Out with the old and in with the new

I think it’s safe to say we have all had quite enough of 2020 and all it has dished out. Thankfully it has encouraged people to get up, get out and get fitter! This is great to see and I can honestly say I have never seen so many people out running, walking, and cycling. This is one of very few benefits of being in a lockdown.

As we enter into a new year, I think we would be foolish to think this is an end to the troubles we have all encountered in 2020. I think things will possibly get worse before they get better. We have had a taste of it already, so we know to expect. We just have to stay positive, stay healthy and be mindful when we need to.

If you haven’t already taken the opportunity to get out and shed some extra pounds, now may be the time! I’m sure most have taken the advantage of the festivities and in the process piled on a bit of extra weight. Here’s how to shift some of that, without too much effort but with some dedication and perseverance.

1 Warm up indoors before you go out, especially now it’s below 0 degrees!

2 If you are new to exercise, start gently, give your body a chance to adapt to the new stress you’re going to place upon it

3 Aim for time rather than distance initially, start with as much as you can manage, and build it up gradually each day

4 Set a date to achieve a reasonable amount of weight loss by, you should be able to lose between 1-3 lbs of body fat each week, if you reduce your calories by 500 per day (minimum) click here to find out how to do that

5 Recruit a friend, your partner or family member to join in with you, you don’t have to do it alone and they will help you stay focused and keep it interesting

6 If you are very overweight I would recommend staying away from high impact exercises such as running or certain sports or activities involving running to begin with, the impact will not be kind to your joints, especially knees and ankles, walking is ok as is cycling, or swimming if you have access to pool, preferably indoor and heated!

7 Weight lifting is a great way to burn calories and boost your metabolism, but proper form is crucial as poor form may not yield the best results and could lead to injury, you can find many videos online showing proper form for almost every exercise imaginable

I hope these few ideas can help you on your way, for more detailed instructions you can contact me directly or even book up for an online session using skype, facetime or any other video chat app you may have

Good luck and Happy New year!