If you stick with the SMART goal you will end up keeping your New Year’s resolutions not just for January but for all year round!
Happy Training, Stay safe and smart.
Sara
P.S. Redbridge sports and Leisure center has just upgraded their gym…it is definitely worth checking out! See you in there!
