New year, new you

How to keep to your New Year fitness resolutions

With the decorations down and the festive food consumed, Christmas is officially over and its time to kick start 2008 with a new health programme.

Your fitness regime may have slipped during the Christmas party season - or perhaps you didn’t have one to start with – but now is the time to develop the exercise habit: after all, what better time of year to start?

Fitness First recommends kick starting your fitness regime by taking part in some studio classes as experience shows that group activity can provide more motivation than going it alone. The British Heart Foundation recommends that adults undertake 30 minutes of exercise a day for a healthy lifestyle – but why not make it fun too – our classes range from salsa to step and body pump to pilates.

Did you know?

• People who are physically active reduce their risk of chronic diseases, such as coronary heart disease and stroke by up to 50 per cent
  
• 70 per cent of adults do less than the recommended 30 minutes of exercise, five days a week
  
• People who exercise regularly fall asleep quicker and sleep longer and better

With New Year a key time for resolutions and promises, February often sees a reduction in enthusiasm once we realise it can’t all be changed over overnight. Whilst there are no quick fixes to a ‘new you’, Fitness First has produced some simple steps that will make it easier to get fit and healthy in the New Year and stick to that infamous resolution of becoming fit and healthy.

Nick Smith, Fitness Director at Fitness First, “There are no short cuts to health and fitness but a New Year’s resolution provides an excellent motivation for a healthier and happier year ahead.

Try and change the way you think about exercise and eating and adapt the way you schedule your day to leave no room for excuses. By following the tips above you’ll be better equipped to obtain your targets and stick to their resolutions - take heart in the fact that more than half of Fitness First New You Achievers achieved their goals in less than six months, so success could be just around the corner!”

Fitness First believes that success involves using every resource you have to keep you going and offers the tips below to ensure your resolution is one to be proud of:

1. Choose an attainable goal – it could be a friend’s wedding, a party or a summer holiday

2. Give it time: most experts agree that it takes about 21 days to create a habit and six months for it to actually become a part of your daily life

3. Don’t go it alone! Enlist all family members to get involved. If everyone eats more healthily, you won’t have to fight to avoid that bag of chips your spouse munches. Furthermore use a personal trainer for extra motivation and quick results

4. Get a friend to exercise with you

5. Take time every week to schedule your exercise routines

6. Keep a workout bag packed so you don’t have to scramble for your gear

7. Keep a fitness journal to track your workouts and progress – this will act as inspiration for those days when you need an extra push

8. Reward yourself often with massages, new clothes or a holiday

9. Use the Fitness First team at your local club to change your program every 6 weeks

10.Re-visit your goals every six months and gauge your progress. If you’re not reaching your goals, maybe you need some advise – again a team member can advise you on this to ensure you see results!

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