January 29, 2015
How to keep up your new year’s resolution
With January almost behind us, many people will have already broken their new year’s resolution. However, if you promised yourself to become fitter and healthier on January 1st, it’s important that you stick to your commitment in order to reap the benefits.
Being fitter and healthier can boost your general wellbeing, reduce stress and even make you more productive in the workplace. It also has a knock-on effect on your mental health and helps ensure you have the confidence and self-esteem to achieve your goals.
However, with the excitement of Christmas and New Year well and truly over, it can be difficult to have the motivation to stick to your promise. With the weather being cold and the nights drawing in, few people want to head to the gym after work and plenty find comfort in the unhealthiest food.
There are ways you can adapt your fitness routine and nutrition to make them winter-friendly, meaning you don’t have to sacrifice your health and will have a bikini-ready body come summer.
Adapt your meals
With the weather being bleak, many people find comfort in unhealthy food and snacks but there are a number of meals that combine nutrition, ease and are satisfying at this time of year. Research recipes and look at things you enjoy to eat at this time of year. Many people get stuck in a salad rut, but there are plenty of things you can make that can give you your five-a-day and will be delicious.
From vegetable-packed stews, soups and curries to stir-frys and fajitas, there are plenty of hearty and warming meals that you can have during the colder months, which won’t put your diet in jeopardy. The best thing about these sorts of meals is that you can make big batches of them in your slow cooker or oven and then freeze them so you have a quick meal ready when you get home.
Switch up your fitness
After a long and tiring day at the office, few people want to put on their gym gear and head out, but there are ways that you can avoid this without ruining your fitness programme. There are a large variety of fitness DVDs that you can do at home, allowing you to maintain your fitness until the weather improves. This will also give a new variety to your workout regime, helping to ensure that you continue to improve your Health Score for the long term.
If DVDs aren’t really your thing, look at where else you can get your fitness into your day. Could you walk to work or take the stairs instead of the lift? Just a half an hour walk to the office or after your dinner can significantly improve your health and it costs nothing!
Think about your goals
On December 31st, there was a reason why you planned to get healthier and fitter, maybe you are unhappy with the way your body looks or perhaps you are concerned about health risks as you get older. Either way, these concerns are still valid and, if you give up, they will still be there this time next year.
Motivate yourself with your goals in any way you can. This can be putting up unflattering images on your fridge or making the most of the dacadoo forum and speaking to others in the same situation as you. It doesn’t matter how slow your progress is, as long as you don’t quit you will get there in the end.
