Happy new year! Christmas is over, we’ve relaxed with family, had fun with friends and now it’s back to reality. Many people set a goal in the new year to get fit and active, but it can be hard to find the motivation to do so after a carefree few weeks. That’s why we’re here with five simple ideas to kickstart your healthy new year and inspire some motivation.
- Pin down your goals and remember your WHY
First things first, you need to remind yourself WHY you started your fitness journey and what your goals are. Are you wanting to create a better morning routine? Do you want to gain some muscle? Maybe you want to swim faster, or it could be that you want to lose a few pounds. Whatever your goals are, they should be important enough to you that they motivate you to leap out of bed on a cold, dark morning and get to work on achieving them. Then you can start to think about exactly HOW you’re going to get there.
- Step out of your comfort zone
You know what they say, nothing good ever came from a comfort zone. Trying something new and pushing your body to new limits can spark a newfound love for exercise and snap you out of the rut you didn’t even know you were in. Depending on what your goal is and what you enjoy may heavily determine what form of exercise you incorporate into your routine, however trying something new and discovering something else you enjoy can give you an extra push to carry on and give you that all important ‘get up and go’ you’ve been waiting for. For example, if your goal is to be able to swim faster, you could try swimming a different stroke or join a swimming group for some healthy competition. You could also focus on cardio exercises in the gym to improve your cardiovascular endurance. Try something new and take a slightly different approach to reaching your goals and see what effect this has.
- Make time for self-care
You may be wondering “why is self-care so important?” Good question. Self-care is vital because it encourages you to maintain a healthy relationship with yourself. Exercise can sometimes come with negative connotations and some people may assume you have to hate your body to want to work on it. But that’s not the case. Self-care can teach you to love your body and be happy and confident in your own skin. Wanting to better yourself and live a healthy lifestyle does not mean your punishing yourself – it actually means the opposite! Try taking some time out of your day (even just 10 minutes!) to do something you enjoy or something that relaxes you. This could be reading a book, having a soak in the bath, going for a walk, or giving your friend a call. The benefits you could reap are well worth it and will shine through every aspect of your life – including motivating you to keep chasing your goals!
- Create an effective, enjoyable routine
The key to a long-lasting healthy lifestyle is ENJOYMENT! It’s important to enjoy the type of exercise you’re doing or else it soon becomes a chore. Moving your body and being active is a privilege and something to be thankful and grateful for, so let’s treat it that way! It’s not a form of punishment so don’t dread your workout by programming things you don’t enjoy. There are so many forms of exercise out there from walking to weightlifting, swimming to dancing. So find the one that suits you and makes you look forward to your workouts. This will ensure you find time for exercise even when you didn’t think it was possible.
- Remember who’s in charge
You are the only person in control of your fitness journey, and you are the only person who can get you out of bed in the morning to work on your goals. Hold yourself accountable for your health and wellbeing by taking progress pictures, planning time into your day for your workouts by putting them in your calendar and reward yourself for hitting your goals! Once you accept that YOU are in charge, you won’t want to let yourself down.
If you’re still lacking a bit of motivation, pop into a Life Leisure centre and see what our fitness team can do to help. Our expert instructors can lead you in a group exercise class, write you a bespoke programme (included FREE with all memberships!) and provide you with even more tips and advice.