If the party season has left you feeling sluggish and a little bit frazzled, then you may already be thinking about a healthy January ahead. If this is the case then don’t worry, just take a look at our suggestions for how to start the new year in the best possible way - so you feel happy, healthy and ready for anything.
As the Christmas decorations are carefully boxed away, the start of the year leaves one last thing to be unwrapped - the "new year, new me" resolutions. 'It's the time of year when we swear an oath to banish the bad habits and focus on improving our health and fitness.
The Fitness Industry Association's research indicates that after 24 weeks, most people quit or stop attending the gym. We're here to fight the fitness failure and help our gym bunnies pump that iron.
5 steps to getting fit
Step 1: Fix your diet
A better physique is built in the kitchen, not just at the gym, so start by fixing your diet. Your body relies on proper dietary intake to perform optimally, so stick to foods that are nutrient dense like fruit, vegetables, lean meat, fish and dairy.
Step 2: Sweat more
Love it or hate it, it's all about cardio! Running, cycling, aerobics or a circuit class, cardio exercises blitz calories and increase your body’s aerobic capacity at the same time.
Step 3: Get breathless
A recent study by the British Medical Journal showed the rate of body fat loss is directly related to the amount of carbon dioxide we breathe out. That means the more breathless we get through exercise, the more fat we burn. Incorporate interval training to your cardio sessions by alternating between high and moderate intensities. For example, run hard for 30 seconds, and jog for 60 seconds. Not only will you burn fat faster, but your body will become more efficient to train harder next time. Start out doing 20-minute workouts three days a week on alternating days. Increase your time by two minutes each week to progressively make improvements.
Step 4: Lift weight
Resistance training will increase your muscle mass and tone, which in turn causes a spike in metabolism for greater long term fat burn. Base your workouts around compound exercises which target more than one muscle at a time like bench presses, shoulder presses, back rows, dips, lunges and deadlifts. Aim for 10 to 12 repetitions of four, or five sets three days a week on non-cardio days.
Step 5: Stretch
Staying flexible with a good range of motion will help you perform cardiovascular exercise and resistance training more efficiently, and will generate faster results. Attend a yoga class (join us at the Dolphin Fitness Club) at least once a week to help improve balance, stability and flexibility.
Karen's Top Tips
Personal trainer and friend of Dolphin Fitness Club, Karen, has the best training advice for staying on track during and beyong the festive period. In Karen's blog, three of the best unkept secrets are divulged, from diet tips to training plans and metabolism info, Karen has all the insights. These gruelling concepts can be daunting to even the most avid gym goers amongst us, so Karen has made it simple, realistic and approachable.
Follow these simple tips and watch Karen's fitness video to ensure that you keep to your resolutions.
But wellness and keeping fit is just not about exercise, but good self-care too. Here are a few more pointers to get the New Year off to the best of starts.
Treat yourself
Post-Christmas, on most people’s minds is a January that is full of only good things for their bodies, right? The winter is the ideal time to spend some time to rejuvenate and repair the body, inside and out.
One great way to start the year is by booking in for some detoxing sessions, to kick-start your healthy plans for 2019. To give your skin a boost, try the newly extended deep hydrating facial, to ensure your skin is in the best condition possible this winter.
Try a new hobby
January is a great time to try something new either by yourself, to meet new people, or to spend time with a loved one. Indoor hobbies are great during the colder months and with London’s first aqua-spinning classes now available daily, why not see if it’s something that you may enjoy?
Get a New Year wardrobe
Look good, feel good. Make sure you leave some money left over after your Christmas shopping, and treat yourself to some new clothes so you feel fabulous this January. There are also some great sales around at this time of the year, so you no longer need to wait until after Christmas to grab a bargain. Check out Belgravia’s boutiques.
Start a healthy routine, now
Don’t worry about the cold weather and dark evenings, if you hit the gym rather than hitting the sofa - then we are sure it will help beat the winter blues this January. Try introducing fitness classes, swimming and workouts into your routine and it will help make the most of those cold and wet weeknights and weekends.
Ready to get fit and well?
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