Fitness Column 7 - Keeping up your new habits!

So, February is here, you’ve had a great start on your fitness journey in January, here’s some top tips to keep yourself motivated over the next few months;

Keep it interesting!

Make sure your workout is fun and enjoyable. Don’t do an exercise just to do it or because you ‘have to’. Incorporating exercises, you’re not so keen on, in to a circuit based programmes are absolutely awesome to keep you motivated while you’re working out.

Do your research or seek advice from a professional about what you can do to stimulate the same muscle groups but using different exercises.

Planning ahead!

Make sure your workouts are planned and you try to stick to an allocated time, just heading to a facility to work out without a plan and time scale will often lead to you checking your phone too often and lack of drive.

Check in to a class!

Heading to group based classes are normally filled with like minded people who are there to train. Of course, there’s the social aspect to classes but generally people like knowing that they will be there for a certain time and will be motivated to train. (Most even like that their trainer will stop them talking).

Reassess your goal

January, you set yourself your goal(s), it’s now time to check your stats and your progress. Even if it’s knocking a few seconds off your park run, this all equates to progress not perfection.

Make sure you’re heading in the right direction and look at what you can improve to secure progress in February.

Ideally you want to check all your stats, from body fat to hydration and BMR to visceral fat. All these can be done via a good set of scales. I use Tanita scales at the Functional Fitness Suite which tell you all this and more.