Five ways to fitness

Does at least one of your 2018 goals involve becoming healthier/fitter? Are you finding it difficult getting to back in to your workout routine?  I’m with you, and I’m sure there’s 100’s of us feeling the same…
Getting in to a fitness routine in January can hands down be quite a shock to the system. Likelihood is that you’ve had a December filled with all the food, fizz, long morning lie ins and of course the occasional afternoon nap..just me? I thought not. Truth is, the only thing that may have been relevant to the word ‘fit’ throughout December, is the challenge of fitting even more food in than you thought possible. Second serving? Why the hell not! If your December sounds even the slightest bit similar to that, welcome to the club- trust me, there’s millions of us! It’s what makes Christmas, Christmas!! However, when January comes around and you have set all of these goals to be more healthy and wake up at 5am to go to the gym, it’s a pretty big shock to our system! This combined with January being labelled as the month of ‘January blues’, can mean that our motivation levels hit a new time low! If you’re finding it difficult, I feel you & don’t worry- I have got you covered. Continue reading to see my top 5 tips for getting in to a routine, smashing your fitness goals and generally taking the steps to become the healthiest version of you.

Lets go….

Plan:  I can’t stress this point enough. If you’re struggling to get in to exercising, make it part of your routine! We all have different commitments, work rotas and different preferences- meaning that there is no ‘wrong’ time to go to the gym or for that run! If you’re a morning person and prefer to get it done first thing to set you up for the day, great! If you can’t think of anything worse than setting a super early alarm, don’t bother- just plan to train in the evening! Whichever you decide, just make sure you plan what it is you want to do and the days/times. On a Sunday evening every week I plan my week ahead; my work schedule and social plans, followed by allocating when I’m going to workout and what it is that I’m doing (Booking yourself on to classes can be a huge help!). This really helps me to avoid the whole ‘I’ve not got time’ exscuse that can be so easy to make.  It’s about making the time and if it’s important to you to become fitter this year, you will make it a priority to have time!

Note- if you’re just starting out in fitness, it can be really helpful to plan realistic goals. For example, start by setting yourself the goal of exercising twice a week and build it up gradually. Don’t overwhelm yourself and throw your self in to things, likelihood is it will just de-motivate you and make you want to throw in the towel!!

Don’t neglect your mental fitness – There are several reasons we exercise and it can be different for everyone. From improving our overall health, the way that we look, or to improve in a certain sport – the list goes on. Exercise is great for our general health and for making us both fitter and stronger. It’s important to remember that our brain needs just as much time/attention to become just as fit & strong as our bodies. Exercise in general is so beneficial for your mental health, it’s one of the things that I swear by to de-stress and release endorphins. Remember to put your mental health at the top of your priorities, wether it’s talking about your worries, practising mindfulness, creating gratitude lists or even just taking some time out to be alone. Investing in both your mental and physical health is one of the most important decisions you can make and you will reap the rewards.   

Mix things up – I’ve heard so many people say that they don’t enjoy exercising, or that they find it extremely boring. I can hand on heart say, I love it! Although, trust me, it’s not always been that way! The best thing to do is to try new things, there’s so many forms of fitness from lifting, running, walking, swimming, cycling, boxing… I could go on and on! Sign up to a new class, step out of your comfort zone and try new things- you are bound to find something you enjoy and once you do, you may find that after several weeks or months it’s time to shake things up and find something new again- you’ll find that this benefits both your mind AND body!  I currently mix things up all of the time incorporating all the things I enjoy in to my routine, trust me- it makes me WANT to train!

 Fuel your body- I used to be the girl that lived on juices, avoided carbs like the plague and may as well have strapped my self to the treadmill. I’m no expert nutritionist and I certainly don’t claim to be, however, my journey has meant that I have learnt so much about the importance of fuelling our bodies correctly and the huge impact it has on us both mentally and physically. I’m not going to go in huge detail here, but I just want to highlight the fact that you need to fuel your body no matter what. You don’t need to eat less on a rest day, carbs are not the devil, don’t say no to your favourite chocolate & please, please, please avoid ‘diets’, Every one is different In regards to the amount of food or what types of food suit them best- my biggest advice would be to ensure that you eat enough, eat as much natural, colourful goodness as possible but don’t restrict and completely cut out the things that you enjoy. Life is far too precious to deny yourself of the things you enjoy. Stop focusing on eating less, just focus on eating better!!

Ignore the bullshit & just do you- January is the worst time of year for the diet industry shoving the newest craze in front of our faces. There’s so much talk on calories, detoxes and what exercises you should be doing and how often! Firstly, you’ve probably just read my section on ‘fuel’ therefore will know exactly what I think about the diet side of things. Ignore what every one else is doing or what they are telling you is the best thing to do- you do you! If you want to improve your fitness, become as healthy as you possibly can and be happy, none of the crazy diets or routines will do anything for you. The only thing they will succeed in, is setting you up to fail or even worse- becoming obsessive and unwell. When you hear all of the ‘diet talk’ put up a big ass barrier and avoid it like the plague- you already know what to do and what steps to take to become fitter & healthier. Note: Getting guidance from a trained PT & nutritionist is not ‘bullshit’ therefore my statement above does not apply to this. Likewise, following your favourite fitness Instagram for ideas/motivation is extremely helpful and recommended! It’s the strict diets, ‘cleanses’, juice detoxes and crazy exercise trends that fly about that you should be avoiding!

I hope these 5 points can help you to fulfil whatever goals you have set around becoming fitter, healthier and most importantly…Happy. For those interested in my current routine; I train around 4-5 times per week and mix things up with strength training, boxing, walking & HIIT- with the occasional random gym class thrown in depending where the mood takes me! This will obviously change when I’m in Australia (see previous blog posts), I’m likely to be ditching the gym for long beach walks, surfing, and other outdoor activities- but I’ll keep you posted.

If you take anything from this post, let it be the advice to find whatever form of exercise you truly enjoy- focus on becoming fitter, stronger, happy & healthier; rather than focusing on your physical appearance (that’s just an added benefit – not the reason to exercise).

Hope this has been helpful, best of luck smashing your fitness goals!

KB x