It is the time of year of fitness fads that last till February if you are lucky. That resolution you made upon opening your over partied eyes on Jan 1st is possibly fading fast. I am going to get fit you told yourself as you stood on the scales and stared down in horror at the result.
A few weeks in to January and your determination may be wavering. Follow these simple rules and you will find that you be able to stick to your plan ready to wow them on the beach this summer.
Fitness friends
It is hard to maintain a fitness regime on your own. Make a pact with a friend and agree on a joint routine to get fitter. You can then help each other to get through those moments when you are ready to throw in the towel and retreat to the sofa.
Exercising, whether it is jogging, yoga or even going to the gym, is always more fun if you have a friend to do it with. On a dark cold night you can motivate each other to put the trainers on and get out there and run.
Keep it different
The word routine suggests a treadmill and in your mind if something is seen to be mundane you are likely to give up on it. If you have set yourself to jog three nights a week, slowly you can become bored and one night you wonִ do it. Once the routine is broken you are liable to keep breaking it till you stop.
Do different exercises on different nights and keep it interesting. You could get yourself a swiss ball and exercise at home. You may even want to invest in home gym equipment so you can keep your exercising truly varied.
The more interesting you make your routine the more likely you are to stick with it.
Set a realistic goal
Many people give up because they feel that the progress they are making is too slow. If you are far off your ultimate fitness goal then it is easy to give up. You will then have no chance of improving your fitness at all if you do this.
Make the goal you set achievable. If you are completely out of shape you are not going to be able to run too far at first. Make each target you set achievable and once you have reached it set it a little further on.
By achieving your objectives you will feel good about yourself and you are more likely to continue.
Be careful
Depending on what sort of shape you are in take care when you set out on your fitness regime. If you have an injury, say you suffer from knee pain, make sure you have an adequate knee support to protect it.
Donִ exercise if your muscles feel tired because if you push yourself you could strain a muscle putting you out of action for weeks. It is hard to get back in your routine if you have been forced out of action because of an injury.
Needless to say always make sure you warm up properly before exercising.
Follow these simple rules and fit will be the only f word you say when you mount the scales.