With children going back to school and the first hints of Autumn in the air, September is a month of changes and marks an ideal opportunity to concentrate on your health and fitness. But starting a new fitness schedule can be daunting, so we have compiled a list of tips to help get you off the sofa and into your trainers!
SEP 07th 2018
Kick start your fitness!
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- Consider your goals. Knowing what you want to achieve allows you to set clear targets, and this helps you to stay motivated. Set markers (being able to run 5k continuously, for example, or to swim 20 lengths without stopping) so that you can monitor and celebrate your progress!
- Create a balanced and varied routine. it's important to have a varied 'diet' of exercise. Try to be creative with your choices: what about incorporating a family hike, a paddle-boarding session or a dance class?
- Make it easy for yourself not to find excuses. Lay your clothes out or pack your gym bag the night before. Sign up for classes or a trainer at the beginning of the week and put it in your calendar. Get a fitness buddy to train with you; you're much less likely to miss a training session if it means letting someone else down.
- Listen to your body. A little stiffness is to be expected, initially, but watch out for sudden pains, niggles and aches: they could be telling you to slow down, to try a different form of exercise or to look closely at how you are exercising. Worn out or 'off the shelf' trainers can sometimes be at fault: do try the gait analysis service offered by specialist running shops to make sure that your trainers are correcting any slight pronation problems.
- Remember to enjoy the process. Getting too caught up in where you want to be can rob you of your joy, today. Happiness isn't something that should be reserved for some imagined future. Your body is an absolutely amazing thing. Take a few moments, every day, to appreciate that.
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