I don’t know about you, but I find new year’s resolutions a bit overwhelming. All that pressure to take on the world and tackle all your bad habits in one go.
So, if getting healthy is on your list of resolutions, try choosing a step by step approach that doesn’t mean you have to throw out all the Christmas leftovers, and is more likely to be successful.
January:
This is the month for making small changes in your day to day life. If you work in an office, try to build in a 20 minute walk each day and introduce a bowl of salad. Let’s face it, we’re often still finishing up the Christmas chocolate until the end of January, and it can take time to get back into a routine. That’s okay! If you don’t go step by step you’re much more likely to fail so just go gently on yourself – so by all means enjoy your chocolate but do some positive things too.
February:
Now let’s do some goal setting – to get your head in the game, start reading some positive articles about health and nutrition, or listen to a podcast if you prefer. This subconsciously helps to give you a positive mental outlook, leading to constructive action. I’m enjoying Headspace just now, a helpful mediation app with a large range of choices, but if meditating isn’t for you perhaps check out Mark Sisson’s Primal Endurance podcasts which are full of good tips and recommendations whatever your level of fitness from walking to iron mans!
On the fitness front you can obviously join a gym or head out for a run, but it can be as easy as clearing a space for some simple exercises in your home. Try running through these exercises a couple of times, which only takes ten minutes:
- 10 squats
- 10 press ups
- 1 minute crawling
- 1 minute plank
- 30 seconds side plank left
- 30 seconds side plank right
It’s very simple and you’ll definitely start to see a difference. And, if you’re adding this routine to your daily 20 minute walk, then you’ll have introduced 30 minutes of daily exercise as a new habit in your life.
Want more help? Why not sign up for our new 12-step Food for Life Primal Nutrition Course, which is designed to help you cultivate a healthy relationship with food, introducing the thinking behind the Primal diet and holding your hand during those first crucial weeks.
March:
Fingers crossed the evenings are getting lighter and the temperature is starting to improve, which will be better for walking. It’s important to stick to the routine and stay motivated. But, if you’re finding it tough to reach your health goals on your own, it’s completely okay to get a helping hand: we offer bespoke training to suit you. For example, one of our clients has just started a four week Kick Start programme with two personal training sessions per week, an individually tailored two hour nutrition course and two massages. And there’s no slacking off as we can monitor progress daily via our online members portal.
Take your time and gradually adjust your lifestyle to a healthy one and make 2018 the year you finally achieve your resolution.
