Fitness Friday: Tips to Keep Your Fitness Resolutions

Hi all!

I’m starting the new year with so many ideas and I’m full of enthusiasm for the future especially with my fitness plans. Every Friday will continue to be Fitness Friday and I’ll be blogging anything that takes my fancy on the topic from tips, recipes, workouts, class recommendations and inspiration.

I’ve been back to the gym and trying to get into a routine and creating more habits for myself so that it becomes as easy as possible to keep fit, keep my overeating at bay and get stronger ready for events in the summer. I’m trying to do as much as I can and stop making up useless excuses like these ones:

I’ve been using my usual tips to get me back in the game and I thought I’d share them with you in case you need any motivation to launch your fitness plans, so here’s my top tips:

1) New gym gear – there’s nothing that will get you motivated like some super cute, super hot sweat pants, running leggings and bright and colourful tops and sports bras. I’m bigger on top so prefer to wear patterned gym leggings and then brightly coloured baggy tshirts or neon sports bras and fitted black sports vests. – It is a funeral for the fat you know…
But I’ve seen some amazing neon animal print gym wear from H&M that I’ve also snapped up as motivation. The post christmas sales are a great time to stock up!
Want to know where I’ve got my reasoning for this tip? Have you ever seen a fitness guru on Instagram looking depressed in their neon gym kit?? Look at the Tone It Up girls Karena and Katrina, they look happy and beautiful and that’s enough to get me on the treadmill!

2) Variety – I normally stick with a gym circuit that I make up including kettle bells, burpees etc to change things up plus I’m a very big Body Pump fan. But to shake things up for the new year I’m determined to try out more classes.
I’ve already been back to Body Combat on Monday for the first time in 6 months and I’m still aching in the shoulder area! I’ve also started my running plan to get to the 12 mile distance necessary for Tough Murder. Next Monday I’m going to Body Balance which I’ve been meaning to try for well over a year. Will be really interested to see how I do as flexibility and poise is not my strong point!

3) Goals – having a goal is always a great way to kick start your fitness plan and give you something to work for. I know that I have a 12km event in June and a 12 mile event in August and I also know that running is my weakest point so I’ve started early. I know from last year that I found it hard to increase my distance so I’m starting early and giving myself as much time as I can. The less the pressure and stress I put on myself the more enjoyable and hopefully easier it will be!
Even if it’s a holiday or a wedding you have to go to, giving you a time frame will give you something to head towards.

4) Motivation – Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest are your number one goals here. Find people who are just like yourself and striving for a better you in 2015, follow fitness gurus and personal trainers with their own goals and use them as motivation. Otherwise there are plenty of ‘celebrities’ whether real or just social media experts who give enough inspiration on an hourly/daily basis that can get you to the gym. Emily Skye, the Tone It Up girls and Tana Ashlee are just a few but as soon as you being searching you’ll find 100’s of accounts! Best of all, they are totally free.
Women’s Health and Women’s Fitness are also both great sources of workout ideas, recipes and gym gear that you can read too. I buy every issue of both magazines and find it spurs me on!

5) Plan Ahead – Have no plans for the week? Schedule in your fitness so you don’t forget about it and keep planning on ‘going tomorrow’. 

Busy week? Schedule it in like an appointment and don’t miss it, you wouldn’t miss work or meeting up with friends and 1 hour is only 4% of your day. 

Have a busy weekend away and it’s likely to be indulgent? Keep it simple in the week, make sure your diet is clean and you get your exercise done throughout Monday to Friday, that way you can enjoy your weekend off guilt free! It’s all about balance and finding what works for you, but the guilty feeling is the worst so planning ahead can really help. My February is looking really busy so I’m using January to work off my Christmas pudding and save my money for my future plans. That way I know when I’ve had a few days of eating and drinking I can relax and know that I’ve been working out enough.

What are your top tips for keeping your fitness resolutions this year? Do you have any specific goals in mind for this year?

There are so many tips and tricks, and if you have a friend that can be your fitness buddy to get the new year off with a bang then even better as having a friend join you is one of the better ways of sticking to it.

If all else fails…..a personal favourite quote of mine from DailyHiit.com is this!

L xxx