I Want That Body!

We are at that time of year again where the end of December is just around the corner and a brand new year is on the horizon.

For most of us this is a time of reflection. Thoughts about the year that’s been and looking forward to the year ahead. It is often a time where we decide to make changes in our lives, often starting with a desire to improve our health and fitness.

In the month of January of every year gyms, leisure centres and Yoga studios all report large surges in numbers as people sign up, enthusiastic to embark on new fitness routines that they want to implement in their lives.

Before becoming a Life Coach I worked in the Hot Yoga industry and every January we were filled to the rafters with people wanting to get fit and have a healthy start to the year. However the usual mistake made by many was to rush into to practicing five days a week, pushing through until mid February and then completely giving up. This was a standard pattern we saw repeated in the Yoga studios year after year. A regular occurrence that unfortunately highlighted an absence of any thought and consideration about what it actually means to take on a brand new fitness routine.

As a coach I work with my clients to encourage them to embark on positive changes in their lives, however a question I always ask my clients is “Is it realistic and is it achievable?” Starting something such as a fitness routine that is going to take much time and energy needs deep consideration and a strong dose of brutal honesty with yourself. What can I realistically fit in to my life with all the other commitments I have? This is not a way of slipping out of your new year resolution, quite the opposite, you are creating more of a chance that you will manage to maintain the routine in the long run and so achieve your goal of maintaining a healthy body.

Another really important point ,which is often overlooked, is to choose an exercise that you actually enjoy, if you like swimming, do that, if you prefer walking, join local walking groups. Whatever form of exercise you chose, make sure you enjoy it, the idea of forcing yourself to endure exercise that you dread doing, is just counter productive. Give yourself a break!

What I suggest is to have a clear goal in mind. Do you want to lose weight? Becoming fitter and stronger? Gain more stamina? And set a time frame that you would like to achieve this by. Be realistic and honest. It could well be that working out twice a week regularly and sticking to it will ensure that you reach your goal. It may take a little longer than if you were to launch yourself into working out five times a week, however by over stretching yourself in this way you run the higher risk of giving up because you had no time for anything else in your life!

Food for thought, indeed!

This new year I encourage you to take the opportunity to realistically and honestly consider the amount of time you can commit to a new fitness regime, chose exercise that you enjoy and this may very well be the year that you start something and stick to it!